wdm0744 does "Dead Calm"

[wdm0744]

If movies have taught us anything, it is that the bad guy is hardly ever dead. It doesn’t matter if he’s been hung by the neck from a chain or stabbed through the eye with sewing needles, more often than not, the villain will spring back to life to wreak further havoc upon the unsuspecting hero or heroine. Apparently, our heroes haven’t seen enough movies, and they’re in luck, because this film convention featuring unbelievably resilient baddies has been less prevalent in recent years. “Dead Calm” was made before this change of heart and should be featured in any survey of “bad-guy-not-dead-yet” studies.

Based on the novel by Charles Williams, “Dead Calm”, released in 1989, is directed by Phillip Noyce (“Patriot Games”) and features only three actors, Sam Neill (he of the man crush – see my “Jurassic Park” review) , Nicole Kidman (looking very young), and Billy Zane (looking very handsome – or so my wife says). It is beautifully filmed, showcasing the gorgeous and yet, somehow sinister expanse of the Great Barrier Reef and features a sparse, but effective score by Graeme Revell that manages to be both operatic and tribal, perfectly capturing the movie’s spirit of serene beauty and raw terror.

After suffering a terrible loss, Australian naval officer John (Neil) and his wife, Rae (Kidman) try to recover by setting sail for an extended yacht cruise. After being stuck on the windless seas for some time, the couple comes upon a derelict-looking ship. (If our heroes had only seen enough “Alien” they would have known that a derelict ship is not something with which you mess around.) Rowing furiously towards them in a dingy, Hughie (Zane) climbs aboard and tells the couple that everyone on his boat has died from food poisoning. Exhausted and seemingly deranged from witnessing the terrible deaths of his companions, Hughie falls asleep and John locks him in one of the cabins, boards the dingy, and heads over to the derelict to investigate. Once there, he makes a ghastly discovery and is unable to reach the yacht before Hughie awakens, overtakes Rae, and motors away with her, leaving John with no shelter but the sinking derelict. What follows is a deeply physiological, Hitchcockian thriller that turns the Hollywood damsel-in-distress plot on its head. Edge-of-your-seat? You bet. This is one of those movies that will have you shouting out desperate advice to the characters.

Now for a word of warning. My parents had this movie on tape when I was a kid and it was one of the few movies in our collection that I was never to touch. There’s good reason for this. “Dead Calm” is an edgy film. It features explicit violence, sex, and gore, but my cautionary endorsement must make mention of the fact that the film’s edginess extents beyond a simple cataloguing of its content into an examination of its tone and spirit. “Dead Calm” is an adult film in the truest sense. It deals with adult issues in a mature way and doesn’t necessarily give the viewer a clear understanding of or an “appropriate” point of view for all of the events or the characters’ motivations. So, let me advise you not to show this to children or your mother.

I first saw “Dead Calm” in college and I came across it again a few months ago on cable. The next day, I ran over to the local electronics store and bought the DVD. I made my wife watch it for three reasons. First, it’s just a really great movie. It features superior acting, cinematography, writing, and direction. Secondly, I married a wonderfully tenacious and resourceful woman. I have every confidence that, given similar desperate circumstances, my wife would not lie down and die, but would fight with the same intelligence and determination that Rae does in this film. She would do anything to survive. That makes me proud.

Finally, I made my wife watch it because, no matter how spunky she may be, like most women, she has a sensitive heart that would discourage her from killing anyone or anything, even in self defense. Kidman exhibits that same sensitivity in this film. Countless times in the movie she could end the terror by justly finishing Hughie off, but each time she relents, he escapes or miraculously recovers, and violence and lunacy comes back with a vengeance. The lesson here is, when it comes to life and death, kill the bad guy and, for Pete’s sake, make sure he’s dead.

[StarOpal]

This is one gal's opinion: Thumbs up on the review. Much tighter, and better mixing of movie/personal thoughts.

At 15, the hair washing scene was one of the most disturbing things ever. And remember, kids, if you find a lone survivor, there's a reason everyone else died.

[wdm0744]

Thanks, Opal.

I can definitely see where you are coming from on the hair washing scene. That's the scene that scares my wife. I think the creepiest part for me, though, is when Sam Neill is on the radio with Kidman while the video of the murders plays in the background; the screams of the victims growing louder as the boat sinks progressively deeper into the ocean. Gives me chills every time.

That's probably not the most psychologically disturbing scene in the film, but it sure does creep me out. The writing, direction, and editing is pitch perfect there.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback. Always nice to know that people are reading. Thanks so much.

[Spiderdancer]

Apr 23, 2008 14:38:27 GMT -5 wdm0744 said:

Finally, I made my wife watch it because, no matter how spunky she may be, like most women, she has a sensitive heart that would discourage her from killing anyone or anything, even in self defense.

Coming from a family of women who are emphatically not this way - that's how our culture works, and it's how girls and women are both taught and expected to be. As long as it's more important for us to be nice than safe, this will continue. Fortunately, there will also always be rawhide-tough Southern women with guns, if my Mom's family are anything to go by.

Well-written review. I think this one was more tight and organized than the previous one. Nice job.

[chucknorris88]

“Dead Calm” is an adult film in the truest sense. It deals with adult issues in a mature way and doesn’t necessarily give the viewer a clear understanding of or an “appropriate” point of view for all of the events or the characters’ motivations.

This is very true for many reasons.

***SPOILERS***

I've seen on IMDB tons of people go on there to discuss things from the intent of the child's death in the beginning to the sex scene itself. Plenty of people analyze Rae's motivations in that movie.

Your review is really good, but I should point out that you wanted your wife to see the movie partly because you think she relates to Rae?

If the motivations of Rae Ingram in that movie are also ambiguous then events like the sex scene could have had a different point of view for your wife and others you might know who saw the film. From what I understand, you believe Kidman's character in the movie had sex out of desperation and that your wife would do the same thing to save you. Admirable and honest, yet at another glance this movie may change your mind over time as it once did to me. I had different outlooks on the movie before I discussed it with other fans, and now I see things differently in the movie.

There have been some very convincing arguments over the controversy in that film so if you have an IMDB account, feel free to look over them in the Dead Calm forum section and tell me what you think.

www.imdb.com/title/tt0097162/

[wdm0744]

Excellent points, Chuck. Thanks for the comments.

***SPOILERS***

I've seen the discussions on IMBD concerning the sex scene before, and Rae's motivations in particular. I can kind of see the point of those who think that Rae somehow wants to have sex with Hughie as a means of releasing her grief over the death of her son or her pent-up anger against John. Some say that because of her broken and fragile mental state, Rae somehow succumbs to some sort of animal attraction to Hughie.

For my money, I think Rae is simply seducing Hughie to earn his confidence and buy time to figure a way to escape and rescue her husband. Would a woman in her situation, even under extreme grief and stress, really decide to have a tryst with a man who she suspects killed 4 or 5 people and left her husband to drown? Unless I grossly misunderstand women, this doesn't add up.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems clear to me. First, as she kisses Hughie, Rae's actions seem obviously forced. Secondly, Rae tries to get out of going all the way with Hughie twice (using the excuses of going to get cigarettes - when she is actually going to get a gun - and then of letting the dog out). Third, to be discrete, her reactions don't seem to indicate that she is having a pleasant time. Finally, her blank stare afterwards and immediate resumption of escape plans both seem to point to her personal trauma and continued resolve.

***END SPOILERS***

As for my wife, I don't necessarily think she relates to Rae or is exactly like her. I only meant to say that she has a similar determination and would refuse to give up in a life or death situation. I deeply admire and appreciate that.

Bottom line, I just don't see a woman in Rae's situation thinking that it's a great time to have a quickie with a psycho.

Chuck, I'm more than willing to admit that I don't know the filmmakers' intent. I've thought about reading the book if I can find it to gain more insight into the whole deal.

If you have another point of view, I would love to hear what you think. Thanks again for reading and commenting.

[chucknorris88]

Believe it or not, the book actually doesn't involve a sex scene or the beginning with the child. Hughie abandons the ship in the book wth Bellows and his wife (yes Hughie had a wife) behind.

You can read all about the changes in IMDB's topics like this one:

www.imdb.com/title/tt0097162/board/nest/100233530

***SPOILERS***

And yeah it seems everyone has their own view about what went on there with these scenes. It's a guess also why they were added for the sake of the movie since the book never depict them.

With all the theories out there: The carnal desires, the vulnerable mind longing to feel good, her being scared and letting Hughie "rape" her, etc. I can see many reasons why some would think the way they do.

For my money, I think Rae is simply seducing Hughie to earn his confidence and buy time to figure a way to escape and rescue her husband. Would a woman in her situation, even under extreme grief and stress, really decide to have a tryst with a man who she suspects killed 4 or 5 people and left her husband to drown? Unless I grossly misunderstand women, this doesn't add up.

I had originally thought that until the carnal theory brought to my attention that buying time would not help her case since she was in a race against time to turn back and locate him before the ship sinks.

Not to mention that there have been cases with a kidnapped victim falling for their captor. The stolckholme syndrome (sp).

In Rae's case, she was vulnerable enough for Hughie to already trust her by letting her free around the ship even though she betrayed him on occasion. To not kill Hughie is a different story. Some believe she couldn't, but others say she could have if John's life depended on it. And there were multiple weapons at her disposal besides the gun itself. As seduction meets desire, Rae could have prolonged Hughie's seduction if she really pretended to be into it. She could have made the sedative drinks first before lying on top of him.

Then there's the actual body language of Rae herself. Some say she was faking it. Other say she had no intent to feel good, but was carnally aroused unwillingly (as can happen).

All we know for sure is what we see. You saw blank stares that followed her seduction; I saw feelings of guilt that followed in her being annoyed from the carnal enjoyment. She does flash moments of this which caught some viewer's eyes. As someone brought up in IMDB, she went to great lengths in the sex by rubbing her hands all over his body during it, and before when she kissed his chest or looked down on him more than once when he wasn't looking.

So certainly, there's enough of a basis for some to think she really did want him in the back of her mind.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems clear to me. First, as she kisses Hughie, Rae's actions seem obviously forced.

They seem that way because Hughie's leaning on her for this. He takes the time to rub her lips, massage her backside, etc. thinking she wants this of course (setting a line across the rape theory since he believes it's consensual sex).

Secondly, Rae tries to get out of going all the way with Hughie twice (using the excuses of going to get cigarettes - when she is actually going to get a gun - and then of letting the dog out).

From what I read, some believe she kept trying to convince herself to get out of it while she still can. A conflict within her mind and judgement. She only had the shells left to load, but ditches it for the cigarettes, and she was passive aggressive about ditching the dog. To which she layed there until it was too late, and the dog left.

Third, to be discrete, her reactions don't seem to indicate that she is having a pleasant time. Finally, her blank stare afterwards and immediate resumption of escape plans both seem to point to her personal trauma and continued resolve.

And these I've already discussed.

Yeah, great movie but full of unexplained events. I'd love to hear more from you on the matter.

[wdm0744]

Thanks for responding, Chuck.

***SPOILERS****

I think you made a good point: why would Rae attempt to buy time when what she really needs is to turn the boat around as soon as possible? You're also right in pointing out that Hughie allowed Rae a good deal of freedom despite her escape attempts and before she seduced him.

Still, though, I've got to go with my gut, and it tells me that Rae is not somehow overcome by animal attraction to Hughie, but is rather employing a calculated attempt to gain his confidence. Sure, during the seduction, she may enjoy parts of it, but overall, her motive is not soothe her hurt soul or cheat on John, but rather, is always, to do whatever is necessary to rescue her husband and survive.

Speaking of animal instincts, I wonder which is greater in that kind of situation: the sex drive or the drive to survive? Personally, I lean towards survival. I think Rae feels she must overcome her repulsion to Hughie's character in order to fool his crazed mind into thinking she is somehow interested in sailing away with him and leaving John to die. That is survival working above personal revulsion.

Anyway, I had a couple other points I wanted to make, but I have to leave the computer right now. More later.

[chucknorris88]

Thanks for responding, Chuck.

No problem ;D

***SPOILERS****

I think you made a good point: why would Rae attempt to buy time when what she really needs is to turn the boat around as soon as possible? You're also right in pointing out that Hughie allowed Rae a good deal of freedom despite her escape attempts and before she seduced him.


Thanks for acknowledging them.


Still, though, I've got to go with my gut, and it tells me that Rae is not somehow overcome by animal attraction to Hughie, but is rather employing a calculated attempt to gain his confidence. Sure, during the seduction, she may enjoy parts of it, but overall, her motive is not soothe her hurt soul or cheat on John, but rather, is always, to do whatever is necessary to rescue her husband and survive.


Fair enough. I think that if this was her plan to gain trust, it was not a very well thought-out one. But to be fair, when Hughie started kissing her she might have felt overwhelmed with Hughie's intentions. That this was all happening so suddenly, which caused her not to think rationally on how to react to such a situation. She had a lot weighing on her shoulders. It was plenty to bear.

And a lot of the ambiguity goes within her reactions. Are they real flashes of lust, or an extremely convincing performance on her part?

There is such a thing as women who can unwillingly achieve carnal fufillment. And these flashes she has depict to me that she was building to orgasm. She even showed a great amount of redness on her face and cheeks leading some people on IMDB to think she had a sex flush.

No doubt Hughie was built, and Rae is an attractive woman. The "animal attraction" as you describle is a primal urge that even sane people can not help but feel during intense situations. The real case here is Rae's mindset (or rather "motive"), and since she was a wreck to begin with one has to ponder this kind of thinking that she had going through with this.

As her grand scheme consisted of passionate sex with Hughie in the long run (she may have wanted the gun first), it's a wonder that things worked out the way they did. Rae not only risked John's time on the sinking boat, but also the possibility of being pregnant by Hughie. And going through with this, there is no guarantee that she would have gotten any more special favors than Hughie was already offering her to begin with. So it was very risky all things considered.

I think one thing we both can agree on was the conflict going on in her mind over this dilemma. Though we both feel Rae had sex under different motives and feelings, there was still a conflict inside her on whether she was actually going to have sex with Hughie or not. She tried to avoid it, but was always drawn back where she ended up submitting to Hughie (and perhaps her inner struggle).


Speaking of animal instincts, I wonder which is greater in that kind of situation: the sex drive or the drive to survive? Personally, I lean towards survival. I think Rae feels she must overcome her repulsion to Hughie's character in order to fool his crazed mind into thinking she is somehow interested in sailing away with him and leaving John to die. That is survival working above personal revulsion.


I consider the act of sex as part of survival, so I'd say it goes in tune with Rae's situation of surviving. In the case of "survival", one must pass on one's seed to survive in this world which is why mating is a priority for surviving families.

To go off on an IMDB analysis I had read in relation to this, Hughie took over as the dominant one when he abandoned John and claimed the Ingram yacht for his own. As the young, virile dominant "alpha male" he also claims the "fruits of his conquest" by mating with the female. So with that, he also claimed Rae (who ironically happens to be in the same physique as Hughie is). Where John was much older and experienced, Rae and Hughie are roughly the same: young in age and both physically healthy; toned individuals.

So to pair without society's laws and by "the animal kingdom", Rae and Hughie more of a rightful match than Rae and John. Human nature (despite how much it's evolved) lessens when a person is concealed from society and technology. In Rae's case, she was on her own "desert island" (ie the yacht). She had limited-to-none contact with the radio so no outside resources. All she had was her chambers (bed), food, water, and companions. One an actual dog and the other a man.

As you'll notice in the movie, the lust between Rae and Hughie is very steamy and wild compared to the subtle yet obvious love Rae shares with John. Animal lust and primal urges are far more wild than the subtle acts of society. In the film's case Rae and John are being contrasted to Rae and Hughie in these moments of "love".

In the beginning, Rae and John's had a child which unfortunatly met a tragic end, leaving her no longer a mother. By the end of the movie, one can ponder at what type of child Rae would bear if she was indeed pregnant from her coupling with Hughie.

Now all this does seem farfetched to most as they hear it like this, yet as I said earlier there are cases of kidnapped victims engaging with the kidnapper out of things such as stockholme syndrome. Rae was fragile enough to sleep with her captor, but as the movie shows she develops less as a hopeless damsel and more into a seductful warrior woman.


Anyway, I had a couple other points I wanted to make, but I have to leave the computer right now. More later.


I look forward to reading them.

[wdm0744]

Well, Chuck, it's obvious you've given this a lot of thought - more than I have, I confess. I think in the end, we'll have to agree to disagree. And, that's not really a bad thing. As we've said, one of the film's strengths is its ambiguity and refusal to spoon-feed the viewer. I think we've made it clear that Rae's intentions in this scene are open to interpretation.

***SPOILERS***

I have no idea what the filmmakers thought of her motivations. You could be right, but I'll be perfectly honest - I hope you're not. Not because I have to be right, but because I would love this movie a whole lot less if I thought that Rae intended to passionately cheat on her husband.

I have a lot of respect for a film that portrays a woman's desperate and intelligent fight for survival and love. On the other hand, I would have a lot less respect for a film that says that animal attraction can overcome basic survival and marital love. Such a film is certainly not one I would insist on showing my wife.

Ultimately, I do think that the evidence points toward my view, but I'll admit that I also want to believe that Rae's motivations are pure. That's the way I want to see the movie, and I think "Dead Calm" allows me to do that.

[chucknorris88]

Yeah that analysis I posted was off on IMDB, and even though its extreme it does share a point no matter how unsettling it is.

I agree to disagree only because I enjoy people's thoughts on controversial films. Dead Calm being no exception.

I don't share the idea that I would lose respect over Rae for what she did because the movie portrays all three characters as survialists with inner weaknesses.

John is experienced, yet he leaves his wife on board with the man he suspected was dangerous to begin with. He takes the small boat, and never thinks to take real caution over such a situation.

Rae is obvious as I explained my two cents on. She becomes emotionally vulnerable and open to Hughie's advances. She does overcome this and becomes a skillful seductress, but at the cost of her faithful marriage to John.

Hughie is reckless, childish, and also unstable. He is too trusting of the woman he has kidnapped, and also thinks he can control any situation that he doesn't like.

[moviegoer]

One thing i don't get on the 1st sex scene, before both Rae and Hughie went down on the floor, Rae had worn a white shirt. And when they were on the floor, that shirt was somehow removed and not shown. Was it cut out of the movie?

[chucknorris88]

It's either one of two things.

Poor editing since Hughie clearly had shorts and an orange blanket on while Rae had a long sleeve white shirt and shoes.

Or the scene was meant to lead as though Hughie lead her to the floor at that point yet they never do until after they undress. Rae had to remove her shoes and shirt while Hughie stripped down completely.