Starring: Ray Winstone, Lara Belmont, Freddie Cunliffe, Tilda Swinton, Colin Farrell Directed By: Tim Roth Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: DVD Format: Color, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, Special Edition, NTSC Label: New Yorker Video Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Letterbox Region Code: 1 Release Date: September 19, 2000 Running Time: 98 minutes Theatrical Release Date: 1999
Amazon.com: As unflinching and bleak as it is beautiful, Tim Roth's directorial debut, The War Zone, is remarkably accomplished filmmaking. Adapted by Alexander Stuart from his own novel, the film centers on a family that has just moved from London to the wind-swept English seaside during winter. The relative isolation soon reveals an ongoing incestuous relationship between the working-class father (Ray Winstone) and his 17-year-old-daughter, Jessie. The middle-class mother (Tilda Swinton) has just given birth to their third child and desperately avoids knowing the truth, leaving Tom, the younger brother, with the horrific responsibility of exposing the family secret. Fearless in its hard-fought depiction of incest, The War Zone pulls no punches; this vivid portrayal of abuse within a family and the scathed consciousness that results is not for the faint of heart. True to his theater background, Roth doesn't explain how or where such brutal choices were first taken, choosing rather to let the actors bear the ambiguities and anguish of a terrible knowledge in the their body language. --Fionn Meade
Though Tim Roth's direction sometimes falters by staying back when it should draw the viewer in, The War Zone is a searing family portrait that pulls no punches and makes movies like Festen or Rachel Getting Married seem very tame by comparison.
Disturbingly riveting This is a gripping realistic film about incest and the ramifications it has, especially on the children. We begin by seeing through the eyes of a brother who discovers his sister is being abused by their father. The confusion and betrayal he feels is played brilliantly by the young actor, Freddie Cunliffe, who I believe was a relative newcomer with this film.
Lara Belmont plays his sister trying desperately to keep her fragile world together while living through the hell of abuse. I believe she too made her debut with this film, and she gives a soulful portrayal of the pain and confusion her character feels. You never feel that her performance is forced or unrealistic.
Ray Winstone is in his usual fine form playing the abusive father. Even though I didn't want to see one of my favorite actors play such a monster, he did it believably and made me see the character and not the actor.
Tim Roth presents this film with a dark quality befitting the subject matter. He has been criticized for the rape scene, but I believe it makes the audience better understand the horror of the act.
As a survivor myself, I do have to warn other survivors that this could be a very disturbing film to watch depending on where you are at in your healing. It may trigger flashbacks or other emotions which will be difficult to work through. However, from what I have read elsewhere on the web, this film is being used by survivor groups and therapists to help in the healing process of this trauma. I would recommend that other survivors realistically assess how they might react to a graphic depiction of abuse before they watch this film and proceed accordingly.
A Family at War... This is an incredibly moving film about a family of four (soon to be five) who moves to the country from London in hopes of having a better life. There's Tom, the younger teenage brother, played by Freddie Cunliffe who is depressed and angry that he was forced to leave his friends behind. Because of the extra time on his hands he's able to see things within his family he never noticed before.
There's Jessie, played by Lara Belmont, who plays the eldest daughter. She's sad, withdrawn and sexually promiscuous with both men and women. She's very close with her baby brother, Tom, and at times you wonder if their relationship is inappropriate.
Mum (Tilda Swinton), is having another baby, and hasn't been able to sleep. She's frustrated and wanting to go back to work. Dad (Ray Winstone), appears on the surface to be a loyal and loving husband and father.
This is a devastating story about incest and how each member deals with it (but specifically Tom). Tom is the first to discover what is going on between his sister and father. I really didn't know for sure from the beginning but looking back all the signs were obvious. Tom confronts his sister who denies it at first. He blames her viciously at first taking out his anger on her instead of his father. They continue to keep it quiet but Tom begins to fear, once the baby Alice is born, that she'll be Dad's next victim.
This film was well written, acted and filmed. While it is an emotional caustic topic it is something that shouldn't be hidden behind locked doors and I think well made films like this The War Zone encourage discussion. It is definitely worth watching. Reviewed by M. E. Wood.
The Dead Zone
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
"The War Zone" directed by Tim Roth fully confirms its reputation as extremely dark, pessimistic tragic, and highly admirable given the deeply disturbing nature of its subject. Performances are fantastic - natural and honest. As a director, the first-timer Tim Roth is very impressive - he created the atmosphere that makes a viewer suffocated, uncomfortable, and hurt which is appropriate for this type of film. The most talked about scene in a bunker between a father and his teenage daughter as seen by the eyes of their son and brother, Tom is handled with such incredible array of quietly screaming emotions and pain that it almost overpowers the similar scene in "Irreversible" (believe it or not). It is very powerful piece of film-making and deserves all its praise and awards. There is a little "but", though. One of the reasons I wanted to see the film was to compare it to the Alexander Stuart's novel of the same title which the film was based on. With all respect and admiration for what Tim Roth has done, Stuart's book is much darker, more open and goes far deeper in its attempt to understand and explain the tragedy which ruined and destroyed a seemingly happy and loving family.
Fantastic movie if you can get past "the scene." There were two things that made this movie: the directing and the father character.
There's a lot that we don't know about this family. The movie is a tale about emotion and coming to grips with it. There are deeper problems than the incest that goes on between the daughter and father. That is only a symptom. Unfortunately, as the movie underscores, the incest ruins everyone elses lives as well.
Visually it is a beautiful film, filled with drab water-color images. The entire movie you do not know what the hero/intercedory brother is thinking; which is normal for a 15 year old young man.
I think the best thing about the movie is that although everyone outwardly acts in a similar fashion, the characters are all so different, making for a wonderful conflict and climax (please don't read into that!).
Many sexual-phobes are afraid to watch this movie because they're afraid they'll get turned on by watching the one infamous incestual scene. To that I say, "Its just a movie." Yes its a hard scene to watch. I'll leave it at that. Do what you think is right. Anything normally taboo excites strange conflicting emotions in people. Ironically, I think the director knew this and was trying to get us into the head of the son (who was watching it).
All in all a great movie. Very contemplative. (and British)
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