The Life of David Gale (2003)
I'm going to do my best not to spoil
anything about "The Life of David Gale." Trust me,
the less you know going in, the better. After the
film is over, as is the sign of any good movie, you'll
want to immediately go to the library or hop on-line
and find out as much as you can about the subject.
Good luck with this one! It's not really based on
a true story although the verisimilitude leads us
to believe otherwise.
The trailer tells us this much about
David Gale: He was a professor at a University in
Austin. He was one of the most vocal public opponents
of the death penalty. He was convicted of a crime
of rape and murder and, seemingly ironically, ended
up on death row himself. That's all you want or need
to know going in. Don't let anyone else tell you more
or spoil this movie for you.
Still, there's something nagging
me about this film and I feel compelled to discuss
its plot. If you've seen the film and want to read
my thoughts, click on the link at the bottom of the
page.
So, if we are calling the plot verboten
on this page, we can at least talk about the film
as a film. Director Alan Parker gives us a pretty
mainstream and straightforward film. I always get
Parker confused with Alan Rudoplh and Alan Pakula.
Parker directed Pink Floyd's "The Wall," but he's
also done films like "Midnight Express" and "Mississippi
Burning." Parker really only allows himself one cinematic
device here, the quick-cut montage of various written
words that acts as connective tissue between major
sections of the film, especially when returning from
a flashback to supposed "real time." (Sort of like
if Stephen Bochco directed "Saved by the Bell"). It
doesn't really work but it's also pretty innocuous.
Parker is certainly effective at
presenting the appearance of truth and keeping the
film flowing smoothly, even when he shifts back and
forth in time at an odd rate. Often drifting into
big chunks of flashback, the film nonetheless retains
resonance as well as forward momentum throughout its
two hour run time.
The acting here is, mainly, on par
with what we'd expect. Kevin Spacey, in the title
role, is called upon to be suspect in his portrayal
of the convicted rapist and murderer but he becomes
more and more sympathetic as the film moves along,
as is rightly so. He tries to become a continuation
of his character in "Se7en" for about 15 seconds when
introduced just to throw us off but soon such inconsistencies
in the character are discontinued. Spacey is as remarkable
as we'd expect during most of the film. Laura Linney,
meanwhile, continues to remind us why she is such
a critically acclaimed actress. She's as consistently
complex and likeable here as she is in "Primal Fear"
and "You Can Count on Me." Of all the principals,
however, only Kate Winslet has problems. She's called
upon to cry about three times in this film and each
time she does so, the action rings more and more false.
Otherwise, she does an admirable job.
Of the secondary cast, Gabriel Mann
is the most interesting. As Winslet's annoyance turned
helpmate, Mann provides the perfect non-threatening
love interest. His boyish good looks camouflaged by
a well-trimmed Van Dyke beard cannot hide his likeablity
and sensitivity. One imagines that a scene of romantic
entanglement between he and Winslet somehow ended
up on the cutting room floor. (Mann has made 25 films
in only 8 years and still managed not to get noticed.
This film may end all that). Meanwhile, Leon Rippy
and Matt Craven also provide colorful backdrops to
the story at hand with their supporting characters.
"The Life of David Gale" is a film
that has an opportunity to create controversy and
conversation about the death penalty. It's a film
that has the capacity to change minds and provoke
deep thought. It's also deeply engrossing and very
entertaining. A film that utilizes the best that film,
as an artform and a medium, has to offer.
Click HERE
for more discussion of "The Life of David Gale"
if you've seen the movie or just enjoy having movies
ruined for you.
Notes:
Filmed in and around Austin. Imdb.com
lists several Austin actors as extras including Ryan
Wickerham. C.K. McFarland, a local actor, has a small
role. Notable Austin locales in the film include the
UT campus, the State Capitol building, Sam's Bar-B-Que,
Metro (inside and an establishing shot), Buffalo Billiards
(inside upstairs), South Congress and 6th Street.
Parker's son Alexander wrote the
music for the film.
The scenes of Gale drunk on 6th
street were improvised by Spacey and used only one
cameraman. The extras in the scene were actually unaware
by-passers.
