I can't help but feel that the praise given to this film has more to do with its willingness to confront a 'difficult subject' than its actual quality.
The War Zone is a reasonably well made film with good performances, particularly from Freddie Cunliffe as the withdrawn, anguished teenage son, Tom.
However, the film suffers from severely under-developed characters and an almost obsessive desire to shock and titillate. Instead of confronting a difficult subject like incest, Tim Roth and to a greater extent the writer, Alexander Stuart, seem intent on wallowing in it.
I was very uncomfortable with the tone of this movie, especially within the bizarre, unconvincing relationship between Tom and his elder sister, Jessie:
Worst of all, the blatant suggestion that after confronting the horror of the sexual abuse that Jessie has suffered at the hands of her father, the two siblings seem content to engage in incest WITH EACH OTHER.
So what is this film saying? That incest is natural and possibly even beautiful only if its done within the same generation???
The War Zone is meant to be disturbing and it is but for all the wrong reasons.
Incest is indeed disgusting but I feel similarly uneasy with a screenwriter who seems to get off on the thought of this type of abuse.
The War Zone is a reasonably well made film with good performances, particularly from Freddie Cunliffe as the withdrawn, anguished teenage son, Tom.
However, the film suffers from severely under-developed characters and an almost obsessive desire to shock and titillate. Instead of confronting a difficult subject like incest, Tim Roth and to a greater extent the writer, Alexander Stuart, seem intent on wallowing in it.
I was very uncomfortable with the tone of this movie, especially within the bizarre, unconvincing relationship between Tom and his elder sister, Jessie:
- Jessie content to be completely naked whilst talking to her hormonal younger brother
- Jessie getting a friend to seduce Tom
- Jessie burning her nipples with a lighter and then asking Tom to do it to her
Worst of all, the blatant suggestion that after confronting the horror of the sexual abuse that Jessie has suffered at the hands of her father, the two siblings seem content to engage in incest WITH EACH OTHER.
So what is this film saying? That incest is natural and possibly even beautiful only if its done within the same generation???
The War Zone is meant to be disturbing and it is but for all the wrong reasons.
Incest is indeed disgusting but I feel similarly uneasy with a screenwriter who seems to get off on the thought of this type of abuse.