anti:freeze

As many of you know, I dearly love the writings of Scottish Beat writer Alexandar Trocchi (the man himself is another story, but then, his bad behavior is part of the attraction.)

So of course I dreaded the movie version of Young Adam. I did not want to see Ewan McGregor and his toothy, saccharine grin in the role of Joe. Not that I have anything against Ewan McGregor; I simply thought him too sweet for the part. (A little too pretty, a little too innocent. A little too Gap-ad-esque.)

That is, until now.

I finally watched the movie this past weekend, and though I only had access to the R version (not the NC-17 version played overseas), I found myself transported right back into the book. Everything felt true: the blue cast to the light, the close-ups of clammy skin, the brilliant green of the grass, Ewan McGregor's sexy-creepy stares and unhealthy pallor, Emily Mortimer (as Cathie) floating dead in the water, Emily Mortimer flirting on the beach, the amoral/moral ambiguity of every moment.

The movie is not perfect, and I have my complaints, but overall, it captures the mood and interiority of the book - not an easy task.

One scene I will never forget: Joe throwing a bowl full of custard at Cathie, after she complains about her long hours at work, while he sits at home writing. Cathie, wearing nothing but a garter belt & underpants, falls to the floor as Joe continues his assault - spanking her with a stick, squirting ketchup onto her back, spreading it across her skin, pouring salt into the mix, and forcing her onto her belly before engaging in (anal?) sex and leaving her alone on the floor. Throughout the scene, Cathie seems to laugh hysterically (or is she screaming?) Later that same night, the two cuddle in bed. In the background: jazzy instrumentals by David Byrne.

It was one thing to read that scene, but quite another to watch it.

At the heart of the story is the concept of justice, innocence, and morality.

One night (in the immediate past, right before the story begins), Cathie and Joe run into each other after a brief time apart. They have sex under a railway car, and Cathie reveals she is pregnant. Joe, sweet as always, tells her, "I will send money when I have some."

Cathie chases behind him as he walks away. She falls into the river and drowns. Joe does not push her, but he does not exactly jump in to save her, either. Nor does he alert the authorities, even though he knows she cannot swim. (Later, he does jump into the water to rescue a little boy, which shows us two things: he can do it when he wants to - or when he is watched - and/or his character changed after Cathie's death.)

Flash to the present: Police believe Cathie was murdered, and they drag in another man to stand trial. Joe is now faced with a serious dilemma: Does he reveal what he knows about her death? If he does, he will surely hang for her drowning, even though he is innocent. If he does not, this other innocent man will hang for the same crime. Either way, there is no justice. Either way, an innocent man dies. Is the injustice somehow greater if the other man hangs?

But of course, this assumes his memories tell the truth. Does Joe lie to himself about that night? Did Cathie fall into the water? Or did he push her? It remains ambiguous.

And this doesn't even begin to explore it all (such as his affair with the wife of his boss on the barge, or his numerous other encounters, the way he seems to prey on loneliness.)

I recommend the book more than the movie, of course, but do see it.

I have a lot more to say about this movie, but I need to let it sink in. More on this later. In the meantime, here is an interesting review from April of last year.