BLINDSIDED
US, 1993, 90 minutes, Colour.
Jeff Fahey, Mia Sara, Ben Gazzara.
Directed by Tom Donnelly.
Blindsided is a thriller made for cable TV. It stars Jeff Fahey, a reliable star of many of these movies. He plays a former policeman, disillusioned by the death of his wife, teaming up for robberies and confidence tricks. Mia Sara is presented as the glamorous and sympathetic heroine - gradually to emerge as the villain of the piece, the archetypal femme fatale. Ben Gazzara is the reliable policeman.
The ingredients are familiar, the conventions of the film noir. The film was written and directed by Tom Donnelly, seeming to be a practice run for more complex and deeper pursuits of the film noir.
1.Entertaining action? Mystery thriller? Made for cable television? The home audience?
2.The city settings? Apartments, the pet cemetery, the motels, the hotels and clubs? The contrast with the Mexican resort? The atmospheric musical score?
3.The title, the focus on the accident, Frank being blinded, regaining his sight? Blinded by Chandler? Ultimately seeing clearly at the end of the film? The irony of Chandler guiding him when he couldn't see and her kindly presence and love? Deceiving him when he could see?
4.The portrait of Frank: his friendship with Lee, the burial of the dog, the robbery, the deal with Waco, getting the drugs, being shot? The doctor, his recovery in Mexico? The experience of Chandler - her guiding him, his explaining what he could hear? His recovery and her disappearance? His return, the discussions with Ira - and the revelation of his life as a policeman, the death of his wife? The support of Lee? The investigation, the confrontations with Waco - and his death and Frank being arrested as a suspect? The encounter with Jesse, the club, Chandler's presence? The gradual revelation of Chandler's role? Ira giving him the information that she was married to Waco? Her being revealed as the killer, the purpose of her being in Mexico, the set-up? The deal with Jesse and with Ira? Giving Lee the money to go to Colorado? The confrontation, Chandler killing Jesse, Ira letting him go? His finally driving away - disillusioned? Throwing Chandler's photo out the car window but its coming in the back window? His love for her and her inability to love?
5.Chandler and her glamour, at the resort, the meeting with Frank, her guiding him, the exhilaration, the love? Her disappearance? The gradual revelation of her relation-ship with Waco, with Jesse, at the club, her history? Her killing Waco? Her lies? Double-dealing, betraying Frank, betraying Jesse? Shooting him? Her inability to love? Frank letting her get away?
6.Waco and the deal? His death? The thug and the blinding of Frank, cutting off Lee's finger, their revenge? His death?
7.Jesse and the club, his money being robbed, his wanting it back? Chandler and her double-dealing, his giving her the ticket, her leaving, return and shooting him?
8.Ira as the reliable policeman, relationship with Frank, interrogating him, giving him the chances, letting him go?
9.Lee, the burial of the dog, the robbery, his finger chopped off, his not giving information? Joining with Frank and the vengeance on the thug? The new dog? Wanting to go to Colorado and Frank giving him the money?
10.The popular ingredients of this kind of film noir? Drawing on the American tradition of the '40s and '50s? The upright man - and the role of the femme fatale?
