INDECENT PROPOSAL
US, 1993, 118 minutes, Colour.
Robert Redford, Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson, Oliver Platt, Billy Bob Thornton, Billy Connolly, Sheena Easton.
Directed by Adrian Lyne.
Indecent Proposal is a film by Adrian Lyne (Foxes, Flashdance, Jacob's Ladder - and the films, controversial especially with feminists, Nine and a Half Weeks and Fatal Attraction, Lolita). This is also a film about a fatal attraction and the threat to a marriage, a gamble in the tradition of the selling oneself to the Devil, the Faust story.
Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson are a young upwardly-mobile couple of the early '90s, hit by the recession, trying to gamble to raise money to build their house, seduced by suave billionaire, played by Robert Redford. He makes the indecent proposal that Demi Moore spend the night with him for a million dollars. The film looks at the experience as well as the unforeseen consequences - what doth it profit...?
The screenplay was written by Amy Holden Jones (Slumber Party Massacre, Love Letters). The film was produced by Sherry Lansing. Hence, there is a women's perspective on the characters and interactions. However, the film should raise some of the debate of Lyne's earlier films. (There is an in-joke where a bimbo-type receptionist, filing her nails, is seen to be reading Susan Faludi's book Backlash, a book about feminism which has chapters strongly targeting Nine and a Half Weeks and Fatal Attraction.)
Harrelson is not particularly persuasive as a romantic hero. However, Demi Moore and Robert Redford rely on their screen presence to make the plot credible. Also seen are Sheena Easton singing in a restaurant, Herbie Hancock playing the piano, Billy Connolly running an auction to preserve habitats for animals. (Part of the difficulty is audience empathy with people who can pay immediately $50,000 for a hippopotamus.)
A '90s moral fable, predictable in some ways, a dialogue incorporating cliche in others - yet raising issues of greed, money, relationships, commitment.
1. The impact of the film, moral fable of the '90s? The yuppy world and the recession? Permissiveness and consequences?
2. The work of Adrian Lyne, of Amy Holden Jones? The screen presence of the stars for credibility of the plot? The glossy style, John Barry's score? The songs included in the film?
3. California backgrounds, the world of affluence, Las Vegas?
4. The title, expectations, issues?
5. The voice-over technique, the flashbacks for David and Diana, Diana on the bus, her perspective on what happened to her? The presentation of each as a character, their past, the home movie style of them as they were young, in love, the elopement?
6. The romantic love, youngsters and their past, the proposal, the elopement? Telling each other that they loved each other - a tag phrase for them? Their work, David as architect, Diana in real estate, building their house, the loan, the dream? The impact of the recession? The losses of jobs?
7. The decision to gamble, going to Las Vegas, the initial success, getting the $25,000, the gamble, the hesitation, the complete loss?
8. John Gage and his style, Robert Redford and his screen presence, seductive? Watching Diana, the dress, the chocolates? The offer of buying the dress?
9. The theme of being bought and sold, everybody having their price? The reasons for the sellout? The traditional deal with the Devil? The evil consequences and destruction?
10. Gage and his gambling, the millions of dollars? Borrowing Diana, her hesitation, the million-dollar bet, the winning? His response to Diana? Her wariness? Giving them the hotel room, the glamour? His proposal, their reactions, not sleeping, the rationalisations, the decision? The phone call to Jeremy? His friendship, support, greedy reaction? The drawing up of the contract in all its detail, provisos? Gage satisfied?
11. The night, Diana and her unwillingness? Doing it for love of David and getting the money for their house? Going with Gage? David's counter-reaction, his scream, the helicopter? Diana in the hotel, the helicopter, the yacht? The wealth? The screenplay's not showing us what happened on the night? The tossing of the coin - and the irony that it was tails on each side?
12. The aftermath, David and his angers, suspicion, Diana on the phone, his curiosity, outbreaks? Diana and her anger, discovery about the property, the visit to the company, its being bought by Gage? Diana going to see him, his seductive attitudes? David and his anger, smashing the wine, the separation - ultimately the divorce papers?
13. David and his anger, design, going back to work, the background of his architecture - and the lyrical early scenes at the car-wash and his vision of architecture? Getting the job, lecturing on architecture? Tearing up the photos of Diana - and pasting them together again? Going to the social, bidding the million dollars for the hippo?
14. Diana going back to work, Gage coming, wanting to see homes? The tours, taking her to his home, her comments about decoration and a life? Flirting, seductive, her consent? Socialising, the divorce papers? The social and the auction? Her response to David with the million dollars?
15. Gage in the car with Diana, his talking about the millionaire club, Shackleford in his support, Diana and her reaction? Getting out of the car? Going to the pier, finding David there, the reconciliation? The credibility of the reconciliation - what they had learnt, the possibility of recommitment? The memory of having sold themselves?
16. Jeremy, friendship, lawyer, mercenary - the yuppy, the film producers and the conversation, the contract for Gage? Willing to take the million dollars?
17. Shackleford, enigmatic presence, his having killed someone? Constant companion of Gage? Driving, doing Gage's dirty work, taking David home? Supporting Gage about the millionaires' club?
18. The auction - and the comic touches with Billy Crystal? Other guest stars?
19. Gage's final comment, the reality or not of the millionaires' club? His taunting of Diana - his love for her? Giving her back to David?
20. A moral fable about selling oneself to gain the whole world?
