THE HUMAN STAIN
US, 2003, 107 minutes, Colour.
Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman, Ed Harris, Gary Sinise, Wentworth Miller, Jacinda Barrett, Harry Lennix.
Directed by Robert Benton.
There are many interesting themes in this film but whether it dramatises them all effectively, sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Novelist Philip Roth is best known for such novels as Goodbye Columbus and Portnoy's Complaint, both filmed with a young Richard Benjamin in 1969 and 1973. The Human Stain was written in the late 90s, at the time of the scandal of President Clinton and Monica Lewinsky (to which there are many references and questions about truth, society and government). In fact, the basic theme of the film is truth.
Coleman Silk went to university in the early 1940s, a young man from a black family who not only passed for white but chose to separate himself from his family and pass for Jewish. Wentworth Miller is very good as the young Silk. The older Silk is played by Anthony Hopkins with a mixture of anger, resentment and wistfulness. The film intercuts between the 90s and the 40s.
Silk has become the victim of academic 'political correctness' applied rigidly, but he also become the victim of his emotions as he begins an affair with a strange young woman, a janitor at the university who has a history of family abuse. They begin to depend on each other, with fatal consequences. The woman is not an immediately recognisable Nicole Kidman (except for her height). Criticised as too glamorous for Cold Mountain, she is now criticised as not being credible as a janitor. However, she does given an interesting performance.
In the background is Ed Harris as Kidman's insane husband and Gary Sinise as the sympathetic novelist whom Hopkins befriends. It is he who tells the story. The story is one of hopes and disappointments, masks and lies, of a chance at a last love.
Christians may think of original sin as the human stain. Roth, whose background is Jewish, is quoted as agreeing with this. Everyone puts their mark on the world, each in their own way, adds a human stain.
1. The title? Philip Roth and his comment about original sin being a stain on the human race? Every human being having an influence on the world, each individual's human stain?
2. The work of Philip Roth, his view of the United States, its key issues? The 1998 setting? The background of President Clinton? The Monica Lewinsky affair and people's comments throughout, television comments? The contrast between 1998 and the 1940s? Race issues? Political correctness at each era?
3. The structure of the film: the beginning with the death of Colman and Faunia? The flashbacks and the narration by Nathan? The flashbacks within the flashbacks? The conclusion of the film with Nathan and Lester?
4. The re-creation of the two periods, the locations, New Jersey, Orange, the poor house and neighbourhood? The contrast with 1998, Massachusetts, the university, the house by the lake, other homes, farms? The changing seasons? The musical score?
5. The opening, the death, the crash, the mystery about Colman and Faunia?
6. The voice-over, Nathan and his perspective, observation, judgment? Nathan as a character, withdrawn from the world, his divorces, writer's block, the arrival of Colman, their discussions, the possible story, their growing friendship, the meals together, the playing cards, Colman inviting Nathan to dance to Fred Astaire, the impact of the dance on Nathan, loosening him up? Nathan and the meal in the restaurant, Faunia's leaving? The discussions about the affair, Nathan's observations, Colman's anger with him, the reconciliation?
7. Colman, lecturing, the classics, Achilles and Helen of Troy, sexual issues and human issues? His comment about the absent student, "Spooks"? The hearing, the attack on him, political correctness, the loss of his job, telling his wife, her wanting to fight, her collapse and death? The background of his being Jewish? His going to visit Nathan, telling him about the affair, the affair and the effect on him, the meeting with Faunia at the post office, his helping her with the car, going in, the sexual encounter, their ability to discuss, the effect on him, taking her to the concert, his delight in the music, taking her to the restaurant and her walking out, in the house and the attack by Lester, the police coming? His not fearing death, not fearing Lester, his telling Nathan that Faunia was his last love?
8. Faunia, at work at the post office, the janitor at the university, milking the cows? The car broken down, the meeting with Colman, the sexual relationship, the affair and the discussions, her moods, not staying over, upset at the restaurant, at the concert and wanting to touch his hair but not doing so? Her story, her relationship with her stepfather, the sexual abuse, leaving her family, ringing her mother when the children were born and her mother hanging up on her, her marrying Lester, his madness and violence, the accident and the death of her children - showing Colman the box of their ashes and wondering what she was to do with them? Her moodiness, staying over, the fight at the breakfast? Her visit to the crow, telling the crow that she had made a mistake, returning and apologising? Colman being able to tell her the true story of his life?
9. Lester, the war experience, his insanity, violence, the death of the children and his going berserk, going to the house and threatening, the challenge to Colman, the crassness of his language about his wife? His going to the psychiatrist, her listening to his story, after the death, his telling the truth, her conclusion that he was delusional? His causing the death of his wife and Colman, driving past, seeing that they were dead? His ice-fishing, sitting alone, Nathan confronting him, their talk, the novel, his explanation about the fishing, wishing he had a son? The writing of the novel?
10. The 1940s and the other past eras, the place where they were inserted? Colman and Steena, his love for her, the library, the discussions, the music shop, buying her the record? The sexual encounter? Taking her home, her tension, her chattering all through the meal, her leaving him after weeping in the train? Seeing him at home, the boxing bout, his winning, his coach? His brother and sister, the father and his strictness, wanting him to go to the university, an optometrist who lost his job, working on the trains, being called "Boy", his collapse? His mother and her dignity, nurse? The discussion about boxing and going to university? His father's death, the funeral? Colman and his enlisting in the navy, saying that he was white? His ambitions, his angers, the fight and his being asked to give people their money's worth, the knockout? His return home from England, the decision to marry Iris, his brother coming and Iris not knowing what the truth was about his race? The denial of his race, the talk with his mother, her explaining about the children, his never visiting her again? Contact with his sister?
11. The secret, the aspects of passing for white in those days, the consequences? The comments about society, a censorious and coercive society? His sister saying that people were dumber but more opinionated? His funeral, the Jewish ritual, Nathan and his talking to Ernestine and discovering the truth? Thinking that this had been revealed to Faunia?
12. The build-up for Colman, the decades of keeping the secret, passing for Jewish, his achievement with the university, the funeral ritual and his black colleague saying that he had been too severe and not supportive? The need to communicate the secret before his death? Achieving this?
