MYSTIC RIVER

US, 2003, 137 minutes, Colour.
Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Lawrence Fishburn, Laura Linney, Marcia Gaye Hardin.
Directed by Clint Eastwood.

At the end of Mystic River, the Columbus Day parade goes on. People celebrate the American Dream. They are not dead, as they are at the end of Dogville, but so much has died inside. One of the characters has said that the secrets and lies should come out. But, they don't. People hide their sorrows, their breaches of conscience and, sometimes defiantly, carry on.

However, Clint Eastwood's film is about how the central characters got to that situation. In his 24th film as director, making it at the age of 72, Eastwood has settled for intelligent adult drama and a dramatisation of moral issues. His film is also finely crafted, with the city of Boston and the Mystic River almost becoming characters as well. The film is quite long, is measured in its pace and, while it does show a police investigation into a murder in some detail, the interest is always in the characters and the tangles of their interactions.

In the prologue, one of the three neighbourhood kids is abducted and molested. This crime, focussed on one boy, will have consequences and ramifications for many people and for the community decades later.

The three men are expertly portrayed, Sean Penn standing out as the punk grown into middle age, devoted to his family, grieving the murder of his daughter but deciding that he is to be the arbiter of justice. Tim Robbins does well as the man who still mourns the childhood he never had because of the abduction. Kevin Bacon (with Laurence Fishburne as his partner) is the straight-arrow successful detective. Eastwood is well served by both Laura Linney (whose speech at the end to her husband is key to the decisions made) and Marcia Gay Harden as a bewildered wife who makes a terrible mistake of judgment.

Eastwood has contributed to our movie consciousness in so many ways. Here, he contributes reflection on our conscience.

1. The work of Clint Eastwood, his cinematic skills, great number of films made? Storytelling, crime issues, human nature? The law, morality?

2. The city of Boston as a character, its landscapes, cityscapes, the suburbs and the streets, the river, the bridge? The church, homes, the bar? Clint Eastwood composing the score? Its tone?

3. The initial focus on the three boys, their homes, in the street, playing hockey, the ball down the sewer, putting their names in the cement? The bogus policeman, his interrogation? The reaction of each, especially Jimmy's toughness? Their taking Dave, the policeman and his handcuffs and documents, the other man seeming to be a priest? Their looking at Dave as he looked through the back window? The horror of his abduction, his being kept underground, his pleading with the men, running away? The later question of who tried to help him? This prologue setting the scene for the consequences, the crime, its effect on different people, the consequences and ramifications, not only for them but the people they came in touch with, the community?

4. The situation with Jimmy's daughter, her vivacity, nineteen, at home, the story about her giving Jimmy a farewell look in the shop, going out, the prospect of her sister's First Communion? Brendan in the car, their relationship, the plans to leave? Her friends going to the bar, dancing on the counter? Her being found dead?

5. The reconstruction of the action of the crime: the times, the old lady hearing the car and someone saying, "Hi"? The shooting, the chase through the woods, the shooting and the bashing? Phoning in the information? The irony of the policeman not listening to it until later?

6. Jimmy and his work at the store, for many years after getting out of jail, going straight for the sake of his daughter? His dead wife, his remarriage and his devotion to family and children? His relationship with Annabeth? The prospect of the First Communion, getting up, his daughter not home, going to the shop, eventually getting to Mass? The ordinary life in the street, the Irish Bostonians, religion and faith? Their joy at the First Communion? Everybody on the steps of the church and the police cars raising curiosity?

7. Sean and Whitey Powers, the road rage issue on the bridge? Their work as police? Sean and his success? Looking over at the area that he came from? The black man and the white man working together? The city, their police work, going to the scene of the crime, Sean knowing Jimmy, the search for the body, finding it, Jimmy's pushing through, his seeing his daughter's car, the scene of anguish photographed from above him?

8. Dave and Michael, father and son, hitting of the bull, talking about the bulls going down the drain, the names in cement? The bonds between the two, Dave withdrawn because of his experience, Michael withdrawn? His relationship with Celeste? His going to the bar, seeing the girls come in and their dancing? Nick seeing him come home at 3.00 am, blood on his broken hand, his story about the mugging, the different stories that he told people? His car being taken in, the two different samples of blood, the blood in the trunk? The truth about what he had done, it being visualised, the consequences of his abduction and his vengeance? Yet trapped by his moods, the savage brothers and the drink, Celeste going to Jimmy, Jimmy and the bar, making him confess, the reason that he gave: the dream of a youth which he never had? The pathos of his death, the audience knowing he was innocent?

9. Sean and Powers working together, good cop, bad cop, the variety of clues, the interrogations, the girlfriends and their information about Brendan, Brendan and Las Vegas, his mother's ironic comments, his mute brother and his friend, Dave being taken in, his wanting the Sprite, his being shrewd to understand what was happening, the issue of the two lots of blood in the car? The forensic evidence, the ballistic evidence? The guns, the story of Harris, going to the shop and the cameo from Eli Wallach as the shop-owner? Going to the police, information about the 80s? The $500 sent to the Harris family? Their listening to the tape, solving the mystery, going to the house and confronting Brandon’s brother and his friend with the gun? Their confession?

10. Jimmy and the Savages, getting them to get information, their interrogations - with the police there before them? Jimmy's grief, the identification at the morgue, at the wake, with Dave, with Sean, Annabeth, Celeste? Celeste telling Jimmy of her suspicions about Dave? Getting the Savages to get the information, setting him up in the bar, the discussion, Dave sick, drunk, made to confess, Jimmy's promise and then his killing Dave and throwing him in the river?

11. Celeste and her wariness, cousin of Annabeth, concerned about her, her fear for her son and herself, lying to the police, telling Jimmy of her suspicions? At the end, bewildered, waving to her son on the parade and his not waving back?

12. Annabeth and her realisation of what had happened, her hold over Jimmy, the speech in the bedroom and her dominance, the rationalisation of the situation (and the suggestions of Lady Macbeth influence)? Her concern for her girls, for Jimmy, going out to the parade with a hardened attitude?

13. Sean, the phone calls from his ex-wife, her not saying anything, his final apology to her, her telling him that Norah was the name of their daughter, their being together on the parade - and the significance of his finger-shot gesture towards Jimmy, acknowledging him, going to get him, a secret between them?

14. The Harris story, the background of the robberies and the deals, the gun, Harris walking out on his wife and children, the mother and her anger, the mute son and his friend? Their growing up, Brendan and his love for Jimmy's daughter, his own father dead? His thinking that his brother had killed the girl so that Brendan would not go to Las Vegas? The banality of the truth and things simply getting out of hand and their wanting to stop her telling? The finding of the gun, Brendan and the fight, the bashing, the arrival of the police?

15. The final scene of the parade, the American dream and the parade goes on despite all that has happened? Dave's mentioning secrets and lies and their needing to be revealed? On the contrary? Themes of morality, the law, justice in one's own hands, the consequences of crime?