TAPE
US, 2001, 86 minutes, Colour.
Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, Uma Thurman.
Directed by Richard Linklater.
Tape is a brief film, based on a play, and confined as a three-hander to one hotel room in Lansing, Michigan.
Digital photography enables director Richard Linklater to focus on his three characters, and also have continual movement as well as close-ups of interactions in this hotel room.
The title of the film refers to the way that the film was made but also to a tape recording made by Ethan Hawke’s character of a confession to rape by Robert Sean Leonard. The focus of the film is on Vince (Hawke) inviting his close friend from high school days, ten years earlier, to meet him in Michigan where John (Leonard) has a small-budget film in the festival. As they talk, remembering their friendship, issues arise about their mutual girlfriend, Amy, who is now an assistant district attorney in Lansing. Vince had broken off with Amy but is intent on getting a confession of rape from his friend, John. When this emerges, there is an intensity between the two. And then Amy has been invited to visit. When she comes, there is her memory of the events, her interpretation of Vince, her interpretation of John – and she rings the police so that they can come and arrest Vince for his drug possession and John for his sex offence.
Richard Linklater worked with Ethan Hawke in a discussion film, Before Sunrise, and then its sequel, Before Sunset. Hawke is very good at this kind of working with text as well as improvisation. He had appeared with Robert Sean Leonard in Dead Poets Society. At the time of making the film he was married to Uma Thurman. Richard Linklater also directed Slackers, Dazed and Confused, The Newton Boys, Sub Urbia.
1.The film based on a play, a three-hander, in the one room?
2.The title of the film, digital photography, the tape recording of John’s confession? The quality of the colour for the interiors, the camera angles, movement, dialogue, gesture? The editing?
3.Not having a musical score except for the final song, ‘I’m Sorry’ – and its relevance to John’s experience?
4.The film happening in real time and the audience experiencing real time?
5.The friends and their background, high school ten years earlier, the nature of their friendship, the mutual love for Amy, the relationship after ten years? Jealousy, memories of sexual encounter, break-up, drinking and rape, drugs, Amy and the law? The film-making, the fireman, the effect of ten years?
6.The discussion about people not keeping in contact, embarrassment as what to talk about, friendship and acquaintances, differences?
7.Vince and his taking the initiative, first seeing him in the room, his clothes, the visit to Michigan from California, on the bed, the beer, the drugs? Impact in himself?
8.John, his arrival, the film-maker, small-budget, the festival, his being an idealist, interpretation of the world, his use of language, high-flown language? His friendship with Vince?
9.Amy, their talking about her, Vince and his relationship with her, the sexual encounter with John, the break-up, not having seen John for ten years, meeting Vince in passing five years earlier? Vince’s phone call, suggestion for a meal, her arrival, in the middle of their discussion?
10.The shift in sympathies throughout the film – initially, John and the rape, Amy as the victim, Amy and her assuredness, Vince and his cowardliness, John staying?
11.The drug issues, Vince and his selling drugs, getting on a high, the consequences?
12.The issues of sexuality, teenagers, the drinking, relationships, rape, the acknowledgment, the regret? The jealousy? Lack of memory?
13.The portrait of Vince, his being in control, saying that John wanted to be in control? His facility for talking? His comment on the films? His dealing drugs with the fire chief? The quality of his life, lack of achievement? His friendship, getting at John, wanting to keep control of the discussion, the repetition of the questions, their intensity, forcing John to remember, to talk about the issue, to confess – and his having it on tape? The struggles, the bargaining, the refusal? His inviting Amy, response to her, her seeing Vince as vicious, the truth about the relationship with John, her response, phoning the police, Vince and his having to get rid of all the drugs, her not telling the truth, the aftermath and his being left alone? Any the wise?
14.John, his achievement in film-making, his saying he was a different person from ten years earlier, his use of language, excessive linguistic force? His remembering, telling the story, gradually admitting the truth, his drinking, pinning Amy’s hands back, the sex? His then seeing it as a rape issue? His being taped, his anger, quarrelling with Vince? His staying, making the apology to Amy, his condescending understanding of how she stood, his wanting to be genuine, his staying when he thought the police were coming, facing the reality? Her not having phoned the police? His leaving – having confessed, being freed?
15.Amy, her memories, her not having the same memory as Vince or John, reacting to John, his righteousness? Her reaction to Vince? Phoning, deceiving them? Her leaving?
16.The theme of people being the same as they were in the past, the present, the future?
