THE HOLE
UK, 2001, 103 minutes, Colour.
Thora Birch, Dennis Washington, Daniel Brooksbank, Laurence Fox, Keira Knightly, Embeth Davidtz, Steve Waddington.
Directed by Nick Hamm.
An obnoxious group from a posh British school pay the school 'geek' to hide them in an old bunker to get them out of a study excursion. Liz (American Thora Birch sporting a credible English accent) wants the handsome Mike to fall in love with her. When Liz emerges from the hole, she goes into therapy. The police want to investigate because the other students are dead.
As Liz tells her story, various details change so that, ultimately, we learn of the clashes in the hole, of anger and violence and who was responsible for what ended in mayhem. It is one of those films impossible to review because it would give away the ending (as well as the earlier parts and the middle!). Suffice to say, it is in the teenage thriller genre (a touch of Blair Witch desperate interactions), a touch of sex with a climax of mysterious violence. Even the police officer (Steven Waddington) and the therapist (Embeth Davitz) finally seem ambiguous. Who is telling the truth?
1. The tradition of the high school thriller, horror?
2. The effect of the different perspectives and different stories on the same events? Whom to believe?
3. The environment of the school, wealthy, the woods, the hole itself, the police precinct, the musical score?
4. The title, suggestions, the impact?
5. The opening with Liz coming out of the hole, dishevelled, disoriented? Going into the school? The interrogation, the video, her being reassured, ready? The insertion of the flashbacks as to what happened in the hole? Her particular perspective? Her own image of herself, the infatuation with Mike, seeing him play football? The break-up of his relationship with Amber? All the girls infatuated, dyeing their hair blonde, Liz and her dyeing her hair, getting the help of Frankie? The discussions with Mark, his criticisms of Mike and the others? The plan for the weekend? Mark and his advice, getting his attitudes, her setting up for him to be blamed? The four going to the hole, the explanation of the bunker, the background of the war? Mark locking them in? The experience, together, sharing? The discussions with the storytelling and the fear of possibly being trapped? Ready to go out, the fact that they were trapped, the immediate reaction, waiting? Growing desperate, the game to pretend that Mark was watching and that they were having difficulties, with Frankie sick, blaming Liz, her holding up the cue cards? Mark letting them out – and all being well?
6. The psychiatrist, her relationship with Liz, her method, questions, the video, trust? Her distrust of Liz, talking with the other police, the investigations, especially the interrogation of Mark?
7. The sketch of the police officers, the inspector, the woman officer, the woman interrogating Mark? The pressure on him? Going to the site, the psychiatrist and her wariness of going into the hole? Mark and his interrogation, his seeming guilt, their having to let him go, his going to the weir, the meeting with Liz, the discussions, his blaming her, her pushing him over, the verdict of suicide? As an admission of guilt?
8. The different perspectives on Liz, Mark painting her as malicious, her plan, the intense relationships, her trying to prove herself, to snare Mike? The reaction to Mark’s version?
9. Liz released, in on the bed, letting her imagination go, planning everything, going down the hole, the relationship between Frankie and Geoffrey, the sexual relationship? Mike and his reaction, coming to rely on Liz, infatuated with her? Her going to the hole with the psychiatrist, her remembering the truth, her plan, having the key all the time, keeping the group in the hole? Relating to them or not? The building up of tension, the sharing of the water, the days passing, Frankie and her illness, her heart giving out and her death? Geoffrey and his taking the drink, Mike’s vicious attack and brutally killing him? Liz and her taunts? Mike wanting to get out, the looseness of the ladder and his falling to his death? Her letting herself out?
10. The sketches and different perspectives on Mike: the jock, football, the relationship with Amber, his friendship with Geoffrey, with Frankie, the plans to go home to the US, avoiding the geography expedition, his not noticing Liz, her being infatuated with him, sex or not? Frankie’s death, the fight with Geoffrey, the remorse in killing him, his own death?
11. Geoffrey, friends with Mike, relationship with Frankie, going to the hole, the plan, his calmer approach, explaining what happened with dehydration? His taunts, his death?
12. Frankie as the queen bee of the school group, style, glamour, friendship with Liz, relationship with Geoffrey, Liz jealous of her? The sexual relationship in the hole, her becoming sick, her death?
13. Liz, the interrogation in the hole, the psychiatrist and her sense of claustrophobia, hearing the truth, wanting to tape it, Liz and her pretending that the psychiatrist was attacking her, hearing of Mark’s death, the inspector and his believing Liz, the grim look of the psychiatrist – and Liz’s contented smile?
