RAISING CAIN
US, 1992, 91 minutes, Colour.
John Lithgow, Lolita Davidovich, Steven Bauer, Frances Sternhagen, Gregg Henry, Tom Bower, Mel Harris.
Directed by Brian de Palma.
Raising Cain is a cinema oddity. It is the brainchild of writer-director Brian de Palma who first made an impression in the 1970s with his variations on Hitchcock themes including Sisters and Obsession. He developed a strong career with a variety of genres including Body Double as a thriller, Casualties of War about Vietnam. He also made the critical disaster Bonfire of the Vanities but was successful with Mission: Impossible.
The film explores multiple personality – but sometimes with tongue in cheek, despite the serious theme and action. John Lithgow gives a tour-de-force performance – performances – as Cain, a young child abused by his father in order to study him so that he would develop multiple personalities. Cain is malicious. Carter is seemingly normal and blacks out so that Cain takes over. He also then imagines his father, Dr Nix, as well as the young child Josh and Margot who, allegedly, protects the children whom Dr Nix abducts in order to continue his studies. John Lithgow is a very versatile actor with many awards from screen, television and stage. Lolita Davidovich is his wife, Steven Bauer her lover. Frances Sternhagen appears as a psychiatrist who had written a book with Dr Nix and now has the opportunity to hypnotise Cain/Carter in order to understand where the abducted children have been hidden.
The film is difficult to follow at the beginning – really exemplifying the switches in consciousness and time of the person suffering from multiple personality disorder. Eventually, the linear aspects of the plot, concerning Carter’s wife and her relationship with Jack, her relationship with her child, the police investigation all become quite clearer. There is an ominous ending as befits this kind of film. Raising Cain, of course, is a play on the phrase of raising trouble but also the father raising this child with deadly effects like the Cain of the Book of Genesis.
1. The impact of the film? For the ordinary audience? Difficult to follow? Sympathise with? For Brian de Palma fans and interest in his work and imagination?
2. The city settings, the homes, the parks, motels, police station? The seeming realism of the settings? The musical score and atmosphere?
3. The structure of the film: the introduction to Carter, Cain’s appearances, the abduction of the child and the murder of Karen? Carter and his relationship with Jenny, Cain taking his place? The consciousness about Jenny’s past, her work as a doctor, relationship with Jack, the death of the patient, Jack’s grief, the funeral? Jack coming into her life again at the time of crisis with Carter? The attempted murder – the police investigation, the hypnosis by Dr Waldheim, the investigation and the resolution? How satisfying a structure for this kind of film and its theme?
4. John Lithgow’s screen presence, his performance as Carter as an ordinary man? The transition to Cain and his blasé and brutal attitudes? The appearance of Dr Nix and his hold over Cain? The switching from one brother to the other? Their dialogue? Josh appearing during the hypnotism? Impersonating Margot – and putting on Dr Waldheim’s wig and the appearance of Margot at the end? How credible the multiple personality and its exploration?
5. Carter, his ordinary life with Jenny, Amy? His being taken over by Cain, losing consciousness? His reaction to the attempt on Jenny’s life? Cain persuading him, Dr Nix persuading him? His disappearance and the other personalities taking over?
6. Jenny, her relationship with Carter, Cain and his arrival and the sexual interaction? Her talking to Sarah and her puzzle about this? Her love for her daughter? In the shop, Carter taking Amy to the park, the gifts for Jack? Going to the motel, meeting Jack in the park, the relationship? The risk, her marriage? Carter and his attack, Cain trying to smother her, putting her in the car? Into the lake? Her emergence, going to the police, the investigation? Her explanations? The background of her memories of the relationship with Jack, the patient and the cardiac arrest in the hospital? Her confrontation of Dr Nix, trying to rescue Amy, the knife, having to drop it, the menace, Amy’s falling, Jack catching her? The aftermath, talking with Sarah in the park – and Amy’s wandering off and the ominous presence of Margot?
7. Jack, his wife, the hospital, the relationship with Jenny? His return, his advances, in the shop, in the motel? His being arrested, the dead baby-sitter in the trunk of his car? In the police station? With the police, getting out of the car, rescuing Amy? A future with Jenny?
8. Dr Waldheim, her suffering from cancer, her coming to the police station, her comments about her wig and her appearance, looking like a transvestite? Her explanation of Dr Nix and his brutality with Cain? Her writing the book, her never having seen the subject of the evidence? The long walk along the corridor with the police, her explanation, taking the wrong turns and their bringing her back? Hypnotising Carter, the interview with Carter, with Josh, with Margot? Understanding what happened? Margot knocking her out? Seeing her on the floor, minus her wig and Carter taking it?
9. The presentation of the police, interrogations, puzzle, the discussions, the final rescue and confrontation?
10. Sarah, her friendship with Jenny and her support? Karen, in the car with Carter, the threat to Sam, her death? The baby-sitter and her death?
11. How well did the film play as a criminal investigation? As an exploration of the theme of multiple personality? How realistic, how contrived?
