Crimes of Passion from 1984. A flawed film about
sexuality. The theme is tackled with typical Russell restraint
regarding sex between two adults, but the film is flawed by the boring
dialogue between the "normal" couple. Kathleen Turner plays China Blue, a high class
prostitute who turns out to be an intellectual and who is
doing it because... etc. Even Barbra Streisand has played
a similar role. Despite the cliché role- the film was meant to
break the cliché- she plays well.
Antony Perkins plays an oversexed priest, too
similar to Robert Mitchum in Night of the Hunter to be
truly convincing. Sexuality is a theme in the film,
everyone is either sexually repressed or over-active or
both. Marriages are a sham and there are no true
relationships.
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The saint (with a street light halo) and the sinner
(with a night club heart). |
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The priest has sexual fantasies linked to
murder. The killing of the dancing girl is actually in his
imagination as a sex doll is ripped apart. |
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The couple in the story have a marriage where they cannot
even talk to each other face-to-face.
Despite its many faults, like many of
Russell's lesser films, it grows on you with some subtle
scenes emerging and some of the more over-the-top scenes
becoming enjoyable by their excess.
The two main actors give very good performances.
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