First released back in 1993, I remember watching The Vanishing on VHS back in the mid-90s, a lazy summer with friends combing through cheap movies in the local video store. Two things stuck with me; Sandra Bullock was exceptionally cute and Jeff Bridges was exceptionally creepy. So I happily took a look at Twilight Time’s release to see if these still held true.
The Vanishing is actually an American remake of Director George Sluizer’s Spoorloos, and he returned to helm this adaptation. This thriller shows the abduction of a young woman (Sandra Bullock), and how her boyfriend (Kiefer Sutherland) spends the next few years trying to uncover her fate. He eventually falls in love again, and his new girlfriend (Nancy Travis) pushes him to let go of the past, all the while the abductor is watching over his activities and decides to reach out, offering him the opportunity to discover the truth.
THE MOVIE
The Vanishing takes on two disturbing scenarios and explores them both. The first being the disappearance of a loved one, the agony of not knowing what happened, imaging their fate, holding on to hope. This pain is well realized by Kiefer Sutherland. However in this remake such disturbing mystery is substituted somewhat for more of a unraveling of the motives and actions. In many ways, it feels like a weird episode of Columbo. It lacks a cinematic feel or a true building of tension. The second scenario is the fate of the girl and this is largely explored through the psyche of Bridge’s character, a family man who designs a horrific act to explore his darker side. The lack of momentum in the film is compounded by a somewhat “happy” Hollywood resolution that seems to ill fit the themes explored. Being frank, the film left me exasperated at times for failing to go to darker places.
Much of the film revolves around the performance of Jeff Bridges, playing a man, beloved by his wife and daughter, fascinated with seeing if he has the capability to become a monster. His bumbling persona rehearsing his planned abduction is quite disturbing and one of the more successful parts of the film. It does somewhat overshadow what is actually a great performance by Sutherland as the obsessive boyfriend overwhelmed by his loss. Bullock has a perfunctory role but damn does she look adorable doing it. The film is also a nice reminder of the talents of Nancy Travis (So I Married an Axe Murderer).
THE PACKAGEThe disc shows a decent transfer, overall good colors and crispness. Some scenes do appear a little grainy though. The disc includes a Twilight Time booklet with notes on the film by film historian Julie Kirgo.
Added features are rather sparse, a sole trailer is included. The Blu-ray does feature an isolated track of the score by Jerry Goldsmith, which is one of the better achievements in the film.
THE BOTTOM LINE
As a thriller, The Vanishing relies on old tropes and offers little that’s revelatory. However a decent performance from Sutherland and a bizarre one from Bridges make for an interesting watch in a package sure to please fans of the film.
The Vanishing released on October 14th plus this Limited Edition Blu-ray only has a run of 3,000 units. Orders can be made through Screen Archives.