The Archivist — Welcome to the Archive. As home video formats have evolved over the years, a multitude of films have found themselves in danger of being forgotten forever due to their niche appeal. Thankfully, Warner Bros. established the Archive Collection, a Manufacture-On-Demand DVD operation devoted to thousands of idiosyncratic and ephemeral works of cinema. The Archive has expanded to include a streaming service, revivals of out-of-print DVDs, and Blu-ray discs (which, unlike the DVDs, are factory pressed rather than burned). Join us as we explore this treasure trove of cinematic discovery!
“Inspired by real events,” “ripped from today’s headlines,” “the story that shocked a nation.” Such slogans have always been key for the marketing of films based on aspects of real life that were so outrageous and scandalous that they make for fascinating cinematic fodder. From the recreation of historical events to the re-telling of someone’s life story, truth has continuously proven itself to be stranger than fiction almost every single time. Such a practice has oftentimes been (rightfully) slighted for the liberties taken when transferring actual events to the big screen, with many feeling the integrity of history has too many times been compromised by Hollywood. However, when a film is able to beautifully and accurately capture a real-life story, the result is never anything but involving.
In this week’s Archivist, we revisit a pair of intense real-life events that made for a pair of compelling films still as shocking today as ever. The first is the tragic tale of a beautiful girl brought down by a controlling svengali, while the second is the still hotly-debated case of an heiress’s mysterious accident and her husband’s suspected guilt. Both films feature directors at the top of their games, actors giving some of the best performances of their careers, and a pair of screenplays which serve as a testament to the effective act of combining the power of cinema with the starkness of true life.
Star 80 (1983)
Based on the 1980 murder of Playboy playmate Dorothy Stratten (Mariel Hemingway) by her estranged husband Paul Snider (Eric Roberts), Star 80 looks at the meteoric early rise of its central figure from a Dairy Queen employee in Canada to an aspiring model to the muse of both Hugh Hefner (Cliff Robertson) and top Hollywood director Aram Nicholas (Roger Rees). Director Bob Fosse explores both the mystique and magic surrounding Dorothy and the svengali-like hold Snider tried so hard to maintain on her, and what finally happened when he no longer could.
There’s very little that’s inspiring or carefree about the life story of Stratten, according to Fosse’s depiction in Star 80. The film shows a maniacal and sadistic egoist in Snider, who finds the perfect entry into fame and fortune in the form of a beautiful and naive girl from Canada who fell under his spell and control. Known for the likes of Cabaret and Sweet Charity, Star 80 remains Fosse’s darkest film offering of his entire career. The movie shows a girl whose sole desire is to be loved and the many men who were endlessly taken with her, including Playboy founder Hefner and film director Nicholas (a thinly-disguised Peter Bogdanovich). The film boasts great performances in Hemingway and Roberts, who disappear into their roles so vividly that Star 80 almost feels like a documentary. Adding to the realistic feel is Fosse’s bold decision to shoot the film’s violent climax in the very home where Snider killed Stratten. Star 80 certainly shows Fosse’s skill and versatility as a director well-equipped to move with the changing times, but it’s hard to come away from his film with anything other than a sorrowful mourning for the tragedy of life so full of promise that ended far too soon.
Reversal of Fortune (1990)
One of the most widely-covered court cases of the 1980s, Reversal of Fortune explores one of the most infamous scandals ever to rock East coast high society. When wealthy socialite Sunny von Bulow (Glenn Close) slips into an irreversible coma after being found unconcious on her bathroom floor, suspicion directly falls on her European business tycoon husband Claus (Jeremy Irons). After being found guilty, Claus hires famed lawyer Alan Dershowitz (Ron Silver) who, along with a team of law students, sets out to prove Claus’s innocence and get the conviction overturned on appeal. Told through flashbacks, Alan and the audience continuously work to piece together what exactly happened to Sunny and whether or not their client is truly innocent.
Produced by Oliver Stone and directed by Barbet Schroeder, Reversal of Fortune was made on the heels of one of the most notable court cases in American history. The way Schroeder executes the real life events is highly cinematic and essentially turns Reversal of Fortune into two separate and equally magnetic films. The first is a court drama in which we see a brilliant attorney take one of the most reviled figures in society and uncover his possible innocence. The second is a fly-on-the-wall look at all the key events that took place in the days leading up to Sunny’s tragic accident, which is shrouded in darkness and doubt. Both sides are anchored by a one-of-a-kind performance by Jeremy Irons, who would go on to win an Oscar for his impeccable work here. Close and Silver also do their part to elevate the film, but Reversal of Fortune would be nowhere near as powerful without Irons and his chilling, mysterious turn. The way he plays Claus (menacing at times, charming at others) is perfectly in-tune with the film’s lingering “did he or didn’t he” feel which, just as in real life, manages to keep everyone glued and puzzled.
