The Dead (DVD)

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thedead4

Before watching the John Huston’s “The Dead” (1987), the same day I watched a Bollywood movie, Ashwin Kumar’s “Road to Ladakh.”  After watching “The Dead,” I realized both movies had striking similarities.  First, both movies have short run times, “The Dead” running about sixty-five minutes (excluding the credits) and “Road to Ladakh” running about forty-five minutes.  Second, the only thing you remember about these movies is their ending.  Of course, that does not say much about either of the movies.


“The Dead” was John Huston’s last directorial effort, and the studio released it posthumously.  Huston created a ton of classics in his first decade of directing with “The Maltese Falcon” (1941), “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (1946), and “The African Queen” (1951) that have managed to rank high in the list of critics around the world.  Although he continued to make good films, his later filmmaking efforts did not match the earlier efforts in his first fifteen years as a director and writer. His daughter, Anglica Huston, stars in “The Dead,” a movie that arrived after the critical success of “Prizzi’s Honor” (1985), in which she had won an Oscar for the Best Supporting Actress.


Based on the short story by Huston’s favorite writer, James Joyce, “The Dead” is set in a Dublin home in 1906 during a holiday feast hosted by two spinster sisters.  Among the other invited guests are the sisters’ nephew, Gabriel (Donal McCann), and his wife, Gretta (Angelica Huston). The first two-thirds of the movie take place at a dinner table where characters engage in small talk that seemingly has little bearing on the overall story arc.


The genre of films showing dinner etiquette and polite conversation is something that Luis Bunuel masterfully tackled in “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie” (1972) and “An Exterminating Angel” (1962).  In both movies, guests find themselves unable to leave after the dinner.  However, both of those movies were successful in the art-house circuit primarily because of their social commentary on various facets of human nature and society.  “The Dead,” however, meanders along with little direction.  Although it does touch upon a couple of things, nothing much adds up.  I don’t know if John Huston was trying to convey something through the dinner table conversation or trying to stay true to Joyce’s short story.


In general, the dinner table characters talk about society, patriotism, and inconsequential personal chitchat.  Gabriel’s allegiance to his nation is questioned by one of the guests.  It seems at that point as though the movie might be taking a political turn.  However, their conversation does not connect with the final climax that is shared by Gretta and Gabriel.  Indeed, the only thing tying the middle act to the final act is an old song sung by one of the invitees.


It is in the final act that the movie offers something substantial.  After hearing a song at the dinner table, Gretta later confesses to Gabriel that the song reminded her of an unforgotten love seventeen years earlier.  Evidently, her confession not only highlights the depth of her attachment to her past love, but also raises a question mark about their existing relationship and marriage.


The final act begins with a long shot as Gretta ascends the stairs, and then the camera zooms in on Gretta to show her emotions as she talks to Gabriel.  Finally, the movie ends with a close-up of Gabriel as he looks outside through a window.  Notwithstanding the other issues, these two shots are truly magical and represent Huston’s unquestioned talent.


The connection between the final act and rest of movie falters, though.  First, the narrative structure of the movie does not provide enough details about the characters for us to feel attached to them. Likewise, the dinner act and climax feel disconnected from the rest of the movie.  More so, the two acts in the movie are almost two separate short films.  Second, the lines delivered by a tearful Angelica Huston in the end are nothing but sappy, melodramatic, and clichéd.


The movie was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Costume design and Best writing from another medium.


Video: Lionsgate has included a widescreen version in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.78:1.  The image for most part is soft, which I feel was Huston’s intent.  The blacks are good but not as solid as more recent releases.  Nevertheless, this is, overall, a satisfying home release for “The Dead.”


Audio: For this edition, the soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0.  For a dialogue-driven film, there is not much one can expect from the track.  Also, included are English and Spanish subtitles.


Final thoughts:
John Huston has made great American classics that are still loved by movie critics.  He started with a bang, but unfortunately his last effort was mediocre at best.  The disjointed narrative and average acting fail to create any impression on the viewer.


Ratings


Video = 6/10
Audio = 5/10
Extras = 0
Film Value = 5/10

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