Cast: Thandie Newton, David Thewlis
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Producer: Massimo Cortesi
Screenplay: Bernardo Bertolucci and Clare Peploe, based on the story "The Siege" by James Lasdun
Cinematography: Fabio Cianchetti
Music: Alessio Vlad
U.S. Distributor: Fine Line Features
In English and Italian with subtitles
In recent years, filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci, the respected director of such landmark motion pictures as The Conformist and Last Tango in Paris, has fallen into a disappointing rut characterized by lackluster efforts such as Little Buddha and Stealing Beauty (which is better known for the topless shots of Liv Tyler than for anything in the pointless storyline). And, while Besieged doesn't catapult Bertolucci back into the high orbit he once inhabited, it's at least a step in the right direction. The film is a moderately involving, oddly lighthearted look at the connection between love, obsession, and sacrifice that is somewhat marred by instances of overwrought acting and bad dialogue.
Besieged is really a simple tale; the characters and their interaction make things complex. With the exception of a brief prologue set in Africa, all the action transpires in Rome (and much of it in a glorious old villa), where Shandurai (Thandie Newton), a political refugee fleeing an African dictatorship, has immigrated. While earning a medical degree, she works as a house-cleaner for her landlord, Mr. Kinsky (David Thewlis), a composer and pianist. Kinsky always watches Shandurai intently, and, at nights, he deposits small presents in the dumbwaiter she uses as a closet. Although she attempts to shrug off his apparently unwanted attentions, she continues to work for him (perhaps having little other choice). One day, he finally confesses his desperate love and, when he asks what he must do to earn her love in return, she responds, "Free my husband from jail!" So Kinsky sets out to do just that, selling all his possessions to buy off officials and, in the process, obtaining Shandurai's gratitude. (Note: Besieged would have worked better had Shandurai's relationship with her husband, which may be like that of Casablanca's Ilsa and Victor Laszlo, been explored in more detail than what is offered through a couple of perfunctory scenes. He becomes more of a plot device than a person.)
With movies like Last Tango in Paris, Bertolucci has become known for favoring a lugubrious tone. Besieged, despite the ominous sounding title (it was originally called The Siege, but was changed to avoid confusion with the Denzel Washington/Bruce Willis thriller), is more playful. A pall does not hang over the characters as they go about their daily routines. Shandurai spends a lot of time dancing, and Kinsky is never without a kind word or a shy smile. And, while there's a fair amount of emotional complexity in the way these two interact, Kinsky's passion for Shandurai never threatens to suffocate her (or us) with its intensity. In fact, in the hands of a less deft director, this could have turned into an uncomfortable and distasteful motion picture.
Besieged is a study in visual art, with Bertolucci and cinematographer Fabio Cianchetti often using the camera in interesting ways. Within Kinsky's villa, there's an impressive spiral staircase, and every time some sort of action takes place on or around it, it's shot in a different manner. Bertolucci's approach to photographing actress Thandie Newton is often suggestive without being lewd. However, there are times when his visual flourishes seem excessive and pointless. He is needlessly fond of removing frames (a process that causes the picture to "jump") and filming in slow motion - two approaches that are more distracting than effective in conveying an emotional state.
Actually, it's a good thing there isn't much dialogue in the film, because what there is fails to impress. In fact, there are times when it's embarrassingly over-the-top. (When Kinsky blurted out his confession of love, I cringed at the awkwardness of the words.) The other problem with the film is a tendency by Thewlis and Newton to overact during emotionally charged scenes. Both have done splendid work in the past (Thewlis in Mike Leigh's blistering Naked, and Newton in last year's Beloved), but there are times in this movie when they seem less accomplished than their resumes indicate. On the other hand, there are occasions (notably those featuring communication through looks and body language), when their work is sublime, so it's a mixed bag.
Filling the gaps left by the lack of dialogue is a rich and varied soundtrack that draws from such diverse sources as African folk songs, jazz, and classical. The music is more than just a background means of setting the mood; it's an integral part of the story and, through its omnipresence, it becomes like an extra character. Whether it's the upbeat African tunes that Shandurai dances to when she's alone in her apartment or the complex works that Kinsky composes and plays for her, each piece of music has been carefully selected for its importance to a particular scene.
Bertolucci may no longer be at the height of his powers as a storyteller and director (given a choice between Besieged's erratic style and Last Tango in Paris' searing power, I'll take the latter every time), but he still retains the ability to fashion an engaging motion picture. Despite a host of minor flaws and missteps, Besieged represents such an effort.
© 1999 James Berardinelli