Cast: Jack Nicholson, Robin Wright Penn, Aaron Eckhart, Benicio Del Toro, Helen Mirren, Tom Noonan, Vanessa Redgrave, Pauline Roberts
Director: Sean Penn
Producers: Michael Fitzgerald, Sean Penn, Elie Samaha
Screenplay: Jerzy Kromolowski & Mary Olson-Kromolowski, based on the novel by Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Cinematography: Chris Menges
Music: Hans Zimmer
U.S. Distributor: Warner Brothers
From the beginning, it's apparent that The Pledge is not going to be a happy motion picture. The oppressive atmosphere carefully crafted by director Sean Penn oozes from every frame, infusing even scenes of simple innocence with a grim undertone. Paradoxically, while this is the element most likely to keep the film from attaining a significant level of mainstream acceptance (a fact that Warner Brothers realizes - hence, the January release date), it is also The Pledge's strongest and most commendable aspect. Instead of relying on the tired staples of the genre (car chases, shoot-outs, etc.), Penn uses style and atmosphere to breed tension, and, in the end, the power of that approach becomes nearly suffocating in its effectiveness.
The Pledge represents Penn's third outing behind the camera (following The Indian Runner and The Crossing Guard, which also starred Jack Nicholson), and, at least in this case, the old adage applies: the third time is the charm. Both The Indian Runner and The Crossing Guard were moody character studies featuring strong performances, but the narratives were choppy and dissatisfying. For The Pledge, Penn has retained the strengths of his previous projects while eliminating many of the weaknesses. This effort is not a masterpiece - it's still a little slow and, at times, self-indulgent, but the film holds the viewer's attention, moves in a logical, coherent manner, and builds to a conclusion (non-cathartic though it may be).
The Pledge starts out like a generic police mystery, then gradually metamorphoses into something that is part character study and part psychological thriller. Beyond the opening sequences, Penn refuses to allow his movie to be pigeonholed. On the surface, it's like many things we have seen before, but the rhythm and focus are different. In the end, we come away thinking that, while The Pledge may not be unique, it's far from what the setup leads us to believe lies ahead. As has often been his trademark both in front of and behind the camera, Penn is not afraid to traverse the road less taken.
Of course, it's tough to go wrong with Jack Nicholson as the lead - especially when Nicholson is acting rather than grandstanding (over his career, he has done some of both). Nicholson's work in The Crossing Guard was uneven; his performance was overshadowed by David Morse's. Such is not the case in The Pledge, where the veteran actor is in top form, burrowing deep into the psyche of his character and painting a boldly detailed portrait of a man whose unwisely given promise places him on the precipice of obsession.
On the day of his retirement, Reno Detective Jerry Black (Nicholson) becomes involved in a particularly sordid murder investigation. An eight year-old girl has been sexually assaulted and brutally murdered, and, when confronting the child's mother (Patricia Clarkson) with the terrible news, Jerry vows to find the killer. Soon, the police have a man in custody, but, even after the suspect's confession and subsequent suicide, Jerry isn't convinced. He thinks there's a serial killer at work - but his colleagues, believing the case to be closed, put him out to pasture. He ends up buying a garage in an out-of-the-way Nevada town - a place where he can go fishing every day.
While there, Jerry befriends Lori (Robin Wright Penn, made up to look decidedly unattractive) and her young daughter, Chrissy (Pauline Roberts). When Lori's ex-husband beats her up, Jerry opens his home as a safe haven to the pair, and they come to live with him. For a while, Jerry settles into a routine of domestic comfort - until ugly reminders of his final case begin to crop up. Soon, he is convinced that the killer is on the prowl again and that Chrissy, a dead ringer for the previous victims, is the next target. But is there really a danger, or is Jerry deluded? And, if the serial killer is real, how far will Jerry go to effect his capture? Finally, there's the question of Jerry's murky motives: is he acting to protect his "family" or because, as an ex-cop, he cannot let go of the case?
Penn's stature in Hollywood is evident by the number of prominent names appearing in the cast list, some of whom have little more than a few minutes of screen time. In addition to Nicholson and Robin Wright Penn, the movie features Sam Shepard, Benicio Del Toro, Tom Noonan, Harry Dean Stanton, Helen Mirren, Vanessa Redgrave, Mickey Rourke, and Lois Smith. All of these actors give effective performances in what are, for the most part, little more than bit parts.
The Pledge is clever in the way that it gradually reveals things, but never gives us too much information at one time. The red herrings don't seem as cheap as they often do in murder mysteries, and Jerry is far from the infallible, all-knowing investigator. He's a flawed human being, and, only in the end do we understand the extent of that tragic character flaw. The conclusion of The Pledge will cause many viewers to walk out of the theaters grumbling, since there is no traditional closure. But the way in which things turn out seems right for the material and the manner in which Penn has chosen to present it.
© 2001 James Berardinelli