Patty Hearst

Released by: MGM
Released on: 4/4/2011
Director: Paul Schrader
Cast: Natasha Richardson, Ving Rhames, William Forsythe, Dana Delany
Year: 1988
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The Movie:

Paul Schrader, known for his directorial efforts such as Hardcore and the 1982 remake of Cat People, and known even more so for his screenwriting credits such as Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, helms this biopic based on the controversial Patty Hearst story.



For those not familiar with the case, newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst was kidnapped in 1974 at the age of 19 by a radical militant group calling themselves the Symbionese Liberation Army. She was soon after involved with the group, denounced her parents and her wealthy lifestyle, and participated in armed bank robbery with the SLA, which also involved murder. After she was captured, a trial followed and was covered heavily by the media. She served a couple of years in prison, was released on orders by President Carter, and later pardoned by President Clinton. She wrote a book about her experience and this film is based on those writings. The controversy lies in that she makes claims of being brainwashed, physically and sexually abused, and confined to a closet with barely enough room to lie down for two months before joining the SLA. There are those who believe she was less than truthful about her ordeal, and that she was a willing participant in the activities for which she was incarcerated.



As said, Schrader's film follows her side of the story, and is told with the angle that she was brainwashed and broken down to the point of sympathizing with her captors, referred to as Stockholm Syndrome, and thus not acting on her own accord. Whether it will ever be proven beyond a doubt if she did or did not act on her own free will and not due to mental distress remains to be seen, but as a narrative this is an interesting film.



The first 25 minutes or so are predominantly played out as a point-of-view tale, as seen through Hearst's eyes. Lots of scenes are filmed in low lighting, and many times all that is seen is an open door with light coming in, making those speaking in the doorway difficult to see. It makes for an effective way of giving the viewer that sense of the unknown, and although it certainly doesn't put one in the shoes of the captive, it certainly helps to give an idea as to how someone in the situation must feel. And it's the most interesting of the portion of the movie, visually speaking. As the film progresses, her transformation from college student to radical leftist is the focus, along with her interrogation by the FBI and her eventual trial.



Performance wise, there some solid acting here. Natasha Richardson does a nice job of in her portrayal of Hearst (hey, full frontal nudity too), even though at times she goes a little overboard. But generally she's pretty convincing. William Forsythe plays a militant who wishes he was black and makes his character one of the standouts. Look for Dana Delany in a smaller role (she shows her boobs!) and is cute as a button. But the real kudos goes to Ving Rhames (with hair) as the head of the SLA. His character evolves rather quickly from a level-headed, street-wise leader to an insane, near Messiah-like figurehead who seems to lose his direction and delves further into delusion.



The pacing is slow at times, but the story is pretty darn interesting. Add to that some excellent character acting and you have an often overlooked biopic that deserves attention.

Video/Audio/Extras:

The movie is presented by MGM in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. It doesn't appear that much restoration was done, but the source material they used seems like it was more than decent to begin with. Visible are small pieces of dirt here and there plus plenty of grain (which is the way it should be), and not visible are any artifacts. This film has a lot of dark sequences and the blacks look as deep as they should. Once Patty Hearst is released from confinement the look of the film changes and the colors look nice (although not amazing) and things are pretty clear. The audio is a 2.0 Dolby Digital track with no problems to report. The balance seems proper. It does its job just fine.





The only extra is the trailer for the feature. There's no chapter menu even.

The Final Word:

A well made drama based on a true story that delivers an entertaining enough couple of hours. Definitely worth checking out.