Skip to content
Jason Maloney reviews
Fox/Pathe
- Cert:
- Cat.no: P8984DVD
- Running time: 930 minutes
- Year: 2000
- Pressing: 2000
- Region(s): 2, PAL
- Chapters: 15 plus extras
- Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 (Dolby Pro Logic)
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: English Hard Of Hearing
- Widescreen: 1.66:1
- 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: DVD 9
- Price: £19.99
- Extras: Original Theatrical Trailer
Director:
- Sofia Coppola
Cast:
- Mr. Lisbon: James Woods
Mrs. Lisbon: Kathleen Turner
Lux Lisbon: Kirsten Dunst
Mary Lisbon: A.J. Cook
Cecilia Lisbon: Hanna Hall
Therese Lisbon: Leslie Hayman
Bonnie Lisbon: Chelse Swain
Trip Fontaine: Josh Hartnett
Father Moody: Scott Glenn
Dr. Horniker: Danny Devito
One of the most acclaimed films of last year was this debut feature from Sofia (daughter of Francis Ford) Coppola. Adapted from the novel by Jeffrey Eugenide, it’s a beautifully subdued affair.
The Virgin Suicides is set in a mid-1970s American suburbia of sun-kissed lawns and dying elm trees. As its title might suggest, it is the story of hormonal teenage melancholy that ends in tragic circumstances. Five girls, all sisters, driven to their deaths by a claustrophobic and unnaturally sheltered life under the tyrannical watch of their fanatically religious mother.
This is not to reveal anything that isn’t laid out for the viewer within the opening five minutes, for as with American Beauty the ultimate fate of these characters is known from the outset – via Giovanni Ribisi‘s uncredited, restrospective voice-over.
Casting his mind back to the events that still haunt him and the four friends who knew the sisters in the final months of their short lives, a poignant elegy is unfolded piece by piece.
Framed by a woozy environment of blooming adolescence and its attendant uncertainties, the descent from an outwardly idyllic existence is set in motion by the youngest sibling’s attempted suicide. Soon, the fragile family facade stubbornly perpetuated by a domineering mother and henpecked father is swiftly exposed.
Their beautiful, almost ethereal, daughters are unsurprisingly the focus for many of the community’s young males. This interest is only heightened by subsequent developments, which fail to set the relevant alarm bells ringing in the minds of the girls’ parents.
Despite the air of inevitability, The Virgin Suicides is not an especially depressing experience for the majority of its 90 minutes. Evocative, and profoundly moving… it never opts for the hand-wringing approach and avoids unnecessary overstating of the sisters’ plight.
They are seen here only through the diaries found after their death, and the eyes of the boys who knew them, albeit mostly from a tantalising distance. It’s as much their story as anyone’s, the awkward courting rituals of youth which both parties engage in willingly offering glimpses of a freedom that, sadly, would ultimately prove elusive to the doomed girls.
Coppola directs with all the skill and intelligence of an established figure than the (officially at least) newcomer she apparently was at the time of this film. The feel is muted, bathed in a summery haziness that makes it almost the seasonal flipside of Ang Lee‘s expertly-realised 1997 gem The Ice Storm.
Headlining a fabulous cast are James Woods and Kathleen Turner as the parents of these vulnerable creatures – and both play against type with memorable results. No grandstanding, not even one explosive exchange of dialogue takes place in the movie and thus intimation and suggestion is all. Woods’ and Turners’ subtly commanding performances leave no need for detailed exposition of their characters and psychology, what’s hinted at and referred to in the excellent script is more than adequate.
So, too, with Kirsten Dunst… the most wilful and sexually voracious of the cosetted quintet. Flirtatious and confident of her sexuality, she is central to the unravelling tragedy. Already with an impressive CV under her belt (including that remarkable turn in Interview With The Vampire, Dunst finds a depth to her character with delightful ease.
This is an ensemble piece, however, with more contributions than space allows. Josh Hartnett – who stole the show in 1999’s Highschool alien flick The Faculty – comes up trumps again as the worldly young man who shuns the universal adoration of the town’s female populace due to a passion for one of the sisters. It’s a perfectly-judged portrayal, and the ramifications of his involvement are revealed in a surprise manoeuvre during the film – adding further pathos to a film drenched in it.
It saves the sucker punch for the expected denouement, but like Sam Mendes‘ revelatory final twist there is a genuine shock in the timing of the actual suicides.
Accompanied by a soundtrack that mixes a gorgeous, specially-composed score by those French smoothies Air with music from the era (including 10cc‘s seminal I’m Not In Love, Carole King‘s So Far Away and several Todd Rungren tracks), The Virgin Suicides is a stunning example of understated, yet unforgettable, cinema.
Now to the disc itself. As with far too many Fox/Pathe titles, it leaves a lot to be desired. The 1.66:1 picture is fine, remembering that this is a film with independant leanings. Even the Dolby 2.0 soundtrack brings no major problems, the music coming through clearly and with the requisite warmth.
It’s with the extras that the disappointment begins. Aside from an obligatory trailer, all you get is one language and subtitle option (English in both cases) and just 15 chapters. Even for a 93-minute film, that’s still not enough.
The absence of behind-the-scenes material, or any form of insight from the director or writers, means The Virgin Suicides retains an enigmatic quality, but the feeling lingers that this DVD is a missed opportunity to explore one of the most striking films of recent times.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
0 OVERALL
Check out Jason’s homepage: The Slipstream.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.