The DVD Dissection: Primal Fear (Hard Evidence Edition)
Posted by Chad Webb on 03.10.2009
Edward Norton sensational screen debut gets the DVD treatment it deserves!
Richard Gere: Martin Vail
Edward Norton: Aaron Stampler
Laura Linney: Janet Venable
John Mahoney: John Shaughnessy
Alfre Woodard: Judge Shoat
Frances McDormand: Dr. Molly Arrington
Terry 'O Quinn: Yancy
Andre Braugher: Thomas Goodman
Steven Bauer: Joey Pinero
Directed By: Gregory Hoblit
Written By: Steve Shagan and Ann Biderman
Theatrical Release Date: April 3, 1996
DVD Release Date: March 10, 2009
Running Time: 130 minutes
Rated R for brief grisly violence, pervasive strong language and a sex scene.
The Film
Court room dramas and thrillers are some of the most difficult films to analyze and judge. That statement might raise some eyebrows, but due to the fact that viewers see multiple offerings from this sub-genre each year, one has to take certain things into account. The majority of casual audiences will see these films, leave with a favorable reaction, and move on with their lives. It is likely to wither away in their brain from that point though. So if one quickly forgets about the film, how good was it really? Of course since rating movies are subjective, it is all up to personal preference in the end. For many, the determining factor will be the cast, how much they mean to the viewers, and how well they connect with them on a certain level. Efforts like Primal Fear are a rarity. It ranks with the best of its ilk, and is a glorious exercise in character development and story pacing.
My families, and countless friends, seem to always adore court room dramas. They frequently tune in for Law & Order or similar shows, and whenever movies of the same vein are delivered, they will travel to the video store or adjust their Netflix queue. As my tastes have changed throughout the years, I have begun to look for more than just great performances. Flaunting ones talents in a court room setting is relatively easy. The location is ripe for displaying ones strengths, so to a degree, we should expect above average turns. Immersing yourself into the character, exploring his/her depths, and revealing all angles of the person is harder, and it is those lawyers, defendants, and witnesses that stand out. For these requirements, Primal Fear succeeds with flying colors. Subsequent viewings expose that the characters never lose their spark, and the film itself remains brilliant.
The screenplay, adapted from William Diehl's novel, follows arrogant attorney Martin Vail (Richard Gere), a man who loves the spotlight. Some of his clients are less than reputable, but he is a cunning individual, who knows his way around a court room. When altar boy Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton) is arrested and accused of brutally murdering Archbishop Rushman (Stanley Anderson), a highly respected priest, Martin sees in him an opportunity to heighten his reputation. He takes the case pro bono, and learns that Aaron claims he did not commit the crime, despite the evidence indicating the contrary. He states that a third person was in the room. Another element of intrigue is introduced when Martin's ex-girlfriend Janet Venable (Laura Linney) represents the prosecution. As the case escalates, both sides involved encounter unexpected twists and turns that alter everyone's perception of what truly occurred.
The 1990's showcased the peak of Richard Gere, at least in terms of popularity. The actor has always been talented, but during that decade he delivered a steady stream of well received and financially successful efforts. In Primal Fear, Gere gives one of his best performances as hotshot defense attorney Martin Vail. Gere elevates the character beyond just a flashy lawyer that can unload powerful court room monologues. He unveils Vail as a three-dimensional person with strengths, flaws, and a tendency to bend the rules if it means sliding the odds in his favor. Gere is nuanced, refined, and penetrating as Vail. The conversations with the young man doing an article on him reveal the layers imbedded beneath the surface.
One of the main reasons the buzz surrounding Gere's turn is low-key is due to the magnificent debut from Edward Norton. It is no secret that his supporting role here would lead to bigger and brighter offers, but in retrospect, one can observe his natural abilities from the very first scene. The stutter of Aaron Stampler, and even the clap at the end (reminiscent of Heath Ledger as the Joker), were both Norton's ideas, not any member of the crew. Norton commands the screen with shifting personas, and quite honestly steals many of the crucial moments out from under Gere's feet. He garnered the sole Oscar nomination for Primal Fear, a crime in my book, but Norton certainly deserved it. His portrayal lured the audience along like an obedient dog on a leash.
Another relatively new face was that of Laura Linney, who had contributed to a few movies before this, but was definitely not the star the studio preferred, nor who Gere wanted for that matter. She endured exhaustive test runs before convincing Gere that she could hold her own. In the mind of Director Gregory Hoblit, she possessed the willpower all along. Linney's role of Janet Venable is the most difficult to pull off because the viewer knows of her history with Vail, but then must accept that they she was chosen coincidentally to battle him in this case. In addition, she must be just as compelling in the court room exchanges, if not more so, than Gere. She accomplishes this without trouble, and like Norton, her resume would also improve in light of her marvelous work in Primal Fear.
Primal Fear is an oddity in that it was acclaimed with such a bizarre and fairly unknown cast, aside from Gere of course. In the supporting realm, Steven Bauer chimes in as Joey Pinero, a mafia type client of Vail's. Bauer supplies echoes of Scarface with his humor and charisma. John Mahoney (the Dad from Frasier) is ruthless and conniving as District Attorney John Shaughnessy, Frances McDormand is her usual terrific self as Dr. Molly Arrington, and Andre Braugher does nicely as Vail's handy man.
Where so many court room dramas or thriller falter is in fleshing out the characters and instilling just as much meat to the sequences outside the court, as they have inside the court. It was Ann Biderman's brilliant re-working of the screenplay, and attention to every detail, that caused the intricate Primal Fear to excel. She even consulted with psychologists to skim over the script. Primal Fear carries just as much weight when Vail is researching, drinking at the bar, or visiting the prison as it does when the lawyers are cross examining the witnesses. This film is about Martin Vail, and the changes his character faces as an attorney and a man during this trial. It was not intended to focus on exciting twists, or the eccentricities of Aaron Stampler, but exposing how Vail's vanity comes back to haunt him.
Director Gregory Hoblit attempted to return back to the court room with 2007's Fracture, but failed to meet the same success as he did with Primal Fear. While it was far from bad, all the elements need to click in place, and it does not happen with every shot. Hoblit has made his home in the thriller genre, and seems to be more comfortable in the crime drama atmosphere. With Primal Fear he encapsulates the shady decisions that have been made in the city of Chicago leading up to this case, and chooses a superb court room that helps the actors shine. His guidance with cinematographer Michael Chapman allowed for fabulous lighting and high angle camera shots to accentuate the proceedings without becoming overly pretentious.
To accompany and augment the ordinary touch of the court room is James Newton Howard's masterfully understated score, which escalates and swells at all the precise moments. People can claim that the story becomes muddled by spotlighting issues of multiple personalities, sex-crazed priests, and corrupt officials, but they have obviously missed the point, and that was to use those components in order to emphasize the arc of Martin Vail. Nevertheless, those topics are still relevant to this day, and little of the film is dated, which makes it increasingly fascinating for repeated viewings. Primal Fear is no doubt an underrated classic, and will serve as the kick start for bright performers. Although it is used too often, the saying still holds true, especially for court room dramas, that the journey is more important than the destination.
The Video
This is not the most colorful film ever made, but the picture transfer presented here is certainly satisfactory. It appears to have been polished slightly for this new release, though nothing readily apparent can be detected. It is not a spotless image, as some pops can be seen, but for the most part, the plain colors are beautifully represented. Otherwise, I saw no serious grain or soft spots. This has been expanded a bit to an anamorphic widescreen transfer with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio.
The Audio
The most unforgettable sound of Primal Fear is the rousing and elegant composition from James Newton Howard, but I mentioned that earlier. This does have a couple chase scenes, and the initial killing, but other than that the action and thrills are left mainly to the court house. All the characters and dialogue are completely lucid and understandable. The audio department is free of distortion and any other problems as well. This includes French, and Spanish 5.1 tracks, in addition to subtitles in English, English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese options.
The Packaging
Primal Fear (Hard Evidence Edition) is distributed in a standard keep case, but one that is clear in color. It is also packaged in a Ziploc bag that is large enough to just barely slip over the DVD case. It is neat, but aggravating since it looks sloppy on a shelf, much like the Elvis suit packaging for Bubba Ho-Tep. Nonetheless, I salute originality. No booklets or chapter listings are included. The menu screens are scrolling images from the films with music in the background. They are classy and easy to navigate.
The Extras
Primal Fear was initially released as a bare bones DVD release on October 21, 1998, but was looped into a triple feature DVD for Edward Norton flicks on August 7, 2007. Also, keep in mind, that the Blu-Ray release of this edition will obviously be superior in some ways. The rating at the bottom reflects that of standard releases only. Comparing Blu-Ray to Standard is ridiculous.
Audio Commentary - This is a stacked commentary with Director Gregory Hoblit, writer Ann Biderman, Producer Gary Lucchesi, Executive Producer Hawk Koch, and Casting Director Deborah Aquila. Group commentaries are usually more entertaining, but can be chaotic. This is just fine, and although it is not scene specific, which some prefer, the group provides insight and information on many aspects of the filming process including Edward Norton and Richard Gere's acting, and so forth. Overall, this was well worth listening to the entire duration.
Primal Fear: The Final Verdict (17:59) - This is your standard "making-of" or "behind the scenes" featurette that was absent on any previous editions. Luckily, Edward Norton and Laura Linney contribute interviews, along with members of the crew. Norton obviously holds this project close to his heart, as it made him who he was, so watching him talk about it terrific. Among the discussions are comparison to the book, fleshing out the characters, the script process, the acting, and an entire sub-plot that was deleted.
Primal Fear: Star Witness (17:56) - This is an extra devoted entirely to Edward Norton, and the story which brought him to the screen. The auditions were long and extensive, and I won't spoil too much of it here, but Leonardo DiCaprio was initially attached to the project, but declined.
Psychology of Guilt (13:36) - It is special features exactly like this that should be included on more DVDs. With just a little work, you can have a short featurette that is interesting and informative. This takes the opinions of actual psychologists who converse about multiple personalities and how legit they are. You even see clips of one of the Hillside Stranglers going from one personality to the other.
Original Theatrical Trailer (2:25) - This is a pretty straightforward trailer, that might show a smidgen too much, but gets the point across well, and highlights some of the casts best scenes.
The Film: 9.0/10.0
The Video: 8.0/10.0
The Audio: 8.0/10.0
The Packaging: 8.5/10.0
The Extras: 8.0/10.0
The 411: Apart from The Verdict with Paul Newman, this is easily one of my favorite pure court room drama/thrillers. The script is taut, the direction is astute, and the pacing is engrossing. Richard Gere, Laura Linney, and Edward Norton all deliver powerhouse performances along with the stellar supporting cast. The film has aged about as well as anyone could hope for, and I highly recommend giving it a second chance if you're skeptical. The DVD is a vast improvement over the previous editions. The technical specifications have been tidied up pleasantly, and the extras are extremely suitable for this type of film. I have seen this movie numerous times, and from the moment I start it, I have to finish no matter what like Cartman with "Come Sail Away."
