Year: 2013
Director: James
DeMonaco
Screenplay: James DeMonaco
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Rhys Wakefield, Max
Burkholder, Adelaide Kane, Edwin Hodge
Synopsis is here
When the cinematic year ends, The Purge will probably gain a
mention as the little thriller that could. The $3 Million budgeted film grossed
$36.4 million on its opening weekend. The
film also gleefully beat Vince Vaughan’s and Owen Wilson’s high profile comedy
vehicle The Internship to the number one spot in the U.S box office. The amount
of money made should not (and doesn't) reflect the quality of the film, but its
success reminds us that when it comes to movies, a curious premise may be all
we need to get our butt on the seat.
The hook is simple. In the near future, America has ordained
an annual purge in which for one 12 hour period, all criminal activity is
permitted and emergency services suspended. All anger and hate is consolidated for
one day and forgotten for the rest of the year.
America has thrived since the introduction to the purge, crime and
unemployment at an all time low.
Genre fans should be salivating at the high concept. Like a
decent idea on Dragon’s Den, you ask yourself why such a concept hasn't been
made sooner. Writer/Director James DeMonaco only seems to sweeten the deal with
subtexts and plot strands that hint at the toxic motives that would not only
help put this in place but fuel such an institution. We’re told that United
States is ruled by the New Founding Fathers of America while characters claim
that the purge is a chance to be “cleansed” and “reborn”. The faux spiritual slant
placed on such a corrupt moral landscape sends chills up the spine, as does the
cheesy Uncle Sam advertising the crop up in a few scenes.
DeMonaco seems to settle his sights upon the class divide.
Ethan Hawke’s James Sandin; a successful home security developer, finds himself
and his family harbouring a homeless African American male (Hodge), who is
being stalked by a gang of well, masked Caucasian Purgers. Ideas and themes are left to dangle tantalisingly
as the film sets up its pieces.
Unfortunately the films set up and often evocative imagery
is marred by weak execution. DeMonaco pulls far too many punches for his own
good, turning a nifty premise into a more generic home invasion piece. The film
holds little of the tension that could be found in the likes of ills (2006) or
The Strangers (2008) and holds none of the bite that could be found in Micheal
Haneke’s Funny Games (1997 + 2008). Meanwhile the steady performances from
Hawke, Headey and the strangely unsettling Wakefield are unbalanced by some convoluted
plotting and some of the films weaker performers.
If there’s something to be gained from The Purge, it is that
that Platinum Dunes, look to be a far more interesting production company when
they’re not reformatting old slasher movies.
The Purge has been successful enough to garner a sequel which will hopefully
delve deeper into this frightful vision of the future. I feel however, the
second entry may need more than a shiny gimmick to make people want to go.