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THE WOODSMAN ***** out of *****  Genres
2004
Directed by
Nicole Kassell Written by Steven Fechter (play) Nicole Kassell and Steven Fechter (screenplay) Cast Kevin Bacon .... Walter David Alan Grier .... Bob Eve .... Mary-Kay Kyra Sedgwick .... Vicki Benjamin Bratt .... Carlos Carlos Leon .... Pedro Michael Shannon .... Rosen Kevin Rice .... Candy Mos Def .... Sgt. Lucas
There are many sick and disturbing things about the world, the fact society has its share of rapists, murderers, child molesters, etc. isn’t a pleasant thought. Most of us like to think we are safe within our communities, believing that our neighbours are good people. But do we really know who our neighbours are? What their past was like? What are their deepest, darkest secrets? Is there anyone that actually cares to know their neighbours well enough these days? Aside from the brief basics I’d think the answer to that would be a ‘Not really’. Would your attitude towards knowing your neighbours change if you somehow knew one of them was a convicted sex offender?
 The Woodsman doesn’t directly shed light on the above issues but it got me thinking about them. The film’s focus is not on the victims but on the actual criminal himself. It’s a story of redemption and dealing with one’s own temptations and urges. So knowing what you knew would you react? And would your reaction be different if you knew that this sex offender was ‘rehabilitated’ and just trying to get on with his life? Before viewing the film I found these questions very challenging in the sense that my answer was the same for both. I’d react the same way regardless, with anger and protest that such a person was living on my street. After viewing this film I was surprised that my view was somewhat different. There it was, a film whose central core character was someone you’d despise, someone who committed a crime so despicable there wasn’t any way an audience would be able to sympathise. Yet filmmaker Nicole Kassell has done just that, similar to what Tim Robbins managed to achieve with his Oscar winning masterpiece Dead Man Walking, Kassell manages to paint this monster as a human being. A task that is not only difficult, but is asking for a lot from your audience. Part of the success of this is Kevin Bacon’s phenomenal performance as Walter who was recently released from a twelve year stint in prison for sexually molesting young girls.
In The Woodsman Walter tries to move forward with his life, he’s got a job at a lumber yard and mostly keeps to himself, and he’s set-up with a new apartment that’s only just across the street from a school. This is perhaps a method to test his own urges after having been ‘rehabilitated’, kind of a sick way of dangling a carrot in front of a hungry beast. The tension lies in whether he’ll actually act on his own temptations or resist them.
 To make things worse for him his past continues to rise up again, he cannot escape the horrible things he’s done. Watched by his suspiciously weary brother-in-law Carlos (Benjamin Bratt), his own sister Annette (Jessica Nagle) refuses to have anything to do with him, he is continually harassed by Police Officer Sergeant Lucas (Mos Def), and lives in constant fear that his past will be uncovered by his workmates.
One day at work he makes an unexpected friend in co-worker Vickie (played by Bacon’s real-life wife Kyra Sedgwick), a tough-talking woman who doesn’t judge people based on their past. The relationship quickly turns romantic. But just when things are going well for him, his demons resurface and he must deal or everything will fall apart.
Critics worldwide have raved over Bacon’s stunning turn as the tortured Walter, this film truly belongs to him and hopefully come awards season this film won’t be forgotten. Bacon’s complex performance is laced with emotional anxiety that tears up the screen. Filmmaker Kassell and her star have shed a human light onto the character of Walter that allows a means of entry for audiences who may feel uncomfortable, weary or even unable to sympathise. Which in this case is not only the strength of the film but what its success solely rests on the shoulders of. The supporting cast also does their bit to add to Walter’s problems and it’s satisfying to see his character challenged throughout.
 Although the film’s cast is solid, another of the film’s strengths is in its structure, the script. Written in 2001, the script took first place at that year’s Slamdance Screenplay Competition and it’s not hard to see why. The film is an adaptation of a play by Steven Fechter. I have not previously seen the play or read its script so I can’t be sure how faithful an adaptation it is, but what I can say about the script is that it’s tight. The film’s run time of just under 84 minutes is a testament to that. The character of Walter is extremely well developed and his character’s arc from freedom to overcoming his past is expertly written. Furthermore, its authenticity is a key element, in order to capture the mannerisms and behaviours of sex offenders, Kassell spent time researching and interviewing real-life sex offenders and their therapists.
On a more technical side, the film is photographed in a muted, washed out style with a limited colour palette. Cinematographer Xavier Pérez Grobet has done an exceptional job in complimenting the film’s tone and thematic elements, paired with Nathan Larson’s exceptional score. The Woodsman is simply a powerhouse of a film that works on many levels and is something that everyone involved in should be proud of. It is essential viewing.
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