Name: Retro Film Review: Carried Away (1996)
Item: Carried Away
Rating: 70
Author: @drax

(source: tmdb.org)

To the younger viewers Dennis Hopper is best known for his roles of over-the-top semi psychotic villains. Yet, one of his best 1990s performances could be found in the role which seems quite atypical for this actor. Those who want to see this performance would have to spend some time looking, because the movie in question - Carried Away, directed in 1996 by Bruno Baretto – is relatively obscure. This relative obscurity exists for two reasons - the film is low budget and partially deals with the subject which is something of a taboo in modern Hollywood.

The plot of the film, based on Farmer, novel by Jim Harrison (whose other novel, Legends of the Fall, was adapted for big screen few years earlier), is set in American Midwest during 1960s. Joseph Svenden (played by Dennis Hopper) is a middle-aged man who lives on the farm and takes care of his dying mother (played by Julie Harris). Svenden had his leg mangled during the childhood incident and since then his life lacked any excitement. He is a lousy farmer and in order to make a living he works as lay teacher in local school. Even the long term relationship with Rosealee Hensen (played by Amy Irving), fellow teacher and widow of his best friend, became passionless routine. Everything changes when the family of retired Major Nathan Wheeler (played by Gary Busey) moves in the neighbourhood. Major's 17-year old daughter Catherine (played by Amy Locane) starts attending Svenden's class and using his barn to practice riding. It doesn't take much time for Svenden to start noticing young nymphette and her sexual advances. At first he resists only to finally succumb to Catherine's seduction. His bliss is always marred by the knowledge that he is doing something wrong.

In someone else's hands the plot of Carried Away could have turned into tirade against hypocrisy and bigotry of Protestant- dominated American Midwest and its brutal suppression of human passion. Somebody else could have used this plot to preach against the evils of paedophilia or corruption of the innocent. Brazilian director Bruno Baretto, on the other hand, was raised in different culture and this provided him with enough objectivity to turn Carried Away into serious and at times passionless character study. Actually the only sentiment the viewer could sense in this film is the sympathy towards characters, even when they commit acts that we could judge immoral or unjustifiable. To make things even less simple, May-December romance is just a subplot of this film and it serves only as a catalyst for the change in protagonist's life. The characterisation in this film is impeccable - the people we see on the screen seem real and many of their dreams, fears and anxieties are those the audience is familiar to.

This is especially so for the middle-aged characters - people who are becoming aware that the best years in their lives are behind them and that the chances for some significant change, for better or worse, are diminishing by the hour. Carried Away also features nudity in amounts not that common in Hollywood these days. Those scenes are erotic, but their prime purpose is to symbolise change in character's lives - they are supposed to give warmth to the movie that would otherwise be as cold and grey as Russ Brant's and Declan Quinn's cinematography.

Dennis Hopper is the most pleasant surprise of this film. His acting in Carried Away is quite subdued compared with his better known roles in films like Blue Velvet, yet the character of Joseph Svenden is quite memorable. He plays quiet, mild-mannered man, yet he allows the audience to see beneath the surface and discover the reasons why Svenden refused to take challenges in life and why he finally does it in a most inappropriate way. Hopper made this character quite sympathetic and his transformation from nerdish cripple to passionate lover is quite believable and something many viewers could relate to. Amy Irving, Baretto's wife and one of the executive producers, was also good, not being afraid to use her own age for the purpose of the role and being even less afraid when the script demanded to bare all in front of camera. Young Amy Locane, best known for her role in Melrose Place, is also very effective in seemingly thankless role of a jailbait; her decision to take part in nude scenes is quite commendable, especially since such career move could be counter-productive in modern Hollywood. Gary Busey is also very effective in the role of Major, giving somewhat unusual yet realistic portrayal of concerned father. The movie could have been even better if Bruce Broughton's soundtrack was as memorable as those performances. Yet, the good script by Ed Jones and Baretto's direction are good indicator that Carried Away is going to be remembered as one of the 1990s hidden gems.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on November 27th 2002)