Damage

Damaged people are dangerous. They know they can survive

The one should watch on the Saint Valentine’s Day some romantic film. I am a cynical lawyer, that is why the traditional love stories «love from the first sight-looking for a lost love-a sudden meeting-first date-and they lived happily» amuse me. Because of this, I gave decided to watch some unusual love story.

The Right Honourable Doctor Stephen Fleming MP is Minister without Portfolio, but he is expected to get the Department of Health. The family life of Stephen also good: loving wife, successful son and cute little daughter. One day at the French Embassy Stephen meets Anna Barton, to whom he is immediately attracted. After a few days his son introduces his fiancée – the same Anna Barton, - but it cannot stop Stephen…

The storyline of Damage, at first sight, is rather banal and boring. Nevertheless Louis Malle, as in his earlier works, took the trivial story and turned it into a spectacular story of all-consuming, doomed and passionate love. As I said before, the conventional love stories bores me. When you think about Damage you could say one word, which the most accurately characterize this film – the fatality. The affair of Anna and Stephen is a mad waltz of mentally traumatized woman and vehemently insane man. The one could feel the fatality by watching the sex scenes, which looks like a fight and does not even hint any tenderness.

Anna Barton reminds of a fire, which attracts butterflies. Every word, gesture and look of Anna hints the hidden danger. As Catherine from «Jules et Jim», Anna is capable of loving of two at the same time – Stephen and his son. However, the son, because of his naiveté and intellectual limits, cannot fully sense the dangerous aura of Anna. The mother instinct of Stephen’s wife feels Anna’s danger, but she is incapable to protect her son.

Any normal person would tell that Stephen Fleming’s behavior is despicable. On the other hand, who has not dreamed about such affair? Stephen’s action are driven by his attraction to Anna’s «fire», it is not the usual short affair between bored old politician and cute girl. He tries to break-up with Anna, but his mind cannot shut his passion.

Louis Malle has never judged his heroes – neither the collaborator Lacombe Lucien, neither the bored socialite Jeanne nor the petit bourgeois family in «Milou en Mai». He watches and feels certain compassion for the weaknesses and vices of his heroes. This feature makes the films of Louis Malle more interesting than «black and white» films of other directors.

«Damage» is a clever and subtle film, which would be interesting to everyone.    

9/10