Descent (Original 'NC-17' Version)

 

 

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Women really have it rough. So many men are cold, calculating, selfish, and cruel - and, in too many cases, violent - and each woman has to try and find the needle in a haystack that is a truly good man. I don't know how women can trust a single one of us, to be honest. Most men just don't understand that women are exquisite and precious, and that we don't even deserve their notice or attention. The lowest of the low, of course, are male rapists. I think any man who would rape a woman deserves the most severe of punishments. And that, my friends, is what Descent is all about.

Provocative, controversial, unforgettable - these adjectives and many more like them fail to even do true justice to this film. Descent is an incredibly brave and shocking film, and Rosario Dawson turns in an Oscar-worthy performance. Unfortunately, the film's NC-17 rating (which, I think all will agree, is quite justified) means the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences probably won't touch it with a ten-foot pole, but Descent certainly made waves at the Tribeca Film Festival and has had audiences talking wherever it has played. Personally, I have all kinds of respect for the filmmakers because they told the story they wanted to tell and didn't water it down in order to get an R rating (and thus open up many more marketing opportunities for the project).

The story follows Maya (Rosario Dawson), a studious young college student, as she attempts to rebuild her life after being raped. When he first introduced himself to Maya at a party, Jared (Chad Faust) came across as a slightly creepy but seemingly nice guy - weird but nice. I thought he came across a little strong in his efforts to get a date with her, but Maya wouldn't have finally agreed to go out with him if she didn't think he was serious about her. Once Jared finally gets Maya back to his place, though, we see him as the monster he truly is. The rape scene itself is disturbing, but it's not nearly as racy as I expected. Following this night, Maya withdraws into a lost and empty soul. In time, she begins frequenting a local dance club and using alcohol to ease her inner pain. It is there that she meets Adrian (Marcus Patrick), who really doesn't live up to his reputation as a helper of lost souls. Despite his own major character flaws, however, he does help Maya empower herself to return to her former life. When she crosses paths with Jared once again, she has the inner strength to deal with it. Boy oh boy, does she deal with it, as you'll see in the film's shocking conclusion.

Descent does have the feel of a film festival type of movie. We are treated to several tiny moments in Maya's life that don't seem relevant on the face of things, transitions are often marked by several seconds of cinematic blackness, and there's a somewhat disjointed sense of time as events progress - for example, we immediately jump ahead several months following the rape. The film also poses some provocative questions, especially in terms of revenge. No matter how much you may sympathize with Maya, some will feel that she takes her revenge way too far, and it's an open question as to whether or not she finds any peace at all in the wake of her actions. No matter who you are, one or more aspect of this film is bound to make you uncomfortable, and therein is where the true power of this film comes across loud and clear.

Some viewers have expressed a sense of disappointment with this film, but I was more than impressed by the story and the somewhat surrealistic way in which it was presented. This is a decidedly gritty film that digs all the way down to the roots of human emotion, treading a dark path that few filmmakers are willing to travel. It is perhaps no accident that Descent represents the first feature-length film from director/co-writer/producer Talia Lugacy as well as the producorial debut of Rosario Dawson herself. (I should mention the fact that the DVD comes with a director/writer commentary that also includes Rosario Dawson, a post-screening Q and A video with Talia Lugacy and Dawson, exclusive interviews, and two rather lengthy deleted scenes - the second of which would have added even more dimensions to the depth and scope of the film.) The deep and intimate level of Dawson's commitment to her character clearly shows, making this film a tour de force that is, in the words of the New York Times, "hard to watch but essential to see."

As a revenge film, this is more realistic than others of it's like and it also seems more of a thinking persons revenge film. This film not only moved me in a way, but will stay with me probably for some time. I like this film but I didn't love it the way I wanted to. "Descent" isn't for the weak minded and again this film is not for the religious right and the NC-17 rating is appropriate for just two scenes. This film was good to a certain extent and the main reason it truly held me was how it played with my psych. I have always felt that a person who rapes women deserves to be punished exactly the way they have destroyed their victim(s), but this film made me hesitate a bit but didn't change my mine at all.

We see Maya (Rosario Dawson) as a bright college student, who is shy about love, but seeking a connection to another human being. At a party she meets Jared (Chad Faust), a greasy jock who is relentless with his come-ons. Falling under his charms, she takes a chance on him, leading to a romantic evening that culminates with her rape. Destroyed, Maya withdraws from her world, spending time in a complete drug-fueled fog. Only when the opportunity for revenge presents itself a year later does she begin to show signs of renewed life.

I give it 3 stars because you can see it's low budget roots but it's more arty direction does much to cover that up. I like Dawson in most of her roles and on this film it wasn't any different. In this film you really feel her damage but at the same time I feel bad for her. She throws herself into this role with wild, wanton abandon and is at times totally remarkable. While I admire the courage filming this must have taken on her part I still can't help but wish such an effort was given towards a worthier effort. The men are the standouts however, and Chad Faust is a very brave actor indeed. It's very sad to watch this character's downfall after she is raped but it is equally sad to see all characters dismantled piece by piece at the core. Lugacy's direction is well done but I may have cut a bit of club scenes as some seemed overly long without adding much more insight.

I appreciate the end in that it makes you complete but also leaves you thinking as it does seem that maybe the revenge has also left the character a little empty as if she's somehow disembodied from it. I do think that was the right way to go but the only thing I wouldn't do is cry. The entire movie in fact does not seem to pass any judgment on it's characters, leaving all the judging to the viewer as long as you can handle the subject matter. There is no female nudity and no consensual sex; there is just rape and its psychological impact. In the end this movie leaves you awash in a residue of sadness, mildly recommended.

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