Review of Disgrace (2008) by Walter M — 03 Apr 2011

In "Disgrace," David Lurie(John Malkovich) is an English professor at a university in Cape Town, a job he has become increasingly disillusioned with. At the same time, he seduces Melanie(Antoinette Engel), one of his students. Of course, not everybody is happy with this relationship as it becomes increasingly public, especially after she attempts suicide. During an official university inquiry, David walks off and promptly resigns, not caring about his pension. He uses the time off to visit his daughter Lucy(Jessica Haines) whose girlfriend has just left her. This leaves her otherwise alone in a remote part of the country with her garden and kennel, employing Petrus(Eriq Ebouaney) as a general handyman.

First and foremost, "Disgrace" is a beautifully filmed movie about the changing nature of post-Apartheid South Africa. I should point out that this is not the warm and fuzzy approach, but is instead deeply unsettling, centered around an unspeakable act of violence that occurs offscreen. This highly provocative allegory seeks to explore the future of the white minority who seek to protect their status behind locked gates in suburbs. Any difference in attitudes seems to be generational as it is David who has not adjusted well, shocked at how Petrus feels at home in his daughter's home. On a related note, David must also be told to change his status as a middle-aged lothario.(Of course, I don't have a problem with interracial relationships but they have to occur when race is irrelevant and I don't think that's the case with David.) In the end, John Malkovich's ability to play unlikable characters allows him to succeed in playing a character who at first comes off like just a heel but gets more sympathetic as time goes on.