Review of Hollow Man (2000) by Spangle — 06 Jul 2017

Throughout his career, Paul Verhoeven has been criticized for his film's rampant misogyny, violence against women (rape is a constant), and strong violence. Hollow Man, unarguably his worst film, embodies all of these. Yet, as always, it is through a unique lens. While Verhoeven himself claims that anybody could have directed Hollow Man - and he is right - few could have pulled off the antagonist of Hollow Man (Kevin Bacon) in the fashion that Verhoeven did. Turning this heinous man into a compelling antagonist to protagonist Linda (Elisabeth Shue), Verhoeven makes this film one that is squarely about the dangers faced by women in a world dominated by men, their ambitions, and their potentially nefarious intentions with women. It is unfortunate, then, that the rest of the film is so bland.

This thematic consideration is introduced quite early. Sebastian Caine (Bacon), is a brilliant scientist who discovers how to not just make animals invisible, but how to make them re-appear again. Confident that his experiment will work on humans, he uses himself as the test subject. Unfortunately for him, things go wrong and he stays invisible. Unfortunately for everyone else, Sebastian is a truly wicked man and a perfect portrait of toxic masculinity. Wishing to own Linda, Sebastian is immediately incensed when he sees another man in her bed when giving her the news about his initial breakthrough. Yet, he never gives up the chase and continuously makes advances on her to try and make her "his" once more. When he learns that she is dating co-worker Matt (Josh Brolin), his rage only becomes more pronounced. Thus, it is no surprise to see Verhoeven set the film up as being Sebastian versus Linda. In dream sequences, Linda imagines being raped by the invisible Sebastian and that is exactly the plight she must face. Verhoeven, like many male directors, is often obsessed with putting women in dangerous situations out of a fear that women in the world are in danger. Linda is put in this position in the film via her connection to Sebastian before his invisibility. Now, with him invisible, it is only natural that he will continue to act on his belief that Linda belongs to him and nobody else.

Yet, Sebastian, as with many men who possess this dangerous toxic masculinity, believes that he is owed any woman's body. Leering at a woman undressing in the apartment across from his in a disturbing act of voyeurism - in sequences that feel like a Verhoeven-led interpretation of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window - Sebastian continuously is disheartened when she closes the blinds before revealing her nude body. Not taking no for an answer, he quickly takes advantage of his invisibility and opts to rape her. Driven out of a desire to demystify the woman and assert his ownership of his body, Sebastian's act of violence is driven by a need to see her nude and is an urge he cannot put away. It is primal, violent, and thoroughly disturbing. At work, he sexually assaults veterinarian Sarah (Kim Dickens). The sequence is similarly alarming and brilliantly approached by Verhoeven. On the surface, however, if Sebastian were the protagonist, this would be troubling. Instead, by making him the antagonist, Verhoeven turns it into a terrifying display of rape culture in the world with Sebastian Caine being the embodiment of any man who believes that women owe him sex or to simply see them nude. By doing this, Verhoeven turns Hollow Man into an unexpected, but chilling, realization of the classic "male fantasy". Ask some young men what they would if they were invisible and you will get the answer that they would spy on women in the locker room or through the window. It is a classic "boys will be boys" answer that will likely elicit laughter from the right crowd, but is a chilling confirmation of one thing: some average men would sexually harass, sexually assault, or even rape, women if there were no consequences. Sebastian is one of these men. Before raping the girl across the way, he tries to talk himself out of it before realizing that nobody will ever know. He lives out work fantasies of seeing Sarah naked who he views as "feisty" due to her constant fights with him. By making Sarah be the one he assaults at work, it is a smart tactic to show how Sebastian craves power. She emasculates him by challenging him and his decisions, thus he must ensure he can reclaim power over her and make her subordinate to his manly strength. After watching Sebastian's terrifying reign of terror on the women of the city, it is hardly a surprise that he is reluctant to give away his "power". It is the only thing that makes him feel like a "complete" man with the way in which he gets the sex he wants with who he wants, even if they do not want the same. It may even be able to restore Linda's body to him if he can sneak past Matt. It is a chilling depiction of the dangerous and possessive toxic masculinity that lurks in the background of many average people.