Review of Safe (1993) by Amelia L — 09 Dec 2008

Far From Heaven is one of my favourite films, so I was looking forward to seeing this earlier collaboration of Haynes and Moore. Haynes' intricate direction and the influence of Douglas Sirk is apparent in this one too: from the beginning of the film it is clear that Moore's character, Carol, and the others in her milieu are dominated by their (emotionally) sterile environment, which turns out to be toxic.

The film is set in the late 80s, and it has an appropriately dated feel with an appropriately synthetic soundtrack. Julianne Moore's performance makes the film. Her character speaks in a high-pitched, uncertain, little-girl voice; she seems empty, but doesn't know that she's empty (or perhaps she does, but would never admit it to anyone else).

She is completely cowed by the society and environment in which she lives. Her night-time wanderings in the garden suggest that she is searching for contact with something authentic, but even then she is interrupted by a police searchlight or other sudden man-made intrusions.

The working class characters (her maid, whose attention Carol always seems to have trouble attracting, decorators, shop workers) have more life than Carol and her husband, although that point is subtly made.

As others have noted, the sound design is interesting for its use of man-made noise, which is almost constantly present. A well put-together, thought-provoking film.