Review of Six Degrees of Separation (1993) by Jonathan H — 25 Aug 2007

The setup of 'Six Degrees of Separation' is fairly simple: a young man (Will Smith), claiming to be the son of Sidney Poitier, wheedles his way into the home of wealthy New York art dealers Flan and Ouisa (Donald Sutherland and Stockard Channing) for a single evening.

From this bizarre encounter emerges a fascinating story of self-discovery. Although at first the couple's experience serves only as an outrageous anecdote to share at their many soirees, it quickly becomes a mystery that forces the characters to examine themselves and their relationship to others.

The seemingly random and often unnoticed interconnectivity of every human being (the title refers to the fact that every person on earth can be connected by six people) forms the basis of John Guare's script (based on his play), as we witness just how easily total strangers can find themselves irrevocably involved with one another.

Beyond the wonderful insights Guare offers, this is a very entertaining film. The plot flows from comedy (mostly due to the affluent characters' absurdly pretentious behavior) to genuine drama, especially in the last few moments, as Ouisa realizes her own superficiality.

Guare's story is matched by taut and energetic direction by Fred Schepisi, a delightful score by Jerry Goldsmith, and incredibly strong performances from the three leads. The result is a film that blends comedy and tragedy, rich and poor, order and chaos in a single, breathtaking work - not unlike a Kandinsky painting.