Review of Swoon (1992) by Rob L — 14 Dec 2009

The true crime movie has become fashionable in recent years, with "In Cold Blood" a particularly hyped example. This first movie from Tom Kalin, often seen as a leading proponent of the 1990s "new Queer Cinema" is perhaps the best of the genre I have seen and something of a relief - I had seen his most recent film, "Savage Grace" and found it to be shallow and pretentious.

I don't tend to be a fan of films shot in black and white for the artistic sake of it, but again, had my preferences subverted. The explicit nature of the two protagonists' relationship works well in that we usually expect monochrome settings to be accompanied by monochrome storylines. Egged on by the psychopathic Dick, the relatively benign Nathan is ultimately unable to control his love and goes along with a crime which he had had no intention of committing and had precious little involvement in. The filming is full of clever touches and the shockingly homophobic atmosphere of public opinion is vividly depicted - although we have little sympathy for the murderers.