Review of The War Zone (1999) by Private U — 16 Aug 2008
The focus on the children is unwavering and exclusive, which is a stagerring feat of bravery on Roth's part given neither child had ever acted before. The slight sketches that the parents become, however, make them shadows, and the degree of separation between the protagonist, and consequently the audience, and the acts of terror performed upon the daughter keep the truly awful impact at bay.
The whole film's dreamlike quality is soporific, and defangs the central horror of the piece. What remains is a tone poem about sexual abuse, which has an almost nostalgic quality. Don't believe me? Watch it again.
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This review of The War Zone (1999) was written by Private U on 16 Aug 2008.
The War Zone has generally received positive reviews.
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