My Son My Son What Have Ye Done

Directed by Werner Herzog and produced by David Lynch this film is an uncompromising and disturbing study of one man's descent into a madness which results in him killing his mother. Willem Dafoe and Michael Pena are the cops who arrive at the murder scene but the situation becomes more immediate when the killer, played brilliantly by Brad Dourif, barracades himself in his house and claims to have two hostages. As the two cops interview his fiance and close friend the narrative of the killers increasingly unstable mental state unfolds in flashbacks. The fact that what unhinges the killer is never really crystal clear is probably a deliberate choice, as the madness of the subject is usually incomprehensible to the outsider. Although there is no explicit sex or violence the flashbacks are very strange, offbeat and disturbing in their content and tone. It's hard to explain, but the way his insanity is portrayed really gets under your skin. Much of what he does and says throughout the film makes no sense, or maybe I just did not understand the reasons for his behavour. I guess this is the whole point about the nature of madness, there are no clear cut questions and answers, but a strange muddled mixture of experiences and conversations that are very dark and unattainable. The music and unconventional cinematography play a large role and are very effective in creating atmosphere and mood. The cast is very strong but it is Brad Dourif as the insane killer who steals the show. He is utterly convincing. The ending is a bit obvious and anti-climatic but it's not the sort of film that would go down the route of an exciting, Hollywood climax, so in a sense the film is true to itself. 7/10