What the movie shows physically, though, is something that
could almost be a singe dad with a son.
Everything else is circumstantial.
When Michael is hit by a car and spends time in the hospital, the boy
stays locked up (although with some amenities, like TV). Same thing when his boss gives him a ski
trip.
Of course, this will head toward a catastrophe, and it does,
but it’s not what you expect. What will
happen is horrible for Michael’s “family” (mother). There is a void at the end of the film.
I watched a review copy that I just received from Strand,
which will release the DVD May 15. The
film has shown in NY and LA (and at Cannes).
In the notes, Markus does discuss the way society regards
someone like Michael – as a monster. He admits that it was difficult to cast
the boy, and admits that the boy could facing teasing in school for his part in
the film.
Curiously, on the ski trip, there is a scene that shows that
Michael is actually heterosexual. His
horrible secret seems to be more related to a need for power than anything
else. There is almost nothing erotic to
see in this film. It’s almost in PG-13
territory, except for the “concept”.
But the broadcast news intrusions make the point well, that
the disappearance of a child can be more trying for parents than a confirmed
loss.
The official site is here.
Picture: I had to use it somewhere. This comes from an estate album, around 1943, and may be my own birth in Washington DC.
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