The War Zone (1999)

As unflinching and bleak as it is beautiful, Tim Roth's directorial debut, The War Zone, is remarkably accomplished filmmaking. Adapted by Alexander Stuart from his own novel, the film centers on a family that has just moved from London to the wind-swept English seaside during winter. The relative isolation soon reveals an ongoing incestuous relationship between the working-class father (Ray Winstone) and his 17-year-old-daughter, Jessie. The middle-class mother (Tilda Swinton) has just given birth to their third child and desperately avoids knowing the truth, leaving Tom, the younger brother, with the horrific responsibility of exposing the family secret. Fearless in its hard-fought depiction of incest, The War Zone pulls no punches; this vivid portrayal of abuse within a family and the scathed consciousness that results is not for the faint of heart. True to his theater background, Roth doesn't explain how or where such brutal choices were first taken, choosing rather to let the actors bear the ambiguities and anguish of a terrible knowledge in the their body language. --Fionn Meade Amazon.com

A Family at War...

This is an incredibly moving film about a family of four (soon to be five) who moves to the country from London in hopes of having a better life. There's Tom, the younger teenage brother, played by Freddie Cunliffe who is depressed and angry that he was forced to leave his friends behind. Because of the extra time on his hands he's able to see things within his family he never noticed before.

There's Jessie, played by Lara Belmont, who plays the eldest daughter. She's sad, withdrawn and sexually promiscuous with both men and women. She's very close with her baby brother, Tom, and at times you wonder if their relationship is inappropriate.

Mum (Tilda Swinton), is having another baby, and hasn't been able to sleep. She's frustrated and wanting to go back to work. Dad (Ray Winstone), appears on the surface to be a loyal and loving husband and father.

This is a devastating story about incest and how each member deals with it (but specifically Tom). Tom is the first to discover what is going on between his sister and father. I really didn't know for sure from the beginning but looking back all the signs were obvious. Tom confronts his sister who denies it at first. He blames her viciously at first taking out his anger on her instead of his father. They continue to keep it quiet but Tom begins to fear, once the baby Alice is born, that she'll be Dad's next victim.

This film was well written, acted and filmed. While it is an emotional caustic topic it is something that shouldn't be hidden behind locked doors and I think well made films like this The War Zone encourage discussion. It is definitely worth watching. Reviewed by M. E. Wood. January 21, 2008

The Dead Zone

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

"The War Zone" directed by Tim Roth fully confirms its reputation as extremely dark, pessimistic tragic, and highly admirable given the deeply disturbing nature of its subject. Performances are fantastic - natural and honest. As a director, the first-timer Tim Roth is very impressive - he created the atmosphere that makes a viewer suffocated, uncomfortable, and hurt which is appropriate for this type of film. The most talked about scene in a bunker between a father and his teenage daughter as seen by the eyes of their son and brother, Tom is handled with such incredible array of quietly screaming emotions and pain that it almost overpowers the similar scene in "Irreversible" (believe it or not). It is very powerful piece of film-making and deserves all its praise and awards. There is a little "but", though. One of the reasons I wanted to see the film was to compare it to the Alexander Stuart's novel of the same title which the film was based on. With all respect and admiration for what Tim Roth has done, Stuart's book is much darker, more open and goes far deeper in its attempt to understand and explain the tragedy which ruined and destroyed a seemingly happy and loving family.

April 4, 2007

Fantastic movie if you can get past "the scene."

There were two things that made this movie: the directing and the father character.

There's a lot that we don't know about this family. The movie is a tale about emotion and coming to grips with it. There are deeper problems than the incest that goes on between the daughter and father. That is only a symptom. Unfortunately, as the movie underscores, the incest ruins everyone elses lives as well.

Visually it is a beautiful film, filled with drab water-color images. The entire movie you do not know what the hero/intercedory brother is thinking; which is normal for a 15 year old young man.

I think the best thing about the movie is that although everyone outwardly acts in a similar fashion, the characters are all so different, making for a wonderful conflict and climax (please don't read into that!).

Many sexual-phobes are afraid to watch this movie because they're afraid they'll get turned on by watching the one infamous incestual scene. To that I say, "Its just a movie." Yes its a hard scene to watch. I'll leave it at that. Do what you think is right. Anything normally taboo excites strange conflicting emotions in people. Ironically, I think the director knew this and was trying to get us into the head of the son (who was watching it).

All in all a great movie. Very contemplative. (and British) March 16, 2007

Incest under the grey sky.

Excellent movie, but I can't give the DVD five stars because there's no optional subtitles and you really need one because all of the characters speak in hushed tones with thick accents. I had to crank the volume and rewind a few times to understand what was being said. Very annoying.

The movie itself though is a minor masterpiece. Set in a bleak two story house near the crashing ocean waves a outwardly devoted father has quit being the protector of his children and instead become the destroyer of generations when he starts anally raping his daughter. By accident the teenage boy sees his older teenage sister and his father in a sexual encounter. He confronts the sister but she denies that anything is happening. He investigates and it's much worse than he imagined.

Not for the faint of heart, would make a good double feature with superior MYSTERIOUS SKIN. July 31, 2006

Another Movie You Will Hate To Love!

Lara Belmont gives the best debut performance by a teenage girl ever!! Totally unafraid of the camera, and the perfect dollop of real teen marginality on screen. I am also not so secretly in love with Tilda Swinton. This is arguably her best performance as well. There have been many movies with incest as a plot development, ( notably "The Sweet Hereafter.") "The War Zone" is the first movie to DEAL with incest in all its horror. The rape scene is one of the most terrifying sequences ever put on screen. If that scene does not shock you, see your shrink asap!! Serious tip. The commentary track and the interviews help tremendously in your appreciation of the movie. This is in the top five of the social commentary genre. This couldn't be submitted to the MPAA, obviously, so its release was usually ignored, or did not exist. July 2, 2006

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