Project-Blu Fatal Attraction, by M. Enois Duarte

Fatal Attraction

By: M. Enois Duarte, 7.8.2009

The Movie Itself:
If ever there was a movie which scared heterosexual males into a monogamous relationship or even into a life of chastity, Fatal Attraction would be the one. At a time when promiscuity and the sexual appetites of men were coming out to the forefront of public media and scrutiny, the film struck a nerve and created an uproar of controversy. From the world of academic psychology and the public media to feminist groups disapproving of its female villain, what was supposed to be a straight erotic thriller turned into a cultural phenomena of the 80s era. Coming from the same director as '9 ½ Weeks' and 'Flashdance', Fatal Attraction continues to be talked about, referenced in other movies, and remains one of the most effective and stylish thrillers.

Daniel Gallagher (Michael Douglas) is a happily married New York attorney, who is about to purchase his first house in the suburbs. His wife Beth (Anne Archer) and daughter Ellen (Ellen Hamilton Latzen) leave for the weekend and see the house while staying at her parents' house. While they're gone, Dan meets Alex Forrest (Glenn Close), who works for a publishing company that Dan's law firm represents, and with whom he has a steamy affair. But what he thought would be a simple weekend fling suddenly turns into a violent obsession. As events begin to spiral out of control and Alex confronts Dan with pregnancy, her mental instability becomes a frightening reality and her escalating acts of violence cause fear and panic to Beth's family.

What initially became the script that no one wanted to touch in Hollywood quickly turned into a massive box office hit no one expected and everyone wanted to talk about. Not only did every studio reject the original script by James Dearden, but more than 20 directors, some of which included Brian de Palma, David Cronenberg, and Martin Scorsese, declined to take part in it. Before casting was decided on Michael Douglas and Glenn Close, the script was read and also rejected by a laundry list of who's who in Hollywood. Every male star from Bruce Willis, Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, and Richard Gere to Paul Reubens, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and John Candy wanted nothing to do with the character. Meanwhile, actresses like Geena Davis, Kim Basinger, Linda Hamilton, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Susan Sarandon also turned the role down.

For an erotic thriller geared obviously at an adult audience, the film was definitely never meant to be an Oscar competitor with 6 award nominations, including Best Actress, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Picture. Not only did Glenn Close's career skyrocket to super stardom, but Fatal Attraction also started a trend in the genre during the early 90s with psychopathic villains that seemed empowered by their obsessions. Films such as Basic Instinct, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and Single White Female attest to the film's immense popularity. To this day and despite its controversy, Adrian Lyne 's exploration of the terrifying consequences of infidelity remains a creepy and frightening film.

Lyne does a terrific job at creating an unsettling environ in which Dan's life always seems surrounded by Alex's presence. The consequences of his actions turns into a physical haunting of guilt and betrayal, where the only true victims in the ordeal are Beth and Ellen. Close's outstanding performance as the deranged Alex is genuinely terrifying, as we watch the woman grow progressively worse into a state of complete delusion. To this day, psychology journals refer to her portrayal as an illustration of certain personality disorders that affect a person who believes to be loved by another person. The Alex character has been read in a variety of other ways, from the victim of male corporate greed to a visible metaphor of sexually transmitted diseases which can ruin a person's life. But no matter how one views it, she's a scary lady.

Over twenty years later, Fatal Attraction remains just as creepy and frightening as when it originally premiered. It continues to be referenced, and in some ways even imitated, as seen in the recently released Obsessed, because Lyne's film made an unintentional and undeniable impact in the thriller genre by aiming at men where it really hurts.
Rating: 8/10

The Presentation:
Paramount Home Entertainment releases Fatal Attraction with a very nice AVC-encoded transfer, framed in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, that wonderfully replicates the film's cinematic appearance. Despite showing its age, the Blu-ray boasts improved resolution and sharpness when compared to its standard definition counterparts.

The color palette appears a bit restrained, which is normal of most films from the period, but well-rendered with vivid primaries. Flesh tones are not always consistent, with a few actors looking a bit flushed, but generally warm and revealing good textural details in faces. Contrast and brightness fall a bit short in the mid-range, creating an overall flat image with only a few scenes showing some depth. Whites, however, are clean and crisp, while blacks lose a bit of depth in low-lit sequences. Notwithstanding, delineation of objects in the shadows remain strong with clear visibility. Fine object details may not be as sharp as we've come to expect of Blu-ray, but it's a definite improvement in clarity with great definition of various details in the image. Overall, this is the best Fatal Attraction has ever looked and worth the upgrade.
Rating: 7.8/10

Paramount also includes a Dolby TrueHD soundtrack that doesn't seem to fare so easily as the video. That's not to say, the lossless track is hindered in any significant way. But the 20-plus sound design comes with some limitations, while also displaying an improvement in quality.

As would be expected, the track is very much a front-heavy mix but evenly spread across the soundstage. There's really nothing going on in the background, except maybe a slight expansion of the soundfield for ambiance. Dialogue reproduction is excellent and discernible throughout. There were a couple of times, on the other hand, when voices reached the higher ranges that things were not delivered as cleanly. Dynamic range, however, holds up fairly well during other sequences that extend to the higher timbres. Imaging is satisfactory with decent room penetration and a bass response that adds nice depth when called upon. The track possesses better presence and acoustics in Maurice Jarre's haunting score and once Dan and Alex visit the salsa club. In the end, this is a satisfying stereo presentation of a twenty-year-old sound mix.
Rating: 6.4/10

Overall Presentation: 7/10

** 9 - 10 = Reference / 8 = Excellent / 7 = Good /
6 = Satisfactory / 5 = Average / 4 & under = Below Average **

The Extras:
The same bonus material found in the 2002 DVD release of Fatal Attraction is included on this Blu-ray edition. Nothing really wrong with that, but it would've been nice to see something new as well. Presented mostly in standard definition, except where indicated, the features are entertaining enough.

Audio Commentary
Director Adrian Lyne goes solo on this track, as he compliments cast and crew for their efforts, offers anecdotes about specific scenes, and offers his thoughts of the film's impact.
Forever Fatal: Remembering Fatal Attraction (28 min)
A retrospective featuring cast, director and producers discussing how the film was almost never made and the impression it made at the time of release.
Social Attraction (10 min)
Similar to the featurette above, only the team is now joined by a film critic and psychology professors examining the film as a cultural phenomenon and social impact.
Visual Attraction (20 min)
A look at the film's production design and the trouble of reshooting the ending.
Rehearsal Footage (7 min)
Just as the title implies, the footage offers a look at the team rehearsing together.
Alternate Ending (HD, 12 min)
This original ending of the film is much superior, but unfortunately removed for receiving poor audience test results. It's included here with an introduction by director Adrian Lyne.
Theatrical Trailer
Original preview of the film.

Rating: 4/10

Final Thoughts:
In its time, Fatal Attraction struck a social nerve that created fear in American audiences. With its depiction of the consequences in promiscuity, the film has been examined numerous of times, created a storm of controversy, and continues to be just as entertaining and frightening as ever. The A/V presentation on this hi-def version offers a very nice upgrade to its DVD counterpart, but ports over the same supplemental package. This is a must-have for fans of the classic erotic thriller.
Rating: 6/10