Having been a cinephile for more decades than I care to remember I find it generally depressing to see how diluted many of the traditional film genres have become. Horror was degraded into an advanced degree curriculum for torture and the thriller has been reduced to something that an amusement park ride can be based on. Just when my disappointment in studio produced films representing my favorite genres plunges to a nadir I know there is one source of real filmmaking that still exists; a venue for creative auteurs to extend the boundaries of their art to new, imaginative heights. One such film that I recent encountered was ‘Rage’ by Chris Witherspoon. It is the epitome of why independent film is so crucial to the cinematic arts. It represents an imaginative take crafting a mélange of genres that have been typically misapplied in recent years. This film goes a long way to restoring the psychological thriller and mystery-suspense movie back to the state it deserves to hold. It does so in the context of as classic horror film that will have you riveted to your seat. It is relatively easy to achieve a visceral scare in an audience. All that is required is a bucket of entrails from the local butcher shop and a hundred gallons or so of stage blood. The difficult thing in film is to plant a seed of terror in the mind of the viewer nurturing it until the audience is scared out of their wits. This take a skill set in the director that is woefully rare of late but, fortunately still exists. ‘Rage’ is an example of such a movie. Apparently it cost about $100,000 to make this movie, a budget considerably less than a studio production would spend on snacks on the craft service table. Other similar movies have been brought in for about the same amount but what sets this film apart is the obvious fact that the filmmaker is first and foremost a lifelong devotee of the medium. You can readily see the influences of Carpenter, Hooper and especially Spielberg present here but Witherspoon used these elements as a basis for developing his own stylistic take on the established methodologies. Although inexpensive there is nothing cheap about the production of this film.

The opening shot will take you straight back to Cuesta Verde as a young boy peddles his bike through the quite streets of a suburban neighborhood. This shot serves both as the quite before the storm and a means to establish a connection with the audience. For the psychological thriller it is vital for the viewer to empathize with the person about to receive the worse possible day of his life. This connection is made through the protagonist, Dennis Twist (Rick Crawford). As he says goodbye to his wife Crystal (Audrey Walker) he sets off to go into town for some errands. His nice guy persona is reinforced by his willingness to help his neighbor Clancy (M.L. Maltz) out of a little jam. Less noble side of Dennis is soon revealed as he meets with his mistress, Dana (Anna Lode), determined to break it off. He realizes it was a mistake and that he loves his wife. Little details regarding the dynamic of the marriage and Crystals’ perchance for design is made here and solidified later when Dennis meets with his friend and therapist, Stan (Richard Topping). During this opening segment of the story little clues and information necessary to piece things together are planted. The way they are dropped is so subtle that until later at just the right time you will not even notice? Once Dennis leaves the emotional scene with a distraught Dana his is plagued by the appearance of a biker (Chris Witherspoon) clad in a black leather rode suit and tinted black helmet. At first the encounter are relatively benign, the sort of nonsense typically found in urban life. tailgating leads to the biker slashing his knife across the side of the car but in short order the situation escalates to open, deadly serious hostilities as it becomes clear the biker has targeted Dennis. Certain it is Dana’s psycho paroled boyfriend Dennis is reticent to involve the authorities fearing the affair will get back to his wife. Annoyance quickly moves into a cat and mouse game with the Biker hunting Dennis down eventually coming into his own home subjecting Crystal to a brutal, debasing experience. Here is another well placed trope from literature, undeserved misfortune. While Dennis does not deserve the actions of the rider he is not morally innocent. That station is reserved for Crystal. Ultimately the theme becomes less about karma and more about the randomness of senseless violence. Rage can escalate a minor situation into events capable of shattering lives. The obvious movie connection is dutifully acknowledged to two men discussing the earlier works of Steven Spielberg citing the metaphorical attributes of his first film, ‘Duel’.

This film deserves several viewings to completely appreciate how tightly constructed it is. Don’t get me wrong, the first viewing will hold your interest but unlike many thrillers knowing the concluding twist will not spoil subsequent viewing. In fact you will certainly garner a greater appreciation for the director’s stylistic choices. Initially you might think the visual styles are a strange mixture of techniques. I through that way at first but about a third of the way through the film it occurred to me that Mr. Witherspoon was creating a story told through s visual tapestry. Instead of colored threads being woven together to create the tale he used different visual techniques t establish and reinforce a specific emotion. Exposition it achieved though flashbacks in Black and white. As Dennis returns from such a pensive state the color palette is increased bring him back to the present. Confusion and agitation is depicted by very static jump cuts that place the audience emotionally off balance. Dramatic intensive is conveyed through first person point of view shots punctuated by extreme close-ups of the actor’s eyes. The sparse dialogue take a backseat to the visual intensity and diversity exhibited in this film. Speaking of the eyes I have rarely seen a director make such use of the extreme close-up. There is a moment where the camera zooms in on Crystal’s eyes. She is enduring an unimaginably brutal experience but there is a second of realization that Dennis has betrayed her that blew me away, it was so frank, intense and emotionally honest it defined much of the intent of the film for me. this movie is a visual tour de force that should help ignite the other Indy filmmakers to strive to greater heights.