HARDCORE - A film by Paul Schrader (includes trailer)
August 19th 2010 12:08
Hardcore - written & directed by Paul Schrader
In 1979, three years after Paul Schrader was credited as writer in the highly praised ‘Taxi Driver’, he wrote and directed ‘Hardcore’, a film that plays as a fine companion piece to Taxi Driver. Returning to the milieu of pornography, prostitution and a man over whelmed by everything around him. Before long, finding himself being eaten away by all that surrounds him.
Although Hardcore was not as widely praised or recognized as Schrader’s first directorial effort - Blue Collar, Hardcore is a film close to Schrader’s heart, telling the story of a man born a staunchly Calvinist Christian in Michigan, as Schrader was. This town of Michigan and their church community is a sheltered world, built around the stern values of morally upstanding and severely God-fearing people.
Hardcore immediately establishes a link between Michigan citizens and their ideas on the larger than life, colourful world of California during the 70’s. Starring George C. Scott (Patton, The Savage Is Loose, The Hustler) as Jake Van Dorn, a sensitively conservative businessman who lives alone with his daughter, Kristen. One day Jake gets a call after Kristen has gone on a Church group trip to California, where he is informed that his daughter Kristen has disappeared.
Jake hires a morally grey, shady private dick named Andy to look in the places the police can’t. Andy, played by Peter Boyle (Taxi Driver, Where The Buffalo Roam, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Friends Of Eddie Coyle), and Jake clash in personalities immediately when they meet but Andy soon finds some news regarding Kristen’s where a bouts. Andy takes Jake to a porno theatre and shows him a film where he witnesses Kristen in a very explicit hardcore sex film with two men.
Jake sets out to look for Kristen himself, going to California and soon sinking deeper and deeper into a world of pornography, prostitution and even snuff films which saturate California, at once shattering Jake’s sheltered views and Christian morals. George C. Scott gives a searing, brilliant performance as Jake Van Dorn. While watching Hardcore, I was constantly reminded of Max Von Sydow in The Virgin Spring and also found the film reminiscent of John Ford’s film, The Searchers, which there are allusions to, even more so than in Taxi Driver. Like John Wayne in The Searchers, Scott’s character goes searching for a young girl and finds himself over come by the world he’s travelling through, at times becoming a part of the darkness he so righteously sees himself as being better than.
As a director, Schrader fails to establish a distinct tone in the film, at least visually anyway, despite it being shot by Taxi Driver cinematographer Michael Chapman (who provides visual flair towards the end of the film). Schrader brings a restraint to the material, draining it of any cheap and exploitative angle, instead focusing more on the character of Van Dorn’s paternal fears as we see this world from his highly conservative point of view. Despite the lack of visual style in Hardcore, it’s the writing of the piece that shines through more than anything else.
As usual, like most of Schrader’s films, he has a fascination artifice and how people bring it into their lives. In Hardcore there is a thick, dirty layer of it in the sex industry. Van Dorn schemes over how he can get into this world he knows little about and use this knowledge to lead him to Kristen. Van Dorn comes up against pimps and hustler’s as all he sees darkens around him. Van Dorn assumes the guise of an adult film producer, going so far as to don a greasy looking wig and mo in a moment that should be either hilarious or corny. While the humour is still present (yet underplayed), there is the revelation of realizing that this isn’t just a cheap attempt at humour on Schrader’s part, but in fact a reflection of how our hero views the changing times and world around him.
Patton got some strange jobs after the war was over
Despite Schrader seeming like a writer who has a proclivity for the subversive, Hardcore feels quite tame in light of it’s sleazy premise and alluring invitation in to this sex world where flesh is sold per second to the next anonymous bidder who passes in the night. Hardcore is flawed in many respects but still an excellent film which maintains and cares about it’s characters and their points of view. It’s disciplined, solid story telling that is always engaging and potent. My main gripe with the film is the ending which I won’t go into, but can say without spoiling anything that I’m not the only one who felt that the ending was a cop out.
Hardcore also featured a then delicious young actress, Season Hubley, who is reminiscent of the Jodi Foster role in Taxi Driver, only LEGAL this time. Season plays Niki, a sex worker who helps Van Dorn find his daughter and represents a nubile piece of temptation. While we never expect Van Dorn to succumb to desire for her, it does open up a wonderful exchange of comparisons and thoughtful material. Once again Schrader’s direction narrowly dodges the trapping of this ‘odd couple’ situation when they form their alliance. We examine the comparisons and the views they have, each one justifying their extreme, provocative and polarising ideas on the world. Peter Boyle’s character, Andy, falls somewhere inbetween these two, in fact you could say that Hardcore is essentially a film made up of different character’s world views.
Season Hubley as Niki
Unfortunately Andy represents a serious flaw that affects the integrity of Schrader’s film, as Peter Boyle’s character is constantly being altered depending on the needs of the storyline. Hardcore, in the end, is a film that lets it’s plot dictate the some times untrue choices of these characters, and it’s Andy (Peter Boyle) who bears the weight of this error (even though Boyle does an admirable job with his role).
Despite it’s considerable flaws, Hardcore remains one of Schrader’s finest films, which could fit nicely in a double bill right next to Taxi Driver. It’s a testament to Schrader’s talents as a writer more than anything else that creates this quality work. George C. Scott delivers his last great film performance before he would spend much of his two remaining decades in television. While Schrader maybe the author of the film, it’s really Scott’s character work here that makes the film memorable, resonant and powerful. A great actor - suitably matched with fantastic material!
Here's a TV spot for Hardcore
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Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
wanna know a secret? You can watch the entire film here: Really Long Link
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
I am a massive Schrader fan, I think Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters would be my one of my faves of his after the usual suspects.
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
The only thing funnier than 8mm is 8mm 2, where the director finds an excuse to direct some lesbian porn and fit it into the story (my kind of guy, kidding....er...I think)
I'll have to revisit Get Carter and 52 to see what your talking about, thanks for reading
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile