Retro Film Review: Light Sleeper (1992)
When Hollywood films, directly or indirectly deal with the problem of narcotics addiction, they usually do it from the perspective of policemen in charge of removing that evil from the face of the Earth. Fewer Hollywood films try to explore drug issues from the perspective of the addicts. Those Hollywood films that portray drugs from the perspective of drug dealers are rarity. Ironically, one such film was made in early 1990s, immediately after the Cold War and just when Bush Senior tried to find new bogeyman in the form of all-powerful illegal narcotics industry. In that particular time, Hollywood widely accepted Bush Senior's agenda and drug dealers in films were portrayed as the ultimate embodiment of Evil. Because of its somewhat more complex approach and an attempt to give human face to such phenomenon, Light Sleeper, 1992 drama written and directed by Paul Schrader, was in many ways ignored and it is obscure even to those cinephiles that cherish the work of the author behind such films like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and American Gigolo.
Protagonist of Light Sleeper is John LeTour (played by Willem Dafoe), former drug addict who used to support his addiction by dealing. Some years ago he had managed to kick the habit, but after so much wasted youth drug dealing turned out to be the only job he could do well. For a dealer, John is more fortunate than others, since he belongs to small but well-oiled organisation led by his long-time acquaintance Ann (played by Susan Sarandon) whose clientele includes stock brokers, lawyers, foreign businessmen, diplomats and other members of New York social elite. This monotonous existence, documented in pages of John's journals, has recently been endangered. Ann has decided to quit dealing and invest all in legitimate cosmetics business, thus leaving John without a job. One night he accidentally encounters Marianne (played by Dana Delany), another former addict with whom he had been married long time ago. While he desperately tries to restart relationship with Marianne, police is putting pressure on dealers because of a drug-related murder of young New York socialite, and John becomes one of the suspects.
Paul Schrader in his best films likes to give human face and sympathetic portrayal to the characters that would normally be dislikeable or despicable - half-demented self righteous urban vigilante in Taxi Driver, Protestant fundamentalist in Hardcore or man selling his body for money in American Gigolo. So, drug dealer as protagonist in Light Sleeper shouldn't come as a huge surprise to anyone familiar to Schrader's work. Besides, Schrader, who had been drug addict in real life, knows that world too well to portray it with usual Hollywood black-and-white stereotypes and moralising. This insight reflects in the way drug trade in higher echelons of society is portrayed - in many ways differently than drug trade on the street corners, where the addiction combined with poverty immediately leads to despair and violence. When dealers are driven in limos and their customers can expect either prime quality stuff or emergency treatment in most expensive clinics, the drug trade might look just like another regular business. The danger for our protagonist doesn't lurk from the business itself; it lurks from the emotional and moral emptiness such business had created. John tries to fill such emptiness, first by trying to find some sort of higher cosmic purpose in his seances with psychic reader (played by Mary Beth Hurt) and later by starting doomed crusade to make up the lost time with his ex-wife.
Apart from emptiness, another great problem for John is something more universal for many members of his (and Schrader's) generation - inevitable approaching of a time when he couldn't pretend that he is young any more. This is also good opportunity for Schrader to make an interesting social observations - John, like many other "baby boomers", began using drugs as some sort of anti-establishment process; in late 1980s and early 1990s he witnesses how drugs are becoming fundamental part of the lifestyle of the politicians, businessmen and all the people who represent the very establishment John has been rebelling against. The only way for John to regain the purpose in his life to stage another rebellion, this time in opposite direction.
Light Sleeper is intriguing, thought-provoking and extremely well-acted film. Willem Dafoe, until that time specialised for larger- than-life characters - either messianic or satanic - is playing an excellent role of a simple, normal character. He barely raises the voice or changes facial expression throughout the whole film, but this underplaying actually displays whole variety of emotions, making John LeTour into one of the more memorable film characters in recent times. Susan Sarandon is also excellent in her role of woman who is definitely past her prime yet very attractive; this attractivness doesn't come from her looks but from her character she slowly reveals behind her mask of tough 1980s businesswoman. Supporting roles are also very good and some of them quite memorable, which includes Victor Garber as John's regular customer from Switzerland and David Spade in small role of theologian cokehead. Apart from good casting, Light Sleeper benefits from excellent cinematography by Edward Lachman which, paradoxically, underlines protagonists' age despite hiding their wrinkles under red light. The film functions despite somewhat uninspiring musical score by Michael Been, whose ballads at times sound like poor man's version of Bruce Springsteen's opus. Even somewhat conventional (and violent) finale, which is more in line with 1990s Hollywood sentiments, doesn't hurt the film; this is probably due to moving epilogue scene, which retains its impact despite being borrowed from Bresson's and Schrader's own films.
In its essence, Light Sleeper is overlooked film gem that would represent a pleasant surprise to any film-lover that discovers it and the repeated viewing would represent a rewarding experience for anyone who liked it for the first time.
RATING: 9/10 (++++)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on June 11th 2003)
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Critic: AAA