George C. Scott's "Rage" (1972), his first as both director and star (his directorial debut was the critically acclaimed, multi-award winning 1970 television film "The Anderson Trial") is an uneven, if well intentioned polemic. The film begins as an idyll for a Wyoming rancher (Scott, giving a superb performance), his son (Nicolas Beauvy), and the family dog, as they tend their sheep, drive around their ranch, and camp out in the picturesque countryside. Their dream quickly becomes a nightmare, as each are accidentally exposed to a deadly nerve agent being tested at a nearby military base, his son dying from the exposure. The government immediately begins covering up the incident, using threats and coercion when necessary. Scott's passionate effort at political commentary and indictment of governmental corruption works less-well when depicting the bureaucratic machinery working against the truth, than in his quieter, more intimate scenes. His gift as a director is obviously an ability to work well with actors, emphasizing humanity in roles where often there is little. Beauvy, Richard Basehart (particularly poignant), Martin Sheen, Barnard Hughes, and Kenneth Tobey, all portray characters usually represented as stereotypes in a genre film. The subtlety of their performances add dimension to their characters, but work against the overall effect of the film. Scott's "rage" is much less satisfying by the film's end because the performance are so effective. We understand the motivations of those covering up the tragic incident and the cathartic release the audience anticipates with Scott's revenge isn't there. Instead we are left with a mix of emotions the director may have intended, but the audience didn't expect...or want.
Review of Rage
