Der Dämon in mir

As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, you can imagine my trepidation and skepticism going into it. I found the film immensely powerful. It asks questions we don't want asked. It doesn't give us the answer - other than making it very clear that he has done disgusting vile things, and that he will likely fight that the rest of his life. As for the rest, it tells us to think. And I don't think we can change the rates of child sexual abuse unless we THINK about the hard stuff, as this films urges us.

Firstly, Bacon's performance was brilliant. He's not a monster, though he has done monstrous things; at times even I, with my history, felt sympathetic towards him. Here's the thing - hardly any child sexual abuser is a "monster." They are humans, not bogeyman. They are your neighbors, your relatives, your coworkers, your friends - very few of them are sociopaths or psychopaths. Many genuinely feel shame over their actions or try to change. They are just as capable of loyal familial love as anyone else, just as capable as being compassionate friends, and yes - capable of being someone else's lover, and able to treat that person well. This film reminds us of that.

Hardly any film has examined the concept of "forgiveness" like The Woodsman does. And it gives us all the freedom in the world to make up own minds, which is actually quite hard for filmmakers to do. There is no right or wrong answer. Only victims get to decide if abusers are forgiven for their crimes. One cannot accept an apology for a crime that did not affect them personally. But societal forgiveness, by way of allowing them back into society, allowing them to live freely, the chance to prove they won't do it again - we all play our own role in that, regardless of how we each feel and act.

The sad truth is that historically child abusers struggle to really change. What made them capable of such a heinous act is still inside them. As exemplified by the park bench scene.

I have a family member who was a pedophile and molested dozens of girls (not me, I was abused by others). He could never change. He was the sort of man that every person should know is a pedophile, every parent should know his tricks and charms and methods and crimes. Maybe some abusers can change. I am of the opinion that we not give them the benefit of the doubt. It's simply not safe to ever let them be around children, and every single person in their neighborhood should know who they are and what they've done. Safety of innocent children MUST come before the comfort and convenience of a sexual predator.

Might we also consider they could change? Might we also consider that they deserve love, as long as it doesn't endanger children? Some of them are haunted by their crimes - such as Bacon's character. But their hauntings mean nothing when compared to the soul-death they inflicted on the most innocent and most helpless humans. Could we say that a lifetime sentence of never being truly "left alone" to live their life is just and right, as their victims will also never get to leave their past behind and will always be scarred because of it? Might this righteously balance the scales?

The Woodsman, if you let it, will challenge you to ask these questions and more. I was on high alert for any positive viewpoint of this charavter from the filmmakers. And other people might feel differently, but as a child sex abuse survivor I say that the movie is asking us to consider the most disgusting and vile parts of society, to see what we can learn - about ourselves, and others - and that this is highly important.

Child sexual abuse can't be changed if we never talk about it, openly. Brutally, honestly address it. This film is a step in the right direction. It is a powerful movie and I recommend it to anyone. Survivors might find it triggering, so they should be wary. But it's a great film and is a very important topic that is well-addressed.

I know this is a controversial subject and will most likely not earn Kevin Bacon - or at least the movie makers - any good points with a lot of people, but I urge people to keep an open mind.

Walter - Kevin Bacon - is released after 12 years in prison for child molestation. He is trying to get back on track when he meets Vickie - Kyra Sedgwick - who makes him feel a bit better about himself. The movie portrays Walter's struggle with his past, his crime and his new life.

The characters and the crime are not romanticized. The movie can even a bit abrasive as it drills down to the truth and shows you the things just as they are.

I think it takes guts to portray a controversial subject like this one and I certainly think it takes guts to play a role like Walter's. Excellent performances by Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick and Mos Def.

The last film that unsettled me much like "The Woodsman" did was Todd Solondz's superb and exceedingly black comedy, "Happiness" (1998), which dealt with similar themes. But unlike Solondz, who never seems to like any of his characters, screenwriters Nicole Kassell and Steven Fechter appear to genuinely care about the people they create.

Their story's really very simple: Walter (Kevin Bacon) gets out of prison after serving a dozen years for molesting young girls. He takes a job at a Philadelphia-area lumber mill and tries to get his life back together again, while dealing with his inner demons.

What's likely to disturb many about "The Woodsman" is that Kassell and Fechter raise the intriguing question of whether someone who's done something despicable is not only capable of putting his life back together again after serving his time, but also whether society ought to allow him to do so. And to make our job even tougher, Kassell and Fechter don't turn Walter into a monster.

"The Woodsman" is aided immensely by a strong, compelling performance by Bacon. It's easily his best work, a role that requires him to underplay his character. Director Kassell isn't shy about letting the camera linger on Bacon's face and Bacon credibly brings to life Walter's suffering. It's a sensationally good performance. Bacon gives him depth and feeling and we suddenly find ourselves caring about this reprehensible man.

There are some superb supporting performances, including Mos Def as a cop, David Alan Grier as Walter's boss and Benjamin Bratt proving he really can act if he's given a good role. The most interesting supporting character is Vickie, a coworker willing to give Walter a second chance at life. Kyra Sedgwick, a gifted, yet under-rated, actress, is utterly convincing as Vickie, a woman almost as damaged as Walter is.

The Walter-Vickie relationship works because there's terrific chemistry between Bacon and Sedgwick. True, they're husband and wife, but real-life couples can fail miserably on screen. Kidman and Cruise in "Far and Away" (1992), anyone?

Bacon and Sedgwick's scenes are tender, passionate and real. Though, there's one intimate moment between Walter and Vickie that's clearly inspired by the famous Donald Sutherland-Julie Christie love scene in Nicolas Roeg's "Don't Look Now" (1973).

What makes "The Woodsman" such gripping viewing is that the film doesn't shy away from letting us into Walter's struggle. There's a particularly uncomfortable scene on a park bench as Walter comes to terms with his true nature.

"The Woodsman" is a film that deserves to be seen. It's a pity that less-than-mediocre movies, such as "Connie and Carla" and "Twisted," get widely released, while a gem like "The Woodsman" gets to very few theaters. Seek out this film. It's not an easy film to watch, but the performances are all good, the story's riveting and it's definitely one of the best, most thought-provoking films of the year.

I saw this movie at the Vancouver Film Festival. Not only was it one of the best movies I saw at the fest, but one of the best of the year. I truly believed it to be Bacon's career performance.

The script is solid, full of great dialogue and thick symbolism. The characters all fully developed and never one-sided. Each has their dark side. A commendable effort to Emmy winner, Mos Def, who makes us hate him when he's a good cop, and love him when he's a bad one.

The reason the rating is so low is because it's hard to accept a character that is a child molester. Probably because everyone knows someone or is someone who has been sexually abused. This is a film about redemption and forgiveness--something we can all definitely agree with. It is also a story about humanity--something we all have in common.

This is a somewhat slow (never boring) film with several performances of the highest quality. Kyra Sedgwick has amazing scenes, and one in particular flipped around my perception of every other character's motivation. David Alan Grier's performance is, maybe for the first time, not over the top. Hannah Pilkes, in her first film, nearly steals the scene from Kevin Bacon. Eve and Benjamin Bratt both do a good job. Mos Def's lines are either beyond his range or the lines themselves are just too heavy-handed, but Kevin plays off of them in brilliant silence.

Kevin Bacon's performance is Oscar-worthy. In other films, weak effects, poor acting, awful dialog, etc., have pulled me out of the world that the film was attempting to create. Kevin's performance is so good that at one time I found myself pulled out of the experience in awe; while continuing to believe the truth of the character, I was at the same time floored by Kevin's ability to deliver such depth.

Sure, the subject matter allows actors to express strong feeling. Anger is an easy route, as is self-loathing. This script has some of that, but what makes this film great is that primarily it chooses to explore shame and the struggle to be normal. The actors (Bacon, Kira, Pilkes) that are given the opportunity to explore that, they really excel in this film.