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Wade Whitehouse is a policeman in a snowy New Hampshire hamlet. Divorced, depressed and nursing a burgeoning drinking problem, he isn't what one would call mentally stable. He lives in the shadow of his abusive father, Glen, a brutal arch-manipulator who makes it his business to belittle Wade at every turn. As Wade investigates a supposedly accidental shooting, he becomes obsessively convinced that there is more to the crime than meets the eye. As the case intensifies- and his father's cruelty continues to erode his sanity- Wade falls into a violent spiral of madness from which he can never return.

Written and directed by Paul Schrader- and based on the novel of the same name by Russell Banks- 'Affliction' is a tense, tough psychological thriller that examines the devastating effects of abuse on the psyche. The film shows in subtle detail how years of disparagement and violence can destroy someone mentally, leading to psychosis and an inevitable breakdown. The characters involved are routinely believable, both in terms of writing and performance, and Schrader never resorts to sensationalism to further the narrative. It is a stark piece of realism in many respects, giving credo to Shakespeare's line that "the sins of the father are to be laid upon the children."

'Affliction' is a visually striking, heavily atmospheric venture boasting fine cinematography from Paul Sarossy. He shoots the landscape to heighten its drabness- its never-ending scope- in a manner most effective. At times it is reminiscent of 'Fargo,' with the snow- pervasive and claustrophobic- covering everything in sight, obscuring the dangers lurking 'neath the surface. Sarossy's utilization of space in interior shots is arresting, and the way he captures a pivotal scene involving a tooth and a pliers is intensely visceral, uncomfortable and unforgettable.

Unforgettable too are the performances from the cast. Nick Nolte stars as Wade, giving an intense performance that ranks alongside his very best. Brooding and fidgety, he is a bundle of insecurities and impulses, a complicated man if ever there was one. Nolte brings this character to life in a way that is terrifically understated, yet undeniably powerful; never resorting to theatrics or verging into overacting. Just as Dennis Hopper was Frank Booth or De Niro Travis Bickle, so too is Nick Nolte Wade Whitehouse- no-one could be better for the role.

The same can be said for James Coburn, co-starring as Glen- he is pitch-perfect. Coburn has never been so frightening on screen and, like a mad tsar, he revels in his depravity. Clearly having the time of his life, he delivers what may be his finest on-screen performance, creating in Glen a man so insidious and vile watching him may make your skin actually crawl. He and Nolte work together brilliantly and you don't doubt for a minute that they share a complicated, dark history. Coburn rightly won the Oscar for his performance- it is a true tour-de-force.

Also starring are Sissy Spacek and Willem Dafoe, as Wade's girlfriend Margie and his brother Rolfe, respectively. Spacek has never given a bad performance on screen, and creates in Margie a kind, considerate and (above all else) patient woman- the only source of goodness in Wade's cold world. She is marvelous, consistently underplaying it and leaving an indelible impression on the viewer. Dafoe too is excellent, though his character is underutilized and- arguably- a little underwritten. He doesn't have enough screen time to make something interesting out of Rolfe; but does fine work nevertheless.

Paul Schrader's 'Affliction' is a brilliant, sinister thriller, dealing with mature themes in an interesting, subtle way. Boasting a fascinatingly intense central performance from Nick Nolte, as well as a career best one from co-star James Coburn, it is a film that will have you on the edge of your seat throughout its run. Tense, violent and unpredictable, 'Affliction' is a shockingly raw and naturalistic portrait of a man's descent into madness that one cannot recommend more highly.

For what is considered a small, independent film, this movie is packed with brilliant performances by two great actors. James Coburn is the dark, angry patriarch of an abusive household, whose abuse and anger are inherited by his son(Nolte). The story is told by the youngest brother (played mainly in voice-over and a small cameo by Willem Dafoe), and traces the events of a small town murder investigation that leads to the mental collapse of Nolte's cop character. The film weaves us through a buffet of sub-plots and bit characters (including a nice appearance by Sissy Spacek), which is at times whish-washed. However the tone and style of the film are quite fresh and unique.

Penned and directed by Paul Schrader, who will probably always be known for writing "Taxi Driver", the film is a stylish take of what is most likely a much better novel. The tone is cold and dark, and serves as the perfect backdrop for the anger and isolation of the two "male" characters. In my opinion, the voice-over narration takes away from the feeling the picture leaves, basically serving the purpose to tell us what to feel. The images and performances on the screen do a fine job in dong that on it's own, without re-enforcment. On a whole, the film is powerful and moving, and is a great look into the heart and soul of lives that are truely tortured. I would recommend this film if for no other reason than to see the brilliant performances of James Coburn (Oscar winner) and Nick Nolte (Oscar nominee).

AFFLICTION / (1997) **** (out of four)

By Blake French:

Dysfunctional families have always been the subject of motion pictures. Recently, with movies like "American Beauty" and "The Story of Us," Hollywood has portrayed American households as candidates to be on the next TV tabloid talk show. Paul Schrader's dramatic portrayal of a troubled family in "Affliction" is as intense as any suspense thriller released within the past few years. The thought-provoking power of his script, based on the novel by Russell Banks, and the methods he uses to execute the vivid, interpretative character study creates more than just a sense of emotion and empathy, but places the audience in the character's shoes, allowing us to explore a tense atmosphere on our own.

The movie looks into the life of a struggling person named Wade Whitehouse, played with extreme intensity by the descriptive Nick Nolte. He is the lowly sheriff of a small backwoods in New Hampshire. Nothing much happens in Lawford, however, thus Wade is usually restricted to plowing the snowy streets and serving as the local school's crossing guard. His ex-wife, Lillian (Mary Beth Hurt), has most custody of their daughter, Jill (Brigid Tierney), and neither relative enjoys his company. Wade's alcoholic father, Glen (James Coburn in an Oscar worthy performance), who abused him and his brother Rolfe (Willem Dafoe) as children, continues to abuse him emotionlly.

The subtle town of Lawford is turned upside-down when a rich businessman is mysteriously killed while hunting with Wade's friend, Jack Hewitt (Jim True). Finally given something to investigate, Wade takes his job seriously, even when complications arise when his mother dies, his brother comes home from Boston, and his waitress girlfriend (Sissy Spacek) meets Wade's parents and realizes what she gotten herself into.

As Wade's life starts to completely unravel, the filmmakers neglect to leave out any details; from flashback of his fathers abuse to an uncompromising toothache, Wade is developed vividly and clearly. The movie is best when allowing Nick Nolte and James Coburn to come to terms with each other's hatred for each other. The performances are what make this movie much more distinct than similar but lesser films like "The Other Sister" and "The Story of Us," and even better acted than the masterpiece Award winner "American Beauty."

Instead of milking the dysfunctional family material to the maximum, the film also has tender dialogue and heartfelt scenes that exhibit a loving relationship between Wade and his girlfriend. These scenes make even more tragic the production's unsettling conclusion and increase the overall dramatic impact, which is tremendous.

By the end of "Affliction," like in "The Ice Storm," we feel for the main character's losses. Although this film is more conclusive, it is also unmerciful; we receive no happy ending, no satisfying motifs, this movie takes itself seriously and has no pity, regrets, or agreements. For Wade Whitehouse, the climax of the movie represents death, grief and sorrow. For us, we can only stare at the screen and try to comprehend what we have experienced through his eyes.

"Affliction" doesn't have an immediate plot. It's mostly a delve into a man's (Nick Nolte) psyche, a divorced alcoholic man who was abused as a child by his drunken father (James Coburn). He tries to cope, he tries to make something of himself by attempting to solve a hunting accident which he thinks is really a murder. He claims that after this, everyone will remember him as a hero.

Luckily the audience isn't made to believe Nolte's cause, to us he looks just as mad as he does to the characters around them. This is well done, because it could've been presented as some big twist at the end.

Anyway, the "mystery" element to the film isn't that important. It's mostly about how hard - and almost impossible - it is to prevent an emotionally abused man to make the same mistakes his father made. This idea is presented well, but by the end it just feels so thick and depressing that it's hard to take anything from the film, because you don't want to remember it.

Acting-wise the movie is quite good. Nolte delivers what I think is his best performance here, with a quiet desperation wonderfully put out by his eyes, voice, face, and so on. James Coburn does his usual well, but I have to question just why he won an Oscar for this. Don't get me wrong, he was a terrific actor and his performance in this is great, but he's not in many scenes, and the scenes he is in are mostly just a variation of the same thing: Coburn drunkenly and violently mumbles at his sons and eventually starts to yell and thrash. This is all well and good, but his scenes never go beyond that, except for (maybe) at the end when he spews his own sort of twisted philosophy to Nolte.

Other great performances come from Sissy Spacek as Nolte's increasingly uneasy girlfriend. Also Willem Dafoe as Nolte's brother who is so concerned with being quiet and not problematic that he cant prevent the build-up of violence and abuse in his family. I'd say that this performance is more Oscar worthy than Coburn's.

This is a good movie with a great message, but it doesn't put enough on the table, 7/10.

Based on a novel by Russell Banks who also wrote "The Sweet Hereafter", and directed by Paul Schrader of "Raging Bull" and "The Mosquito Coast" fame, the winter landscape and cold bleakness of the town sets the tone for this exploration of the dark legacy of what it is to be a man.

Nick Nolte stars in this dark story of a the lone policeman in a small New Hampshire town investigating a hunting accident. James Coburn is excellent as Nick Nolte's father, a brutal and angry old man who typifies a sick machismo which has in turn afflicted his son. His acting is extraordinary as is Nolte's although their styles are different. Noltle is subtle; his facial expressions are controlled and typical of a man who has learned to hold in emotion. Coburn's face, on the other hand, is more deeply expressive; his eyebrows move, his mouth hardens, his eyes glare.

This is the kind of dark, brooding movie that I like. For a brief few hours I enter its world and get completely absorbed in the characters in the way I did with "A thousand Acres" or "The Horse Whisperers". Like these films, there are no easy answers and the conclusion does not wrap up in a neat little Hollywood package that is soon forgotten.