DVD Review:
Agnes Of God
Written by: Kage
Alan
Film Rating:
A-
DVD Special Features: N/A
I remember when "Agnes of God" came out at
the theatre and also at the video
store and not wanting to see it. Come on! I was 15. What
15-year-old boy wants to see a film about a nun and a psychiatrist? Not
many, but my parents
made me and I don't recall being impressed. The beauty
about maturing,
though, is that it allows you to see so much more in a movie than what
one
originally saw. When I found out that it was being released
on DVD, I felt
it was an opportunity to revisit a film and discover why it was
nominated for
three Academy Awards.
When a young nun named Agnes (Meg Tilly, "Body Snatchers")
is found covered in blood along with the strangled body of a newborn
child, a court-appointed psychiatrist, Martha Livingston (Jane Fonda,
"Nine To Five"), is sent out to the remote convent to
determine the girl's state of mind. Upon meeting the
domineering Mother Superior (Anne Bancroft, "84 Charing Cross
Road") and sweet Agnes, Martha becomes convinced that there is
more going on than a simple open and shut case of insanity. Agnes
is "special", but exactly how special is yet to be
determined. Does Agnes have multiple personalities? Is
she truly an innocent?
In her search for answers to these complex questions, Martha's own
background is revealed a little at a time that sheds light on her
views about God, life, relationships and the Catholic Church. There
is definite tension, especially during the investigation when Mother
Superior expresses her dissatisfaction at the science of psychiatry. If
there is going to be any kind of closure, the two must join forces to
get to the bottom of the mystery, but are all the parties being honest
with each other?
"Agnes of God" is a tour de force of exceptional
performances and an
intelligent script. Director Norman Jewison
("Moonstruck" and "The
Hurricane") keeps the pacing even and always moving forward so
that we don't get too bored in any one area. Agnes'
character is always first and foremost in question and that provides a
great deal of interest as do the lives of
Martha and Mother Superior. All in all, it makes for one
heck of a thriller.
While the box claims that the film has been remastered in high
definition, I
am appalled at the amount of specs and film defects that are visible
throughout. If this is remastered, then I can only shudder
to think of what
the original looked like. While I've definitely seen better
looking
transfers, the audio is excellent. As for extras, we are
given a total of
two trailers. Considering the film's popularity and
accomplishments, I'm
surprised there isn't any supplementary material, especially since the
MSRP
is $24.95 and the transfer isn't that great.
A film of this caliber deserves better treatment than it's received
here.
I'm pleased to see it released on DVD, but the lack of anything
substantial
accompanying the film combined with a high price and less-than-stellar
picture quality makes this a tough call to make. I suspect
that if you
really enjoyed the film, you will want to pick it up. Just
be prepared for
what you are getting, though, or wait for 6 months and hope that the
price
drops. It sometimes happens.
Kage holds degrees in Creative Writing, as well as Film & Video. He has been
featured in a Life Journey Tele-Course, published poems in several national anthologies,
been a contributor to The Third Coast Magazine and written several novels. kage@modamag.com Th
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