Natural Born Killers

	Review by Howard Anderson © 2000 Howard Anderson

Synopsis

"Mass murder is wrong. But if I were a mass murderer, I'd be Mickey and Mallory!"

So without any further ado, meet Mickey and Mallory Knox (Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis), a pair of star-crossed lovers on a senseless killing-spree across America, who, at the scene of each of their brutal and heinous crimes always leave one person alive; to tell the tale of Mickey and Mallory. They're riders on the storm, riding the fury fueled by years of abuse and traumas suffered in early childhood, and for three weeks they leave nothing but murder and mayhem in their wake, until, as fate would have it, they are finally chased down and apprehended by celebrity cop, Jack Scagnetti (Tom Sizemore), a man just as demented as the people he pursue.

But at its core "Natural Born Killers" is not so much about the killers and the crimes they commit, as it is about the media feeding frenzy they inspire. During the period of their rampage, they are the most famous people in America - The nation has caught Mickey and Mallory fever. Something journalist Wayne Gale (Robert Downey Jr.) is gonna take full advantage of.

Having covered their bloody journey every step of the way along Route 666 and reported their deeds in the most exploitive of ways, he sees his chance to make television history with a one on one sit-down with Mickey Knox inside of Batongaville State Prison. On Superbowl Sunday, no less.

The fuse is lit, and inside the powderkeg that is Batongaville, Mickey and Mallory will reap the whirlwind that is the mass media.

Review

Powerful, I think, is a well-chosen word to describe "Natural Born Killers". Another word is controversial. Oliver Stone wanted to throw all caution to the wind, yell "damned the torpedoes" and go for an all-out, no-holds-barred assault on the viewers senses and perception of reality. And this he did. In the most amazing of ways. Either you love this film or you hate it, as I think it is very hard to find a middle-ground in the case of "Natural Born Killers". Either you get the point or you don't. I'm of the former, thank God, and not the latter. This is the "Apocalypse Now" for the nineties, and it doesn't hold anything back, at least not now, with the over 150 cuts imposed on Oliver Stone by the MPAA re-instated. It's psychedelic and cerebral, and it has more to say about the current state of society than any other film I've ever seen. It's Oliver Stone on fire!

Image

Presented in the non-anamorphic 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the image is very good, but with the kinetic editing of Hank Corwin and Brian Berdan, and hyperactive camera-work of Robert Richardson, mixing color and black & white, film and video, 35mm, 16mm, and Super 8, it is at times very hard to tell, and I wonder if this film, in truth, would have benefited any with an anamorphic transfer. The image is, where it is suppose to be, crystal clear and as good as they come, and in other places, where it's not suppose to be, it's not. How 'bout that?

Sound

The Dolby Digital 5.1 truly embodies the atmosphere and energy of the movie, and so it goes without saying that it's a furious mix coming at you from all sides. The incredible music, which plays almost non-stop throughout the entire film, simply rocks! And in addition to that there's bullets whizzing by you left and right, a bass giving you a thorough pounding whenever needed, and some very bizarre sounds (like snakes hissing and freight-trains in passing) that uses the split surrounds masterfully. The dialogue is mostly confined to the center channel, and it is never distorted in any way, matter or form. A top-notch 5.1 mix that'll very effectively bring you one gigantic step further into the world of Mickey and Mallory Knox.

Features

A feature-length director's commentary with Oliver Stone, a making-of documentary, deleted scenes, an alternate ending, and a specially-made-for-DVD trailer. All the good stuff one would ever want is served up here, and as you go through it you won't be disappointed. The audio commentary with Oliver Stone is a great listening, as it is mostly about the motivations and inspirations for making this movie, as well as the philosophies behind it, and not so much all the technical stuff, which always tends to get real dry, real fast. He does go into what kind of film-stock they used in the various scenes and the differing film techniques applied, but it is never just about that. The deleted scenes are also a blast, most notably the courtroom scene with Ashley Judd and the true-to-form rave of Denis Leary. On the deleted scenes one can also choose whether or not one would like an introduction by Oliver Stone. I recommend you go with the intro, at least during the first viewing. The alternate ending is also an interesting bit, as is the making-of documentary. The documentary is, quite simply, a must-see.

Overall Opinion

"Natural Born Killers: Director's Cut" is not for everyone, as it is an acquired taste - an acquired taste... But I would go as far as to say that this is one of the defining cinematic masterpieces of the nineties and one of the most powerful films ever made. Every scene in this film will linger on your mind if you open yourself to it. The DVD accompanies the feature presentation perfectly. The quality of both picture and sound (especially sound) is outstanding, and the extra features couldn't get much juicier. If this is your cup of tee, then drink up...