THE SUNSET LIMITED, the new original HBO film, premiered recently. The film is a perfect example of effective stage-to-screen adaptation, based upon the stage play of the same name written by Cormac McCarthy, the extraordinary writer responsible for THE ROAD and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN.
HBO’s adaptation stars Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones as the two nameless characters, Black and White. The initial thought which may come to mind with this casting is a clash of egos, but regardless of the truthfulness of this possibility, the result is far from catastrophic. Both actors have seemingly limitless charisma and onscreen presence, a shared trait which benefits this production greatly.
Written back in 2006, THE SUNSET LIMITED takes place in a single location, a rundown apartment in the slums, where Black has taken White after saving him from an attempted suicide. The title of the play/movie refers to a particular subway train in Brooklyn, a route known as The Sunset Limited, the train in front of which White intended to leap, sending him into silent, peaceful darkness.
Merely by chance, or perhaps by divine intervention, Black is there on the deck to save White from his untimely demise. This becomes the basis of this dialogue-driven film, a philosophical inquiry into the nature of faith, God and the purpose of life. Written with a fervent dialect, precise and calculated yet uncompromisingly organic, I was fully drawn into this intimate conversation.
THE SUNSET LIMITED was also directed by Tommy Lee Jones. I am reminded of Alfred Hitchcock’s ROPE, or LIFEBOAT, two films shot in singular locations, but both films carry an intensity of emotion and suspense that causes one to forget that the setting does not change. In ROPE, Hitchcock designed the film to appear as a single, continuous shot. In THE SUNSET LIMITED, Jones uses multiple cameras, allowing him to maintain optimal connection between the viewer and the actor, allowing us to maintain eye contact with the characters. They say the eyes are the windows to a man’s soul. This couldn’t be more fitting to the theme of this film.
In the beginning, White is a sad, pathetic man; an educated man whom Black refers to as The Professor. I noticed that the overwhelming emotion was to feel sorry for White, given that despite his education and success [as made evident in a bit of dialogue] he finds no joy or cause for happiness in the world. White perceives this existence as dismal, remedied only by the hope for the dark, silent loneliness of death. Black, on the other hand, feels compelled and obliged to hold White in his apartment, engaging in deep conversation regarding White’s actions and intentions. Black is determined to show White the light, bringing his back from the darkness, giving him hope for life and a renewed sense of faith.
What emerges in THE SUNSET LIMITED is a strong and intelligent debate about the very nature of faith and God. What lies beneath the surface is a question of truth, perception and the lengths to which a man’s faith can be stretched. For the first two-thirds of the film, Black is clearly the one leading the conversation, clearly searching, looking for someway to draw White back to the void. An uneducated man, a man of former deviance through his own admission, Black explains how God spoke to him, showing him the light and setting him on his current path to help his fellow brothers. Black feels he simply must find a way to ensure White is ready to reenter the world, before leaving his home.
In the end, as is often the nature of Cormac McCarthy’s writings, THE SUNSET LIMITED takes a decidedly darker turn, revealing the truly frightening side of White that turns Black’s world inside-out. Assisted by an endlessly moving camera and a score that is both subtle and aggressive, Jones makes the absolute most of his single locations, tapping into the actors’ experience and descriptive eyes. While there is an abundance of camera movement, none of which is in excess, Jones also allows the camera to linger when necessary, especially on the actors’ eyes. Engage, observe, react; this is the exchange that occurs repeatedly throughout the film, the two men testing each others’ faiths; one in God, the other in nothingness.
THE SUNSET LIMITED certainly has its underlying tone, a tendency leaning towards the blasphemous, but in truth questions both sides of the debate. Those who feel strong, uncompromising conviction in their faith need view this film cautiously, but need view this film nonetheless. Those who hold their faith in utter certainty have the most to lose, thus testing their faith is an exercise in questioning one’s own perception of belief. For those on the fence, or that of the atheist, this is an intellectually-stimulating journey into a realm of human mystery as old as man himself.
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
