Fierce People

Critiques of high society and the conflict between plebeians and the aristocracy are common film subjects, and honestly, Griffin Dunne's film does not provide anything fundamentally new and is not a top film. The most interesting aspect of it is the subject matter, but the first half is drawn out and lacks any compelling dramatic storyline, sometimes desperately so. It is more like a series of scenes about how the wealthy are bored, and entertained, and how they use those down below as their toys. The second half does bring the necessary conflict and can be emotionally gripping at times, but even here, the script mostly stays on the surface and does not present a systematic critique of what is seen. Evil comes from a psychopathic individual, not from the principles of wealth and social differences. On one hand, it is excessively predictable in the conclusion - the villain must be portrayed as an unacceptable creature, on the other hand, it rounds off the edges of the social conflict, and the conforming ending is rather socially naive. The first few minutes gave hope for a dark satire that cuts to the core... Overall impression: 55%. (2011.06.14)