When I first turned on Ross Dimsey’s ‘Final Cut (1980)’, I had very little feelings on what to expect. I wish I could say I had high hopes, but something about the cover art made me question whether or not I should actually set any expectations for myself. And I’m glad I didn’t.
The movie opens on a scene at the tarmac, where a supposedly charismatic wealthy porno filmmaker turned music producer speaks on the phone over the whir of the plan engines. One minute later, two minutes later, god damn when is this scene going to end? I found myself antsy to get started with the actual plot of the film. Sure it could have been a fun way to introduce the audience to his character, but instead we barely see anything of him. And who knows, through out the film it is noted that he is someone we know very little about who keeps his private life VERY private. This opening scene may have been the directors way of showing us this, however, if that was the intention it is poorly executed. What could have been the perfect moment to engage the audience and make us curious about Dominik’s character ends up leaving him as a flat nothing. We leave the scene feeling indifferent about him, and as he is supposed to be our villain, I’d stay that doesn’t put us off to a great start.
Then we are introduced to Chris and Sarah. Sarah I have very few critiques about, she was actually one of the only reasons I even slightly enjoyed this film. Chris on the other hand is another story. You know how people complained that Anakin Skywalker was whiny and annoying? Well Chris’s character actually is. Yet, ironically enough I believe he acts as a stand in for everything wrong with the film. But before I dive into that, lets talk about Sarah.
A bad ass reporter that has no time for the hyper-sexual promiscuity of Dominik and Yvette’s (Dominik’s female counterpart) lifestyle. She is consistently annoyed at the behaviour on the yacht of both the men and the women, though when it comes to the women she appears far more concerned than she does judgmental. And she is there for a true story, unlike Chris who claims he is but in actuality seems far more concerned with the idea of being the knight in shining armour as opposed to actually being one. What I love the most about her character though is that it is acknowledged both by Dominik and by Yvette that if there is anything threat to them it is her, not Chris. Dominik even goes so far as to tell Chris he doesn’t believe that Chris truly understands or sees Sarah for who she truly is.
It is this very moment that I realized the irony that is ‘Final Cut’. As I said previously, Chris is the perfect embodiment of it. And there is one scene in particular, where he sees a naked woman covered in blood struggling down the dock clearly in need of help. When he sees her, instead of helping her, or even asking if she is okay, he pulls out his camera and begins to film. He claims over and over that his intentions are to expose Dominik for the pain and suffering he inflicts upon women, even calling Dominik out for getting his start with dirty movies. Yet, when it comes down to it he is no better than the man he is trying to take down.
It’s for this reason I claim that Chris is the embodiment of this film. I believe what it is trying to do is critique the very real issue that horror has with hypersexualizing women’s pain. However, instead of critiquing it, the movie ends up playing into the very issue it is trying to shed light on. The women are not depicted tastefully. There is an excessive amount of nudity and the sexualizing of women’s bodies that adds absolutely nothing to the plot. And when I say excessive, I mean excessive - at times I was wondering what the hell was even going on. I can only see so many naked tits before I go “am I just watching porn”? And realistically, I would characterize this movie as soft porn rather than a tastefully crafted critique on pornographic depictions of violence.
Finally, the ending of the film makes little to no sense. Mick, a minor character and Dominik’s brother who we rarely see and only interacts with Sarah once becomes a major player. And while the movie does appear to have some supernatural elements - girls disappearing and reappearing, that sort of thing - it doesn’t explain why a man who has so clearly been in on it from the start has decided to turn on his brother with no foreshadowing or explanation.
All in all, this is not a movie I plan to watch again but it was one I still got to the end of so I guess that’s a positive. And while I can see the intention behind it, it ultimately falls victim to the very thing it is trying to condemn with its only redeeming quality being a semi-well rounded female character, however even she cannot escape the hypersexual lens of the male gaze.
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