This forgotten gem is exactly that; a movie that has been lost to the point that this Limited Edition DVD includes a disclaimer that it has been assembled from the best surviving footage and audio. Undoubtedly, the film was rediscovered and boxed for sale after the tragic death of its superb lead, the beautiful and phenomenally talented Natasha Richardson. The result is the chance to watch a film charged with the artistic styles of the 1980s, with a story that shocked a nation and an incredible cast at the earliest days of their successful careers.
In 1974, heiress Patty Hearst (Richardson) made headlines when she was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army. Lead by the ghetto prophet Cinque (young Ving Rhames), these self-proclaimed urban guerillas embarked on a series of bank robberies that Hearst ultimately participated in. Finally, she was arrested and incarcerated for two years before President Carter commuted for sentence and President Clinton issued a pardon as his last action in office.
The gang is rounded out with strong performances all around, but a young and terrifying William Forsythe as Teko, coupled with the vivacious and electric Frances Fisher as Yolanda take the cake. What unfolds is the tale taken from Patricia Hearst’s own autobiographical account of her time with the Army. The film’s first twenty minutes seem to flow as one continuous music video, artistically shot with harsh backlighting, a pounding score, and an endless barrage of rhetoric from the Army soldiers, coming and going from Hearst’s closet prison. The effect, though jarring at first, gives the audience some small perspective of what it must have been like, and the circumstances that lead to the now accepted Stockholm Syndrome, when the victim sympathizes with his or her captors.
DVD BONUS FEATURES
There are none. The movie stands alone in its reassembled form, a small flick most are unaware of. Unfortunately, it and other films will always be seen in the shadow of Richardson’s tragic death, but the rediscovery of this talented actress’ early work is a welcome thing.
"Patty Hearst" is on sale April 4, 2011 and is not rated. Drama. Directed by Paul Schrader. Written by Nicholas Kazan. Starring Dana Delany, Frances Fisher, Natasha Richardson, Ving Rhames, William Forsythe.
