Killing you, and what you represent, is a statement. I'm not 100% sure what it's saying.
NATURAL BORN KILLERS (1994)
Starring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones, Robert Downey Jr., Tom Sizemore
Written by David Veloz, Richard Rutowski, and Oliver Stone; Story by Quentin Tarantino
Producers: Jane Hamsher, Don Murphy, Clayton Townsend
Cinematography: Robert Richardson
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
I think this is Oliver Stone's most misunderstood movie - misunderstood by all those who criticized it as too violent. The brilliance of Natural Born Killers is that the viewer does not actually see all the violence that they think they do - it's the style of the film that delivers the feeling of violence, and it is through this effect that Stone created another film masterpiece. No misunderstanding about it - this film is not about the two serial murderers, Mickey and Mallory Knox. It is about the media and the public, the way that they both work together to elevate these killers to the level of hero, much in the same way as the public is continually fascinated with tragic events such as the O.J. Simpson trial, the Menendez trial, the Manson case, etc. The public has a constant need for seeing violence and blood - it fascinates them. The media, desperate to make a story that it actually is, feeds into that need - and yes, this is a problem - think about the O.J. case - the two innocent victims of that case, Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman, were all but completely forgotten - Johnnie Cochran and the O.J. defense team turned the trial into a circus, as did the media. Some people actually cheered that verdict - made O.J. a hero - all Oliver Stone did was amplify this problem into an outrageous example and shined a mirror up to ourselves - maybe that's why everyone went so crazy about the film.
Stone continued his exciting brand of filmmaking with this movie, mixing film stocks, animation, and even parody to make a point - Stone made the film in an over the top style - the way the media glorifies the violence and the two killers who murdered 52 innocent people is nothing but an example of what we as a current society do with our television news and tabloid news - the media in the film is represented by a tabloid reporter played excruciatingly well by Robert Downey Jr. - Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis give very good performances as the two serial killers - they enjoy the killings and enjoy the thrill of living life out on the edge. This film is also a political film, but of a different sort - Stone moves to contemporary times for the film, and creates a resonating masterpiece of film assembly and film experience, by far the best film of 1994. I encourage people to watch the film for its message - this film is all about that message, and about the style in which the filmmaker chooses to tell it - a style that is nothing but extraordinary.
SOME THOUGHTS ON THE DIRECTOR'S CUT AND DELETED SCENES:
This is an outstanding release, especially for those interested in Oliver Stone and for those who felt NBK was a new cult classic, and a
film that had a strong message as well. Natural Born Killers, after viewing it for yet another time now in this release, still is
staggering in its film style -- it is a classic of film assembly and it's incredible to just watch this film unfold. The director's cut release of the
film, now presented in letterbox format, contains the extra three minutes or so of some 150 cuts that the MPAA required Stone to cut in order
to obtain an R rating -- not much is added to the film through the inclusion of these shots -- the film is still extraordinary. Stone does explain
that these cut scenes were intended to make the film even more over-the-top so that the idea of satire would take hold -- most of these scenes
involve more gore and blood, but two of the most noticeable new additions include the shot of the camera looking through the hole shot in
Robert Downey Jr.'s hand, and another is the Warden's (Tommy Lee Jones) severed head being paraded about by the prisoners toward the
end of the movie as Mickey and Mallory escape.
The DVD and the special VHS of the director's cut contain some incredible accompanying material to the film. It includes a behind the scenes documentary
which includes current interviews with Stone and several of the cast members, and this reveals a lot of the crazy behind-the-scenes goings-on,
especially filming the end scenes in a real prison. But the real eye-opening material are the additional scenes that Stone opted to cut out
of the final film -- there are some great scenes in this collection which I wish would have made it into the final film. Oliver Stone introduces
each clip and explains why he decided the leave the scenes out. One is a hilarious Denis Leary scene which I think would have added some
more punch to the commercialism / media theme of the film, and make it more obvious as satire. Another great scene is the extended courtroom
sequence where Mickey Knox interviews Ashley Judd -- but the scene that truly made me wish it was included in the original film was the
alternate ending Stone shot for the film. It's a TREMENDOUS ending, and now that I view the film again with that ending in mind, the film
seems even more complete and the story seems more focused and complete. The alternate ending has Mickey, Mallory, and Owen (the
prisoner who helped them escape from the jail) riding off in the van after having killed Robert Downey Jr., which is how the final film ended.
The dialogue in this final scene is superb -- the scene is dark and brooding, with the same imagery which populated the entire movie. The Owen
character had been hinted at earlier as a possible guardian angel, when his image appears and disappears in the beginning diner scene - this
still remains in the final cut. In the alternate ending, he shoots and kills Mickey and Mallory, and the movie ends. In the end, the law couldn't stop
them, but someone of their same caliber killed them, which I think makes the film more dramatic and gives it a stronger dramatic core. Stone
explains that he stuck with the ending of them getting away with it, because that's what reality is in the 90's. It certainly is a tough call, but for me
the alternate ending is one incredible way of ending this chilling piece of art.
For more of my thoughts on this film, its true meaning, and my reflections on the controversy this film engendered (as well as the court case brought against it), please CLICK HERE to read my special essay. I also highly recommend Heidi Nelson Hochenedel's essay as another unique perspective on this film ... available in the links below.
