The Woodsman (2004)

Directed by: Nicole Kassell | 87 minutes | drama | Actors: Kevin Bacon, David Alan Grier, Eve, Kyra Sedgwick, Benjamin Bratt, Carlos Leon, Michael Shannon, Kevin Rice, Mos Def, Hannah Pilkes, Jessica Nagle

‘The Woodsman’ is the debut of young filmmaker Nicole Kassell. The film is based on the play of the same name by Steven Fechter but has more locations and has a single new character. The young debutante has taken a considerable risk with this film adaptation, since pedophilia is sensitive in any case. She has chosen not to portray the pedophile as a clichéd monster but as a human being. Tricky, tricky, especially in a country like America. Would you think.

Although the subject lends itself perfectly to a gasping approach, ‘The Woodsman’ has become a thoughtful and almost distant drama. This detachment gives the important moments, such as a key scene in the park, an intensity that you would never have obtained with a more direct approach. Little is spoken in the film, nothing and no one is judged and solutions are not offered. Pedophilia is not condoned and the released prisoner is not given a victim role either. The film revolves around the difficult return to society of a torn soul and the continuous battle he fights with his demons. The result is a fascinating but painful spectacle.

A movie like this can’t do without great actors and Nicole Kassell would have happily praised her cast. Hollywood’s most underrated actor Kevin Bacon plays pedophile Walter and, as usual, delivers an Oscar-sized performance. Kyra Sedgwick is also convincing as Walter’s new colleague and friend Vicky. However, the big revelation in ‘The Woodsman’ is actor and hip-hopper Mos Def. The policeman he portrays is so original and at the same time so lifelike that the scenes between Walter and Police Inspector Lucas should be required reading in every film school.

The only minus in ‘The Woodsman’ are some improbabilities in the plot. A released pedophile who comes to live right across from a schoolyard (where another pedophile is scurrying around) is hardly credible. The fact that Walter’s sister has a daughter who falls exactly into Walter’s target group is also somewhat artificial. Still, there are some scenes that may seem illogical but are definitely not. Those scenes require the viewer to put themselves in Walter’s mind, and that’s not always pleasant.

While the Dutch would be known for their tolerance and their liberal views, a subtle and brave drama like ‘The Woodsman’ comes precisely from the so-called narrow-minded and intolerant America. Anyone who thought that the film would be denounced by everything and everyone in America is also wrong. The production has already won several awards and has been praised by critics. It shows once again how dangerous it is to value clichés. With the film adaptation of ‘The Woodsman’ Nicole Kassell has tackled a much more sensitive cliché and she got away with it just fine. Splendid debut.