FILM REVIEW: 'MY SON, MY SON, WHAT HAVE YE DONE?'

Now Streaming: Herzog & Lynch Unite in a Well-Crafted Take on Murder & Mental Illness

By: Jesse Livingston

February 1, 2012

(Paper Street Films) This review will contain spoilers, but spoilers will in no way diminish Werner Herzog's fascinating My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? That's because the film doesn't rely on the vagaries of events to achieve its power; rather, it relies on subtle performances and a genuine respect for the deadly magnetism of a visionary personality.

The film was inspired by the real-life case of Mark Yavorsky, an actor who was cast as the lead in a production of Euripides' Orestes, and then murdered his mother with a sword in much the same manner as the character in the play. The project was conceived by Herzog and co-writer Herbert Golder back in 1995, but it didn't see the light of day until 2009, when Herzog was able to bring it to the screen with the help of producer David Lynch. Herzog interviewed Yavorsky in preparation for writing the script (he almost abandoned the interview when he saw the shrine Yavorsky had built in his home to Herzog's previous film, Aguirre, the Wrath of God), but chose not to adhere too closely to what really happened.

The events in the film are largely fictional, with only the murder and the play being taken from the actual case. The tragic hero of the tale is re-named Brad McCullum, and he's played with frightening intensity by Michael Shannon (Boardwalk Empire, Revolutionary Road). Brad's life, from the outside, seems rather sad; he lives with his mother (Grace Zabriskie of Lynch's Twin Peaks) and his fiancée, Ingrid (Chloë Sevigny of Big Love, Boys Don't Cry) in a small house in San Diego. His mother is controlling and intrusive to a startling degree, yet Brad clearly loves her and has based much of his life around caring for her.

Zabriskie's performance is remarkable. She brings a mania to the role that's both upsetting and pathetically vulnerable. The scenes in which she intrudes on the young couple's alone-time are frustrating, deeply awkward, and sad. She's clearly trying to do her best, but she's got some of the same obsessive illness that makes her son such a captivating actor.

That's the true heart of the film: Brad's crossing and re-crossing of the line between genius and madness. Many films claim to explore that territory, but few do it in such a stark, respectful, and beautiful way. For those unfamiliar with Greek tragedy, a “tragic hero” is a very specific kind of character who fulfills all the characteristics of bravery, nobility, intelligence, and strength, but who is brought to ruin by a particular flaw — usually hubris, or the excessive pride which causes them to challenge the gods. Brad's hubris is his willingness to give himself over entirely to his flights of fancy and his imaginative inner world. Throughout the course of the film, we begin to see the world as it appears to him inside his head. Events take on an epic significance, transforming his insular little life into the stuff of legend.

At first, Herzog's style may come across as stilted and off-putting. That's before you realize what he's doing. He's marrying the mundane details of everyday life with the grand archetypes of Greek drama. In order to fully understand Brad's transformation from a normal man into a self-made prophet of divine wisdom, we have to see the world as he sees it. There are scenes which start out normally, only to become strange heavenly tableaus in which the actors hold a particular pose for several minutes. The effect is so simple and yet so stunning that one can immediately see why Herzog is hailed as one of the great filmmakers.

If you've heard about Herzog but haven't seen his work, this would be an excellent place to start. It isn't quite like anything you've seen before. Herzog must be drawing from his own experience with the creative muse, because he balances the film perfectly between the two worlds — real and imagined — that Brad is traversing. The scenes we see through Brad's eyes are so bizarrely beautiful that we can completely forgive him for losing himself in his own fantasies. The scenes which take place in the real world are so jarringly mundane that we never lose the sense of tragedy and impending doom that hovers over it all. The climax of the film — in which Brad finally sees both worlds superimposed on each other, understands the evil he's about to do, and hands his neighbor a baseball bat, saying, “Kill me before it happens” — is heartbreaking, captivating, and instantly one of the best scenes you've seen in any film.

The supporting cast is great, with Willem Dafoe turning in a studiously understated performance as the police detective in charge of the investigation; with his range and intensity, he could have easily played Brad, but he keeps his character in the background so as not to disturb the balance. Brad Dourif and Udo Kier also give excellent performances as Brad's uncle and the play's director, respectively.

My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? is a truly great film. If there's any justice in the world, it will be talked about as a classic for years to come. It's a portrait of mental illness so careful and thorough that it beggars belief. The final poignant scene shows that Brad has left a legacy of goodness behind, despite the crime he has allowed himself to commit. If only we all could receive such a fair and measured appraisal of our lives.

For Fans Of: A Beautiful Mind, Take Shelter, Melancholia, Through a Glass Darkly

Why We Like It: Werner Herzog, David Lynch, respectful treatment of mental illness, unusual storytelling techniques, great performances.