Body of Evidence (1993 film)

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Body of Evidence
Bodyofevidence1.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byUli Edel
Written byBrad Mirman
Produced byDino De Laurentiis
Starring
CinematographyDouglas Milsome
Edited byThom Noble
Music byGraeme Revell
Production
company
Dino De Laurentiis Communications[1]
Distributed byMGM/UA[1]
Release dates
  • January 7, 1993 (1993-01-07) (Ziegfeld Theatre)
  • January 15, 1993 (1993-01-15) (United States)
Running time
99 minutes[1]
Countries
LanguageEnglish
Budget$30 million[2]
Box office$38 million[3]

Body of Evidence is a 1993 American erotic thriller film produced by Dino De Laurentiis and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Uli Edel and written by Brad Mirman. The film stars Madonna and Willem Dafoe,[4] with Joe Mantegna, Anne Archer, Julianne Moore, and Jürgen Prochnow in supporting roles.

It originally received the rare NC-17 rating.[5] The first theatrical release was censored for the purpose of obtaining an R rating, reducing the film's running time from 101 to 99 minutes.[6] The video premiere, however, restored the deleted material. Madonna's performance in the film was universally derided by film critics and it marked her fourth film acting performance to be widely panned, following Shanghai Surprise, Who's That Girl, and Bloodhounds of Broadway.[7]

In France and Japan, the film was released under the name Body. In Japan, Madonna's other 1993 film Dangerous Game was released there as Body II even though the films have nothing in common nor are related to each other in narrative.

Plot[]

Elderly Andrew Marsh views a homemade pornographic tape. It is later revealed that Marsh died from complications stemming from erotic asphyxiation. The main suspect is the woman who has sex with Marsh in the film, Rebecca Carlson, who after being charged with murder is represented by lawyer Frank Dulaney. As the trial begins, Carlson and Dulaney enter a sadomasochistic sexual relationship behind the back of Dulaney's unsuspecting wife.

During their first sexual encounter, Dulaney, overcome by lust, notices too late that Carlson is tying his arms behind his back using his own belt. Carlson pushes him onto the bed, removes his underwear, and while he is restrained, humiliates him by pouring hot candle wax on his chest, stomach, and genitals, amused by Dulaney's frustration and increasingly desperate reactions. The two then have sex, with Carlson in complete control, an obvious counterpoint to their relationship in the courtroom, where Dulaney is the one in control.

Carlson proclaims her innocence to Dulaney in private and in court, but District Attorney Robert Garrett seeks to prove that Carlson deliberately killed Marsh in bed to receive the $8 million he left her in his will. The testimony of Marsh's private secretary, Joanne Braslow, reveals that he had a sexual relationship with Braslow that could have contributed to his death, casting a reasonable doubt as to Carlson's guilt.

Dulaney maligns Carlson with accusations of her withholding information from him, threatening to drop her as a client and end their affair. In response, Carlson contacts Dulaney's wife and discloses the affair. When Dulaney's wife confronts him, he initially plays it off as if she is paranoid, but is unable to deny telltale evidence. Dulaney goes to Carlson's home and confronts her, which ends with them having rough sex on the floor. When Carlson pulls out handcuffs, Dulaney cuffs her hands to her bedpost and roughly initiates sex with her.

Carlson is shown in court to be a gold digger, having had previous sexual relationships with a number of older rich men, including Jeffery Roston, in which her lovemaking was just as rough. Roston says that she abruptly ended their relationship when he got heart surgery and became healthier. Carlson's testimony convinces the jury, which acquits her. Before leaving court, she mockingly thanks Dulaney for getting a guilty client off, fully aware that he cannot repeat what she said and that she cannot be tried twice for the same crime.

That night, Dulaney visits Carlson's home, where he finds her with Marsh's doctor, Alan Paley, freely discussing the way they conspired to kill Marsh. She taunts Paley by telling him to lie low, as he could be convicted of perjury, and tells him to leave because she has already forgotten him. Carlson bluntly tells Dulaney that her sexual prowess is how she is able to make men do anything. An enraged Paley lashes out at Carlson physically and, after Dulaney pulls him off, Paley shoots her twice. She plunges from a window to her death and Paley is arrested for murdering her.

Before leaving the scene with his wife to repair their relationship, Dulaney then tells Garret he should've won the case with Garrett replying: "I did".

Cast[]

Production[]

Julianne Moore said her nude scene in this movie was "just awful": "I was too young to know better. It was the first time I'd been asked to get naked and it turned out to be completely extraneous and gratuitous."[9]

Reception[]

Body of Evidence has an 8% rating at Rotten Tomatoes based on 36 reviews. The critical consensus reads "Body of Evidence's sex scenes may be kinky, but the ludicrous concept is further undone by the ridiculous dialogue." Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "C" on scale of A+ to F.[10] The film appeared on the 2005 list of Roger Ebert's most hated films.[11] The screenplay and performances were especially disparaged.[12] His colleague Gene Siskel called Body of Evidence a "stupid and empty thriller" that is worse than her softcore coffee table book Sex.[13]

Julianne Moore later regretted acting in the film and went on to call it "a big mistake".[14]

Box office[]

Body of Evidence performed poorly at the box office.[15] In its second week it experienced a 60% drop.[16] It grossed $13 million in the United States and Canada and $25 million internationally for a worldwide total of $38 million.[3]

Awards and nominations[]

Award Category Recipient Result
Fantasporto Best Film Uli Edel Nominated
Golden Raspberry Awards[17][18] Worst Picture Dino De Laurentiis Nominated
Worst Director Uli Edel Nominated
Worst Actor Willem Dafoe Nominated
Worst Actress Madonna Won
Worst Supporting Actress Anne Archer Nominated
Worst Screenplay Brad Mirman Nominated
MTV Movie Awards Most Desirable Female Madonna Nominated
Stinkers Bad Movie Awards Worst Actress Nominated

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Body of Evidence (1993)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  2. ^ "Body of Evidence". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Klady, Leonard (January 3, 1994). "Int'l top 100 earn $8 bil". Variety. p. 1.
  4. ^ McKenna, Kristine (April 19, 1992). "Willem Dafoe is making the leap from incendiary character actor to romantic leading roles opposite Susan Sarandon and Madonna". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
  5. ^ David J. Fox (August 31, 1992). "Madonna Set to Push Limits Once More With NC-17 Movie". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  6. ^ Fox, David J. (October 30, 1992). "Madonna's Movie Will Be Edited for 'R'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
  7. ^ Rainer, Peter (January 23, 1993). "Madonna as Actress? The 'Evidence' Is In". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
  8. ^ Galbraith, Jane (April 23, 1992). "Politician Doesn't Want Madonna's 'Body'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
  9. ^ "Not Strictly Naked Ambition". www.latimes.com. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  10. ^ "Cinemascore". Archived from the original on December 20, 2018.
  11. ^ "Ebert's Most Hated | Roger Ebert | Roger Ebert".
  12. ^ Ebert, Roger (January 15, 1993). "Body Of Evidence". Chicago Sun-Times. RogerEbert.com. Retrieved December 15, 2009.
  13. ^ Siskel, Gene (January 15, 1993). "Madonna's 'Body' Is More Laughable Than Her Book". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  14. ^ Rochlin, Margy (February 11, 2001). "FILM; Hello Again, Clarice, But You've Changed". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 14, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  15. ^ Fox, David J. (January 19, 1993). "Weekend Box Office 'Body' Struggles to Make the Top 5". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
  16. ^ Fox, David J. (January 26, 1993). "Weekend Box Office 'Aladdin's' Magic Carpet Ride". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 18, 2010.
  17. ^ "1993 RAZZIEŽ Nominees & "Winners"". The Official RAZZIEŽ Forum. Archived from the original on February 17, 2010. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  18. ^ James, Caryn (January 17, 1993). "FILM VIEW; Madonna's Best Role Remains Madonna". The New York Times. Retrieved October 24, 2010.

External links[]

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