A KISS BEFORE DYING

US, 1991, 94 minutes, Colour.
Matt Dillon, Sean Young, Max von Sydow, Diane Ladd, James Russo.
Directed by James Dearden.

A Kiss Before Dying is based on a novel by Ira Levin (Rosemary’s Baby, The Boys from Brazil). It was filmed in 1956 with Robert Wagner as the chilling young psychopath and his victims including Virginia Leith and Joanne Woodward. Mary Astor played his mother and George Macready the tycoon father of the two women.

This 1991 version was written and directed by James Dearden, son of British director Basil Dearden. Dearden had directed only a few films including The Cold Room, Pascali’s Island and the film about the trading scandal in Singapore, Rogue Trader.

Matt Dillon is somewhat neutral in the central role – a rather bland performance rather than a nuanced psychopath. Sean Young portrays twin sisters. There is good support from Max von Sydow as the tycoon father and Diane Ladd as Matt Dillon’s mother.

The film is the standard one of the ambitious psychopath, resenting his poverty, looking at trains going past bearing the sign of a wealthy industrial empire. He courts one of the daughters of this empire and kills her when she is pregnant. He then aims to marry – and succeeds – the other daughter. However, reality conspires to unmask him and there is a quick melodramatic finale.

Reviewers and the public were quite critical of this film, comparing it with Ira Levin’s book unfavourably as well as the 1950s version.

1. The popularity of this kind of story? Romance? Thriller? Murder mystery?

2. The settings, the 80s, the American cities, wealthy homes, the across-the-tracks homes? The world of universities? Industry? Authentic? The musical score?

3. The title, indication of themes, of Jonathan’s personality? Ambitions?

4. The opening, the young boy looking out the window? The explanation of his background, his father, his father’s antagonism towards his mother? The mother and her love for her son? Pressurising him, nagging him, his negative reactions? Saying that he would make her proud? Faking his own death and leaving her in grief? The vision out his window of the Carlsson Industry trains going past? The irony of Ellen looking out the window at the end, Jonathan’s appearance, the chase, his being killed by the train?

5. Jonathan, his charm with Dorothy, her buying the shoes, the lecture, her rushing to meet Jonathan? Going up to the roof, his pushing her over, his blaming her for her own death? The fact that she was pregnant?

6. Jonathan, his personality, with his mother, with his university friends, with his job in the diner? His being revealed as courting Ellen? His playing up the part, assuming the identity of the young man that he killed, telling his story about his dead parents in the plane crash? Ingratiating himself with Ellen’s father, the discussions about fishing? With Ellen, the proposal? In the background, with Tommy, his murdering Tommy? The phone call from Patricia Farren and his making an appointment, killing her, her body in the suitcase and disposing of it in the river? The later police investigations and his denials? The wedding, the happiness? Ellen happy?

7. Ellen, a different personality from Dorothy? Her father’s disdain of Dorothy? Her suspicions, the commissioner, the police and the investigator? Her working in the shelter, her friend and their discussions? Her meeting with Jonathan, the relationship? The outings, dancing, happiness? The wedding? Her father buying the apartment? Jonathan and his reactions to her suspicions, the investigation about Patricia Farren’s death, his outbursts, her changing her hair to blonde? Her continued worries, the chance meeting in the bar with the former student? Her looking up the school annual, her going to the investigator, her finding Jonathan’s mother, the discussion with his mother, seeing his room? Jonathan’s arrival, the confrontation, the chase, his death?

8. Thor Carlsson, his attitude towards his daughters, migrant, building up an industry, Jonathan and his friendship with him, the fishing? His grief about his wife, his daughters?

9. Tommy, his breakdown, going to identify Jonathan, Jonathan killing him? Patricia and her identification, her death?

10. The police, the investigator, Ellen and her mission to discover the murderer?

11. How significant the performances, the dramatic situations, the crimes?