Reassessing Brian De Palma’s “Dressed to Kill” and “Body Double”
Misogyny or social commentary?
Introduction
In the era of #MeToo, it is immensely easy for a filmmaker, or any artist in general, to become caught up in its eye and exhibit overt caution over their creations. What is problematic for a filmmaker or other artist is an ongoing risk of career reassessment that threatens to effectively soil not only any recent efforts, but the oeuvre as a whole.
That said, let’s reference for a moment real crimes, as opposed to reel crimes:
It is not for chance that Harvey Weinstein is where he is today. It is not fiction that one who was once “America’s dad,” Mr. Cosby, is rotting in jail, and it is not with sentiment that I remind you Kevin Spacey’s career is most likely over.
There are, of course, many others but they are too numerous to mention in the scope of this piece.
The deviant behavior of the first two of the above personalities, regardless of how well-liked and respected they may once have been, hold no sway on their crimes. Regarding Spacey, charges were dropped in his highest-profile case when the defendant plead the Fifth (allegedly so as not to incriminate himself), but he has been plagued by other lawsuits and accusations.
