Wild Side (1995)

Tempting as it may be when discussing the life, work and especially death of Donald Cammell to revel in the mythology that has grown about the enigmatic writer/director throughout the years, there are instances where what has been reported don't exactly accurately represent what really happened. This is especially the case as it relates to Cammell's 1996 suicide, which, as Sam and Rebecca Umland wrote in their brilliant dissection of Cammell A Life on the Wild Side, the details of Cammell's passing have been greatly exaggerated. Nevertheless, even without the sensational reports, from his friendships with the likes of the Rolling Stones and Marlon Brando to his dalliances with many a beautiful woman, Cammell was undoubtedly a fascinating figure. Cammell was also an especially interesting case study as it relates to the film business, with only a total of four feature credits to his name. Many felt Cammell was poised to become a breakout vanguard director following his and Nicolas Roeg's co-directorial debut film Performance (1970), however Cammell found himself hitting many a roadblock when it came to potential projects, despite penning numerous scripts. Following Demon Seed (1977) and White of the Eye (1987), Cammell finally got the chance to direct what would become his final statement, Wild Side, one of the most curious cult titles of the 90's and a film who's rotten post-production treatment would possibly factor into Cammell's eventual suicide.

After a hotel rendezvous with powerful money launderer Bruno Buckingham (Christopher Walken), Alex Lee (Anne Heche), a bank accountant who moonlights as a high-class call girl under the alias of Johanna is surprised at her home by Tony (Stephen Bauer), Bruno's driver. After raping Alex, Tony reveals that he is in fact an undercover FBI agent involved in a sting to finally bring Bruno down and blackmails Alex into helping him by becoming Bruno's mistress and gaining his trust. Reluctant at first although desperate to not have her double life revealed, Alex agrees. Things become complicated rather quickly as soon as Alex meets Virginia (Joan Chen), Bruno's wife and the immediate attraction between the two becomes an affair, with Alex and Virginia hatching a whole new scheme to run away with the money from Bruno's next big scam.

Best remembered for a lesbian sex scene between Heche and Chen, many will perhaps go into Wild Side expecting a typical erotic crime thriller that was oh so prevalent in the 90's. Although the re-edited cut of the film that was first released did turn the film into something of that sort, Cammell's original directors cut is something else entirely, a thoroughly deranged and fascinating work with Cammell's manic personality permeating throughout. From a purely storytelling perspective the film is intriguing enough, with its tale of money laundering, double crosses and passionate love affairs, but where the film really becomes engaging is in its characterizations and performances. Of course the biggest standout being Walken, given the most unhinged performance of his entire career. Walken himself has even stated that Bruno is perhaps the craziest character he's ever played, and his performance runs the gamut from menacing to comically absurd, oftentimes seamlessly transitioning from one to the other in mere seconds making Bruno a truly unpredictable loose cannon. Bauer also gives a strangely compelling performance and his undercover agent doubling as Bruno's right hand man does somewhat recall the idea of taking on more than one personality that goes all the way back to Performance. The relationship that develops between Heche and Chen that gave the film its infamy is far from lurid excuse for lesbian scenes but in fact a rather touching addition that eventually becomes the films strongest plot point, ultimately giving the film a tremendous amount of heart amidst the lunacy. 

There was a bit of hilarity that arose during the auditioning process when word got out that Cammell's wife and writing partner China Kong was testing potential actresses willingness to go through with the lesbian scenes by French kissing them, a tactic that didn't go down well and eventually came to an end. Unfortunately the story of what happened with the film after production was anything but funny. Just as he did with Performance and Demon Seed, Cammell once again found his film torn away from him by producers at Nu Image, the films distribution company, who drastically re-cut the film, putting all the focus on the lesbian angle and bypassing theaters (although a cut was originally going to be prepared for a screening at the Cannes Film Festival) and going straight to HBO much to Cammell's dismay. It wasn't until 2000, four years after Cammell's suicide, did a directors cut appear, cut together using Cammell's notes by China Kong and Cammell's longtime editor Frank Mazzola which was released on DVD by Tartan, although the butchered Nu Image cut has several DVD releases so buyer beware. It may have taken years after its creators death to finally see the light of day in a form closest to what Cammell intended, but its the vision put forth by Cammell in that directors cut that make this particular walk on the wild side worth taking.