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Monster's Ball review
:. Director: Marc Forster
:. Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry
:. Running Time: 1:51
:. Year: 2001
:. Country: USA
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Tragedy, racism, trust and redemption are explored in Monster's Ball, the latest film by director Marc Forster. Strong performances give weight to the issues examined when a prison warden falls in love with the widow of the man he's executed.
Billy Bob Thornton plays Hank Growtowski, a racist prison warden who lives in Georgia with two other generations of prison wardens, his racist father (Peter Boyle), who's retired, and Sonny (Heath Ledger) who cannot stomach the work. The Growtowski house is oppressive thanks to Boyle's abusive presence. It's also depressing as both Sonny's mother and grandmother are buried in the back yard. Both Hank and Sonny frequent the same prostitute and both are emotionally scarred.
The execution of Lawrence Musgrove (Sean Combs) is a pivotal event in the film. Though a racist, Hank tries to ensure dignity in the man's final walk. Sonny, in Hank's eyes, robs him of this final dignity when he stumbles and vomits, unable to accompany Lawrence to the end. Tragedy ensues and when Hank meets Lawrence's widow Leticia, they are both in pain and in need. While we see the obvious cycle of abuse in Hank's family, it is not lacking in Berry's either. Her obese son is beaten for sneaking candy and she's no stranger to the bottle.
After cathartic and explicit sex, Hank and Leticia form a relationship that would not have been possible were it not for the series of events that brought them together and their relationships to their children. Hank does not immediately disclose his role in her husband's death and obviously the ties that bind them together will have to be dealt with in some way.
Most performances are outstanding in this film. Sean Combs immediately comes to mind for an understated performance that pulses with sadness. His few scenes with his family and then preparing to be executed are all the more gut-wrenching due to his composure. Heath Ledger and Corinji Calhoun are also very good as young men born into screwed up families—one fights loneliness by seeing a prostitute while the other seeks solace through food and art. Billy Bob Thornton has had quite a year of strong acting and here his transformation is completely believable because it is subtle. Halle Berry, while good, is not excellent. For starters, her southern accent is atrocious and some moments are just too over the top and scream "Oscar consideration!" At the same time, she takes risks and some of them pay off, like her final scene with Thornton.
Monster's Ball refers to the night before an execution, and though the film is not a message movie like Dead Man Walking, the scene of preparing Combs for execution is harrowing. From shaving his leg to dressing him in a diaper to listening to the tightening of the screws, no details are spared and they are awful.
Monster's Ball is not a perfect film. While it's easy for the film to take place in the South (the facile assumption that everyone's racist there), it might have been more daring to film in Ohio or Arizona. Thornton's character is not unique to the southern states; he exists everywhere. As does the possibility for change.
Anji Milanovic
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