Primal Fear

Edward Norton Week

August 14, 2012

Primal Fear:

Primal Fear is one of the films that I hear brought up whenever I hear about how good an actor Edward Norton is. It always comes down to Primal Fear, American History X, and Fight Club. I started off the week with Primal Fear, and I’ll be finishing it with American History X.

Performances: Edward Norton gives a great performance as Aaron Stampler,  the innocent altar boy who supposedly killed the priest, and his alter ego Roy who is truly a monster. The film is known as the debut of Edward Norton and that is not a bad description because it really showcases just how good an actor he can be. Richard Gere is alright in this movie but nothing special, and the only moments that he really shines are the moments where he is talking with Edward Norton’s character. Laura Linney is ok as well in her role as the court appointed judge taking the side against Stampler, and it also has a pre-Lost Terry O’ Quinn playing the DA of Chicago. Edward Norton is really the shining point of this movie. 

Plot: In Primal Fear, Richard Gere plays a lawyer who takes on the case of Aaron Stampler, played by Edward Norton. Stampler is said to have stabbed a Archbishop over seventy times in the chest, and to have cut off his fingers. As Gere investigates further into Stampler’s case, he discovers that Aaron is a textbook case of multiple personality disorder, and that his other side Roy, killed the Archbishop. He can’t bring this out in court however because it is during the middle of a case. So near the end of the trial he puts Stampler on the witness stand and has him become Roy, proving his apparent innocence and winning him the case. It isn’t until after that Gere has a talk with Aaron, and he discovers that there never was an Aaron, and only a Roy. My problem with this movie is not the parts with Edward Norton, who is really good in the role. My problem is that every other part doesn’t work as well with the character. The fact that the Archbishop made him make a porno movie isn’t worked in as well as it possibly could have been. And, also, some of the parts where they described the corruption of the church just seemed out of place. However, the twist is worked in very well near the end.

Entertainment: The plot twist in the end is worked in well, they actually have Stampler applaud Gere for figuring out the case. The last scene is downright creepy and brilliant, as well as the fact that Norton will be released out into the open after only a month of hospitalization. That works out well. The investigation scenes aren’t bad either, and the courtroom scenes are ok. But some of the scenes from Law and Order work just as well and sometimes even better. This is just a stereotypical courtroom movie outside of Norton’s chilling performance. Also, the music in this movie just seemed kind of out of place, considering how dark the rest of the movie is. The French singer is very annoying.

Overall: Overall this movie is alright, it’s nothing special, but Norton’s performance is truly the best part of this movie. He saves it from being boring, but there is never enough of him on screen and always too much of Gere’s boring lawyer character. Norton’s character Aaron isn’t that good, he is wimpy and has an annoying southern stutter, but his character Roy is chilling and you can tell that he would make a great murderer. Also, I think that after seeing Fight Club the whole split personality doesn’t work as well as it could have, but the twist that he really doesn’t have multiple personality disorder makes it so much better. Outside of Norton however, this film can be boring and repetitive, and I really can’t see why it is considered such a good film. In fact, I would have hated this movie if it wasn’t for Norton’s performance. It just didn’t seem to have a gripping enough story or a good enough script for anyone but the suspect. Overall, Primal Fear is an overrated film that wouldn’t be considered as good if it wasn’t for Edward Norton, but Norton does put forth a great performance. Sadly however, parts of his performance can still be quite over the top and annoying, so it isn’t his best that I have seen.

Overall Grade: C