Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made'

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Spartan
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Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made'

Post by Spartan »

Taken from:
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-enter ... 53285.html
At a recent screening in New York of Compliance, described by one US critic as possibly "the most disturbing movie ever made", no fewer than eight people walked out.

Director Craig Zobel was not surprised. The film's premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year prompted almost the exact same reaction, with one audience member accusing the film of trying to make violence against women "entertaining" before angrily vacating the premises, along with several others. Since then it has been called everything from misogynistic to a political allegory. "It's not a breezy charmer, that's for sure," says Zobel.

Compliance, screened across the US to varying degrees of outrage and now due at the London Film Festival in October, is not a gory potboiler. It's a psychological thriller that, in the low-budget claustrophobia of a restaurant back office, teases out the tale, based closely on real events, of a prank caller who convinces seemingly good people to do bad things.

Friday night in a bustling fast-food joint and Sandra (Ann Dowd), a frumpy manageress whose day is going from bad to worse, receives a phone call from a man claiming to be a policeman. "Officer Daniels", played with sinister charm by Pat Healy, tells Sandra that one of her young employees, Becky (Dreama Walker) has been accused of stealing and must be questioned until the police arrive. Sandra, fearful of being uncooperative, duly complies. Panic-stricken Becky, worried that she will lose her job, does too.

The abhorrent events that follow ought to be unbelievable, but a clever, torturously slow script makes them less so. Becky is strip-searched and Sandra is persuaded to leave her, naked but for a flimsy apron, in the hands of several men, including Sandra's own fiancé. At the behest of the caller, the men subject her to increasingly humiliating acts until one final, terrible moment of submission.

The real incident, which happened in Kentucky in 2004 and which was one of 70 similar deceptions, was captured on CCTV footage, so we know that the film is largely faithful to it. It's a powerful look at the psychology of obedience that recalls both the Holocaust and the controversial Milgram experiment, in which subjects were persuaded to administer what they believed to be near fatal electric shocks to their peers, under the supervision of scientists.

There's no doubt that it makes for extremely uncomfortable viewing, however people's hostility, says Zobel, is because they don't believe such things could really have happened. "But they did. The question I hope the film poses is why."

So why? Some have accused the film of being exploitative, but in fact the camera shies away from Becky's nudity, focusing instead on the phone, and the reactions of those on it, on Sandra in particular. Without her easy acquiescence would any of it have happened? Does she envy Becky? Is she a victim or a perpetrator?

"The part for me that's fascinating is how does it happen beat by beat," says Zobel, who adds that he empathised with every character. "The instinct is to distance yourself from that kind of behaviour, to say, 'I would never do that.' But people that say that leave themselves more open. I'm not saying I'm doing a public service but... it's important that we talk about this stuff."

Sandra is both the scapegoat and the villain of the piece, but no one comes away unscathed. Indeed, the only dissenter is someone who has never had much respect for authority.

The most disturbing aspect of Compliance is its implied complicity. What would you do?

'Compliance' is on at the London Film Festival from 18 to 20 October


siLLy KiD
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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by siLLy KiD »

they made a movie about this? :naswtf:




the whole story is pretty fucking crazy though...dude is a bonafied psycho. When they finally caught up to him he had all these old police cars and fake police uniforms and all sortsa military shit and books for training officers. I could see it being a good movie...

citizen
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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by citizen »

more disturbing than white chicks?

Cash Rulz
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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by Cash Rulz »

:bunk: white people

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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by Blockhead »

Movie looks awesome.

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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by Sylissez »

Heard about this a few weeks ago. Definitely gonna check it out.

jay
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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by jay »

The original footage above is just nuts (watched it before watching the trailer) ... nonstop wtf moments till the custodian gets on the horn and refuses to comply.

Spartan
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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by Spartan »

I was laughing hysterically.

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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by perfectprism »

Read the article a while ago, it floored me then but I never considered it as a movie prospect. Looks excellently creepy. The part in the footage where he is making her stand on a chair is so absurd I can't even wrap my head around it, never mind the other horrible shit. People are fuckin scary.
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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by Tired & Broke »

Cash Rulz wrote: :bunk: white people

PopeyeJones
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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by PopeyeJones »

Think it would have been incredibly great w/out knowing the whole plot going in. As is, all the shit that would seem crazy as fuck just slides off because you know there's even more coming. Really well done slow burn, though. Fucking insane that the dude was acquitted.

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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by siLLy KiD »

PopeyeJones wrote:Think it would have been incredibly great w/out knowing the whole plot going in. As is, all the shit that would seem crazy as fuck just slides off because you know there's even more coming. Really well done slow burn, though. Fucking insane that the dude was acquitted.

wait....who was acquitted...? :naswtf: the dude on the phone? or the managers husband who got his rocks off in the pre-teen?

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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by Tweak Da Leak »

siLLy KiD wrote:
PopeyeJones wrote:Think it would have been incredibly great w/out knowing the whole plot going in. As is, all the shit that would seem crazy as fuck just slides off because you know there's even more coming. Really well done slow burn, though. Fucking insane that the dude was acquitted.

wait....who was acquitted...? :naswtf: the dude on the phone? or the managers husband who got his rocks off in the pre-teen?
same question, I wonder if the manager and her hubby are still together.
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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by PopeyeJones »

Dude on the phone got acquitted. Manager's husband got five years.

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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by siLLy KiD »

fuck outta here...although with this legal system I can't say I'm surprised...my homie got straight MURDERED in the first and they gave that faggot "voluntary man slaughter" lol. He'll be out in a few years. :fail:

Tired & Broke
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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by Tired & Broke »

PopeyeJones wrote:Dude on the phone got acquitted. Manager's husband got five years.
Yeah but he only has to serve 2, the victim received 6 mil from a settlement she had with Mickey D's. Horrible crime but that's not a bad lick for one crusty blowjob. (Damn I'm an asshole)

Gregg Popabitch
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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by Gregg Popabitch »

I saw the movie the day it came out and I was like "lol, this shit is unbelievable".

Then i read about it and found out everything happened to a T pretty much.

I was like :ohsh: :ohsh: :ohsh:

360
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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by 360 »

Who here wouldn't suck some dudes dick for 6 mil? Be honest.

JaH BLaZe
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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by JaH BLaZe »

360 wrote:Who here wouldn't suck some dudes dick for 6 mil? Be honest.
if thats a tax free 6 million dollar dick , i know 85 % of you mahfuckas would be on it

Blockhead
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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by Blockhead »

Just watched it with my girl. I thought it was great and the performances were really awesome. Definitely not the best date night movie, though.

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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by Sylissez »

Blockhead wrote:Just watched it with my girl. I thought it was great and the performances were really awesome. Definitely not the best date night movie, though.
I dunno. It could work in a "All the sudden me leaving the toilet seat up doesn't seem quite so bad, does it?" kinda way.

360
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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by 360 »

Can I be honest? I wish I watched this with a girl because then I would have been graceful enough to not have an erection.

I need to seek atonement.

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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by Blockhead »

Since we're all men here, can we talk about the girls tits? just awesome.

ThaJim2
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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by ThaJim2 »

Really impressed by this movie. I am not sure if that last interview in the movie is based on the real life version by the dialogue used I hear that shit everyday by people in line at the store or low level employees.

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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by darkwingduck »

Blockhead wrote:Since we're all men here, can we talk about the girls tits? just awesome.
yo. she had a nice bod thats for sure.

good movie, hilarious that its true.

Spartan
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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by Spartan »

Watched this last night. Enjoyed this a lot.

LilLeftBrain
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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by LilLeftBrain »

there w blook on the terts
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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by Tweak Da Leak »

somebody upload the terts
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Spartan
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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by Spartan »

Tweak Da Leak wrote:somebody upload the terts
NSFW
Image

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Re: Compliance: 'Possibly the most disturbing film ever made

Post by admiral »

Everyone involved, from the main girl on down, is fucking stupid
At a recent screening in New York of Compliance, described by one US critic as possibly "the most disturbing movie ever made", no fewer than eight people walked out.
Fuck those 8 people - they probably have nightmares about the Care Bears

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