Cheap The Woodsman (DVD) (Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Mos Def) (Nicole Kassell) Price

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Customer Reviews of The Woodsman

A journey through the deep, dark woods
What a difficult subject. Kevin Bacon deserves a lot of credit for his courage in taking this on, and for doing so in a fair and balanced way. His portrayal of a man who would be broadly regarded as the lowest of the low reveals the compulsion that drives the molestor to commit such acts. He also gives the viewer glimpses into the self-disgust and self-hatred that many of these individuals feel. His struggle to control his impulses, and his fear of allowing himself to feel any emotion lest the most hideous one overtake him, is clearly communicated. Dealing with the absolute contempt of all who know his dark secret provides yet another source of deep conflict. The little girl who nearly becomes his next victim turns in a well-controlled, subtle performance. Kyra Sedgwick is also to be admired for her portrayal of a victim who has managed not to let her childhood trauma ruin or run her life. It must have been strange for her to think of her real-life husband as a sex offender and put herself through all the emotions that would accompany such a revelation. <
>The Woodsman approaches all these conflicts, and many others, in a way that allows the audience to sympathize with the offender without condoning what he did. It is gratifying to watch him tentatively open himself to another and to begin, just begin, to discover his own humanity.

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Easily and Often Misunderstood
Many people are often left with disgust after watching this film, because they don't understand the writer's reasons and intentions for making the film. If you have the time, I encourage you to watch the movie with the commentary by director Nicole Kassell. Watch it with an open mind and you will learn that this film was not made to make people feel sorry for pedophiles or anything along those lines like that. You will understand it was made to appreciate an incredible struggle. The end of the film is by no means an end of the story or ultimate redemption of the Walter character either, it is just the beginning of Walter's steps in the right direction to become "normal." Also, I think an Oscar goes to Kevin Bacon for this film.

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Superb Representation
This is a superb representation and great acting by Bacon. I have seen most of his movies and his been impressed by his range (I still fail to see how many less talented actors with less range get nominated, ah, well). The emotional ranges are impressive and realistic. Some of the other reviewers have done such an excellent job, I will stop here and defer to them.