DVD Review: The Woodsman

By Patrick Luce Apr 18, 2005, 3:53 GMT

The basic plot of the Woodsman, which is based on a play by the same name, follows Walter, played by Bacon, from his release from prison, registration as a sex offender, and his struggle to begin his life again. He finds a job, an apartment, and even a girlfriend.

At the same time, Walter has to struggle with the sins of the past that he has brought upon himself. He has a sister that he wants to ask forgiveness from and to renew a relationship, he has a police detective, played by Mos Def, that seems to be waiting to put him back into prison, and he has the overwhelming feeling that he will drift back into his old life.

When the hope of a better life with girlfriend Vickie, played by Bacon’s real wife Kyra Sedgwick, begins to crumble, Walter finds himself in a struggle for any chance of a future. He is overwhelmed by the need to slip back into his crime, and feels like he is losing any chance he might have had to be normal.

Although the movie is slow at times, Bacon does an excellent job in his portrayal of Walter. He shows him as a convicted pedophile who is now trying to overcome those feelings of temptation and achieve a “normal” life. Bacon doesn’t flinch in the role and shows both the good sides of Walter, that make you want to root for him to succeed, and the bad sides, that make you want him to be locked away forever. He handles the complexity of the role in a silent small way that makes Walter seem more real.

The Woodsman main menu

Director Nicole Kassell does a good job at showing the bad side of Walter and not trying to make him heroic or even redeemable. She doesn’t hold back on the various cravings that Walter still struggles with, such as following young girls in a mall, and instead lets the audience decide if he should or shouldn’t be saved.

She uses everything around Bacon, from his small apartment to the noisy job at the lumber mill, to add to the tension of his character. As his world turns more chaotic, Kassell’s filming seems to reflect his mood. She also does a great job of capturing Bacon’s facial features and body language. This allows him to show Walter’s struggles in a quiet way that makes him seem that much more real.

The DVD comes with some decent special features including a look at making Woodsman and some deleted/alternate scenes.

The making of feature consists of an interview with the film’s producer. He talks about how the script came to him, and how Bacon, who also serves as a producer for the movie, became involved in the project. The deleted/alternate scenes include an alternate scene between Bacon and the girl named Robin, but none really seem to add to the overall feel of the movie.

The Woodsman special features menu

The Woodsman is not a movie that will appeal to everyone. It is a slow movie, at some times it feels like it is crawling, and it has a very controversial and disturbing subject. The movie does tackle its subject without hesitation and shows a character with all his flaws in the open. I would recommend the movie to anyone who enjoys a good drama.

The Woodsman is now available at Amazon. It will be available May 23 on DVD in the U.K. and you can pre-order now from Amazon.UK.