Ryan's Reviews: Last Embrace (released 1979) Ryan's Rating: 3 out of 4 stars.
A covert agent for the U.S. government, Harry Hanon (well played by Roy Scheider), witnesses his wife's murder during an ambush in a Texas restaurant. Her death causes a mental breakdown and as the film opens he is being released from a psychiatric hospital (ostensibly for government agents) but still suffers from nightmares of the incident and sudden extreme tremors in his hands. Almost immediately he begins to suspect people are after him but is it real or simply paranoia?
When he returns to his New York City apartment he finds it has been sublet by his "company" to a PhD student studying anthropology, Ellie (Janet Margolin). She gives him an envelope which was slipped under the door with his name on it. The envelope contains a paper with two Hebrew words and a mysterious symbol. Harry takes the letter to a Rabbi (David Margulies) and also a Princeton University Hebrew Studies professor (John Glover) who inform him the note means "Avenger of Blood" and everyone who has received similar notes has been killed. Ellie begins to feel the need to help Harry and Harry soon realizes he needs all the help he can get to figure out what is going on and to save his own life.
A very Hitchcock inspired film, those familiar with Hitch's work will notice references to his films especially in the last ten minutes but also peppered throughout the story. Last Embrace is an early film by director Jonathan Demme (who later won a Best Director Oscar for Silence of the Lambs in 1991) and released a year before his breakthrough with Melvin and Howard (1980). One of Demme's trademarks are characters who appear to speak directly into the camera but are not breaking the "fourth wall" (think of the scenes between Clarice and Hannibal in Lambs). While it only happens a few times here when I saw it happen a big smile spread across my face. I love seeing a director early in their career finding their hallmarks. He also uses real locations to his advantage, for instance the brief scene in NYC's Paley Park is simply and wonderfully staged to make use of the water feature and water tunnel; the Niagara Falls sequence is also exciting. Aside from his adept use of locale I appreciate the time capsule feel of seeing the areas in 1979.
This film is ostensibly a Neo-Noir but also a bit of the 1970s paranoia thriller genre and definitely a Hitchcock inspired tale (though the story is based on the 1977 novel The 13th Man by Murray Bloom). It is one of those movies you have to go with the flow to enjoy. For instance the opening sequence seems a bit hokey and over the top but we soon learn it is one of Harry's recurring nightmares so the style quickly makes sense in that regard.
From a story sense the narrative is not perfect (also some of the 1970s mores are obviously dated) as the plot takes some odd turns and some threads vanish with no explanation. Christopher Walken (fresh off his Oscar winning role the year before in The Deer Hunter) has two brief scenes as Harry's Agency boss but then vanishes completely from the rest of the film. As well when the mystery begins to be unraveled it all becomes a bit too implausible, one revelation comes in such an odd way I thought it was another dream sequence.
Yet when the film was over I was truly drawn in and cherished the viewing experience. Even with its flaws the suspense works, I cared about the characters, and I would like to watch the film again.
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