Many technological innovations in the past few centuries, particularly those related to the recording and reproduction of images, have found early application for the purpose of sexual gratification. This phenomenon has had far-reaching consequences on sexual mores and the lives of individuals. For one such individual, the protagonist of the 2002 biopic Auto Focus, the consequences were rather dark.
The film is based on The Murder of Bob Crane" a 1993 book by true crime author Richard Graysmith. The script describes the life and career of Bob Crane, an actor who became famous for starring in the immensely popular 1960s television sitcom Hogan's Heroes. Despite the outrageous premise of comedy set in POW camp during WW2, the audience loved the show, which remained on air for six seasons. However, Crane, a devout Catholic and dedicated family man, found it difficult to resist the various women who threw themselves at him due to his fame. His encounter with John Henry Carpenter (played by Willem Dafoe), an electronics expert who introduced Crane to the new device called the video tape recorder, steered his life in new direction. The two men became friends and began recording their sexual encounters with women on tape, sometimes taking part in orgies. Crane's life began to revolve around sex, and when the show was cancelled, he went into a downward spiral, although he appeared unaware that his addiction, which has cost him his marriage and forced him to make ends meet in dinner theatre, might ultimately cost him his life.
Auto Focus was written and directed by Paul Schrader, one of the most important authors of New Hollywood. The subject matter seemed quite appropriate for him, as his own lifestyle, built on drugs, sex, and similar hedonistic excess, had at times matched Crane's. Schrader directs very well and succeeds in showing Crane's life in relatively little time. He cleverly uses different styles of shot composition and cinematography to create different atmospheres in different eras – cheerful, optimistic, and light in the 1960s, and decadent and dark in the 1970s. However, at times, Schrader gets carried away and shows too much style for too little substance, like in the scene when Crane experienced sex-themed daydream on the set of Hogan’s Heroes. The cast is excellent, with veteran Greg Kinnear effectively portraying the relatively simple man whose facade of a perfect family man crumbles under the temptations of fame and new technology. Willem Dafoe gives another grand performance as Crane's increasingly creepy friend, whose relationship with Crane is humorous, dark, and sometimes ambiguous.
Auto Focus might disappoint viewers who expected Schrader to say something important about the state of America and the underbelly of its show business industry, or at least something that wasn't said before. Some might be disappointed by the lack of proper closure, as the mystery of Crane's death wasn't solved, at least not officially. Despite its flaws, Auto Focus is a well-made film that could be recommended to those fascinated by the history of the 20th century, early video technology, and the tragic consequences of fame. The film was mostly received well by critics, but Scotty Crane, Bob Crane's son, wasn't pleased and accused the filmmakers of embellishing certain facts and adding some fiction, which Schrader himself partially admitted.
RATING: 7/10 (++)
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