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Paul Schrader's Affliction, adapted from the novel by Russell Banks (The Sweet Hereafter), charts the slow descent of small-town sheriff Wade Whitehouse (a raspy, gruffly restrained Nick Nolte) into violence, the legacy of the corrupt love of an abusive, alcoholic father. The story ostensibly centers on a hunting death on the outskirts of town, but as Wade digs into what may or not be a conspiracy, his personal life spirals out of control. James Coburn, who deservedly won an Oscar for his mocking, sneering performance, is Wade's father, who jumps back into the cycle of abuse when Wade moves in to care for the aging man. Chronicling the story in distant, dispassionate tones is Willem Dafoe as Wade's younger brother Rolfe, who 'escaped' his father's legacy in a world of books. Schrader has made his reputation revealing the scarred psyches of American men trying to reconcile the contradictions of masculine fantasy and social reality, as in his screenplays for Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, and in Affliction he creates his most poignant and powerful work. The quiet beauty of the snow-blanketed New Hampshire setting (using Canadian locations) and Schrader's restrained yet intimate cinematic style builds the underlying emotional tensions until they explode in startling close-ups, revealing the repressed fear, rage, and helplessness cracking through Wade's carefully maintained façade. As Rolfe's narration coolly analyzes his brother's affliction, he reveals his own: an emotional remove so complete that he's edited himself out of his family history. The legacy of abuse leaves no one untouched. --Sean Axmaker
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - With a little more silence this movie would have been perfect...
I want to start by saying that on paper, `Affliction' is one of the most impressive character studies I've ever had the privilege of reading. The novel, written by Russell Banks (that author I keep touting as the greatest American writer of all time), is an outstanding piece of literature; a marvelous study of the slow progression of anger, pain, misery and ultimate insanity. On paper, `Affliction' is a masterpiece; on the screen, `Affliction' is merely a good movie.
It is a good movie, ... Read More
Rating:  - A noir with a touch of Bergman!
Paul Shrader is one the few filmmakers who never has bent his convictions about propelling his independent entries, permeated of dark and bleak memories. Like Fassbinder for instance, he is well aware his role in the cinema , what is to become a sleepless lighthouse around our ethical consciousness.
Small constable investigates a supposed shooting, but he is firmly convinced it was a premeditate murder. Meanwhile he is haunted by his childhood because his drunken and abusive father. ... Read More
Rating: - Ready to Implode
Nick Nolte is excellent as a man who is seriously about to implode. Watching him in this role is like waiting to hear thunder after the lightning strikes. He is constantly on the verge of losing it, while he is also constantly trying to smother his wrath. You get the feeling that there is going to be a four alarm fire erupting at any time and Nick Nolte is about to run out of the water that is dousing his flames inside.
James Coburn plays his father. A nasty man, always drunk, always evil. ... Read More
Rating: - One of the best movie's you'll see
I have no idea why there are negative reviews of this movie here. Maybe some people can't handle the dark nature of the movie. This is a piece of art that is fully realized and very powerful. There's not a wasted moment on the screen. Nolte and Coburn are tremendous. A detailed story rich in small symbols, worthy of more than one viewing.
Rating: - Haunting...
I watched this movie late at night on the IFC a few years ago, and it haunts me still. The abuse of a child lingers on, and it's so evident in this movie. I have a very difficult relantionship with my own father, and found myself moved to tears in this movie. The ending shocked me, and very few movies have the power to do that to me. I highly recommend this film, as long as you understand what you're getting into by watching it.
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