Affliction

Paul Schrader's adaptation of Russell Banks's novel. Wade works as a policeman in a small New Hampshire town. He also ploughs snow, is divorced, and has a weak relationship with his daughter. A hunting accident happens in the town and Wade does not believe it was an accident. He sets about investigating on his own. But the real subject is not that case. Wade's father Glen is old, alcoholic, and beat his sons all their lives. Wade believes he has got away from him; as the narrative moves, the same anger turns out to be working in him too. The title says it: violence is treated not as an incident but as something inherited, like an illness. The story runs through the winter and the setting is constantly snowbound, closed and silent, an extension of the character's world. Nick Nolte plays Wade and James Coburn plays his father. Coburn won the Oscar for supporting actor; Nolte was nominated for best actor. A strong work for anyone who likes American drama built on character. Before you watch, know this: the film shows domestic violence directly and promises repair nowhere.