Something Wild
Directed by: Jonathan Demme
Written by: E. Max Frye
Starring: Jeff Daniels, Melanie Griffith, Ray Liotta,

Jonathan Demme’s ‘Something Wild’ almost plays like two movies in one. The first, a colourful, fun road trip film that mixes comedy and romance in a fresh and exciting way. The second half; a darker, brooding crime picture that rips the main characters from their idealized, free spirited adventure and drops them into a taught thriller. It’s Demme’s ability to manage these tonal shifts that makes Something Wild great.

The film stars Jeff Daniels as Charlie Driggs, a buttoned down banker with a wild side. After skipping out on a diner bill, he’s confronted by Lulu, played by Melanie Griffith, who immediately targets Charlie’s longing for a little adventure in his life. She convinces him to join her on a road trip to her hometown and starts introducing Charlie to friends and family as her new husband. He goes along with the ruse, continually aware of the possible fall out from his actions, yet unable to resist Lulu’s appeal. The whole situation reminds me of Vincent Gallo’s Buffalo 66, which clearly must have been influenced by Demme’s film. While the first half of the picture has an easy going road trip sensibility, things take a dark turn as Lulu (who’s real name is Audrey) brings Charlie to her high school reunion and runs into her ex-husband Ray, who’s just been released from prison (played by a creepy Ray Liotta in his first major film role). When Ray decides to take back his girl, the film turns down a dark path as Charlie attempts to save Audrey.

It’s a gutsy move on the screenwriter/filmmakers part. Something Wild plays with both the character’s and the audiences desires and we’re all in it for the same thing; escapism. Charlie is looking for someone to spice up his otherwise mundane routine and Audrey is looking for someone to normalize her out-of-control lifestyle. When their spontaneous, romantic jaunt is interrupted by violence, so is ours. Demme, and a screenwriter E. Max Frye, commit to this choice one hundred percent. The unpredictability of the plot — and the overall feel of the film — reminded me of Martin Scorsese’s After Hours, a movie which came out the same year as Something Wild and actually has a loose connection; screenwriter E. Max Frye had considered Scorsese as a top choice (along with Demme) to direct his screenplay. Both films stand out as great pieces of 80’s cinema that reflect the decade without being totally buried under its cliches.

Cinematographer Tak Fujimoto spends the first half of Something Wild exploring a characteristically 80’s look, making use of bright colours, high-key lighting and Melanie Griffith’s flashy wardrobe. The look contains a self-awareness of the excessive aesthetics of the films own decade. It’s a fitting look for the fairly comedic opening act. Once we’re introduced to Ray, there’s a direct tonal shift both in the story and the look. The film takes on a much darker, cooler colour palette. You’ll also notice a change in the soundtrack, which at the start relies upon the world beat rhythm’s coming from Audrey’s stereo. A great original opening title track by David Byrne also sets the tone. But again, once the plot thickens, the music reflects the transition. It’s a bit of a jarring shift that might disappoint those caught up in the joy of Charles and Audrey’s adventure but for me, the additional ‘crime’ story allowed for an opportunity to reveal a different side of these characters and alleviate the threat of Something Wild collapsing under it’s own quirkiness. When Ray acts out violently, physically taking back his wife, Charlie and Audrey are faced with the fact that up until this point, their relationship has been based on a shallow, idealistic fantasy. They’re immediately forced to drop the facade and step into reality, confronting the truths they’d been hiding from each other up until that point. The result is a thrilling, unexpected turn of events that end up resembling the final act of Tony Scott’s True Romance.

The blu ray transfer of Something Wild was supervised by cinematographer Tak Fujimoto and approved by Jonathan Demme. It’s a natural looking presentation that captures the intent of the filmmakers. It’s certainly not the type of film that home theatre enthusiasts will be using to impress their girlfriends but it’s definitely an impressive transfer. As for extras, this one’s comparatively light considering Criterion’s love of loading their discs with supplemental materials. Luckily, the included 34 minute interview with Jonathan Demme is an informative one and definitely worth checking out. We also get a 10 minute interview with screenwriter E. Max Frye and the original theatrical trailer. Aside from that, the booklet and a wonderful bit of packaging rounds out the release. Still, it’s great to see a film like Something Wild given the Criterion treatment and leading the way for similar 1980’s cult classics. — Jay C.

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