DVD Review: The Border (1982)

Released to blu ray and DVD by Kino Lorber, "The Border" was an enormous box office flop at the time of its release and has therefore received little attention since. However, box office receipts do not necessarily indicate whether a film is good or bad, or how well it holds up. And "The Border" has become more timely in the modern era than during its own. The budget for "The Border" was $22 million and it didn't even make $7 million at the US box office. Director Tony Richardson, best known for the award winning "Tom Jones," and the powerful cast, seemed like it would generate stronger interest at the time of its initial release. In any case, it is a good movie that holds up well.

Jack Nicholson stars as Charlie Smith, an immigrant enforcement agent who lives in a cramped trailer with his wife Marcy (Valerie Perrine). Charlie just wants to do his job and pay his bills, but Marcy wants more out of life. She arranges for her and Charlie to move into a nice duplex connected to her friends Cat (Harvey Keitel) and Savannah (Shannon Wilcox). Caught up in the better surroundings, Marcy starts charging items beyond their means, so Charlie gets involved with illegal activities to make more money. Cat and another associate, Red (Warren Oates), are involved in an illegal smuggling ring and while Charlie avoids this at first, financial necessity forces him into participating. This soon leads to kidnapping, and murder.

Both Nicholson and Keitel play their inner rage effectively. For Nicholson, it is a combination of guilt and desperation, needing the money, but realizing the wrongdoing. When he meets a young mother whose baby is abducted, circumstances have gone beyond his acceptance, and he sets out to find the child. This causes a conflict with Keitel's character.

"The Border" also shows the depth of Nicholson's abilities as an actor. In some films his manic style is used to intimidate the viewer ("The Shining" might be the best example) while otherwise he can be subdued, as in this film. His introspection is every bit as magnetic. Keitel, lean and ripped like a weightlifter, is quite grounded in his corruption, and plays off of Nicholson with a combination of subtlety and a corrupt asceticism that won't budge.

Now that she is retired and, sadly, suffering from Parkinson's disease, seeing Valerie Perrine in this film reminds us of her ability to fluctuate from cat-like purring of her dialog, to jittery impulsivity -- traits that marked her performance in perhaps her best film, "Lenny"

News regarding refugees at the southern border in today's times adds a certain contemporary feel to "The Border," and its narrative remains absorbing throughout. It is curious as to why it wasn't a box office success, but 37 years later, it holds up as a compelling drama featuring good work by top stars and a good director.

Extras on the Kino Lorber blu ray include and interesting commentary track by film critic and author Simon Abrams, which adds further insight and appreciation.

The blu ray is available here: The Border.