Main Cast: Madonna, Willem Dafoe, Anne Archer, Joe Mantegna, Julianne Moore
Release Year: 1993
Country: US
Run Time: 99 minutes
Plot
Madonna plays Rebecca Carlson, a sex bomb who parades naked in front of the open windows of her houseboat at all hours while the lobstermen catch crabs. This entry in the Basic Instinct sweepstakes poses the question: If love hurts, does sex kill? The judge and jury certainly want to find out when Rebecca's latest conquest, a multi-millionaire, dies of a heart attack while making love to her. Eight million dollars was bequeathed to Rebecca in his will, and District Attorney Robert Garrett (Joe Mantegna) is convinced that Rebecca, knowing that her rich lover had a weak heart, killed him with wild sex so that she could get her mitts on the money. Rebecca's lawyer, Frank Dulaney (Willem Dafoe), thinks differently, suspecting the millionaire's private secretary Joanne Braslow (Anne Archer) of the crime, since she was dumped by the millionaire for Rebecca. Besides which, Frank is attracted to Rebecca himself and throws legal ethics out the window as he starts a sadomasochistic affair with her. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Review
Of all the erotic thrillers that came in the wake of Basic Instinct, Uli Edel's Body of Evidence is arguably the silliest. Although the screenplay attempts to titillate with kinky sex games, the dialogue is flat. Madonna's stale delivery does nothing to help the proceedings. Her Rebecca Carlson is so unappealing, such a non-entity as a human being, even an actor as talented as Willem Dafoe is unable to be credibly attracted to her. Dafoe keeps a pained look on his face throughout most of the film that is supposed to communicate an uncontrollable urge, but one gets the impression that the look betrays the actor's knowledge of how bad the film is. Director Uli Edel had some success in Germany and had achieved art-house respectability with Last Exit to Brooklyn, but Body of Evidence seemed to kill whatever career momentum he had built up to that point. This film is valuable only for pop-culture fiends who savor Madonna's cinematic train wrecks like Swept Away, Dangerous Game, and Shanghai Surprise (to name just a few). ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Jürgen Prochnow - Dr. Alan Paley; Frank Langella - Jeffrey Roston; Stan Shaw - Charles Biggs; Charles Hallahan - Dr. McCurdy; Lillian Lehman - Judge Burnham; Mark Rolston - Detective Reese; Jeff Perry - Gabe; Richard Riehle - Detective Griffin; John Chandler - Dr. Novaro; Mario de Priest - Technician; Michael Forest - Andrew Marsh; Mark C. Vincent - Male Reporter; Mary Jo Slater; Frank Roberts - Minister; Peter Paul Eastman - Jury Foreman; Timi Prulhiere - Waitress; Bryan Clark - Clerk
Credit
Michael Rizzo - Art Director, Tim Salmon - Boom Operator, Huckleberry Caton - Boom Operator, Tom Caton - Boom Operator, Mary Jo Slater - Casting, Megann Ratzow - Casting, Bernd Eichinger - Co-producer, Herman Weigel - Co-producer, Susan Becker - Costume Designer, Dennis Maguire - First Assistant Director, Uli Edel - Director, David R. Ellis - Second Unit Director, Thom Noble - Editor, Stephen Deutsch - Executive Producer, Melinda Jason - Executive Producer, Anthony Cortino - Hair Styles, Anne Morgan - Hair Styles, Christopher Shihar - Hair Styles, Michael Neale - Location Manager, Graeme Revell - Composer (Music Score), Stuart Boros - Musical Direction/Supervision, Joseph Campayno - Makeup, Deborah Larsen - Makeup, Patricia A. Garhardt - Makeup, Victoria Paul - Production Designer, Douglas Milsome - Cinematographer, Dino de Laurentiis - Producer, Mel Dellar - Producer, Jerie Kelter - Set Designer, Joe Quinlivan - Special Effects, Robert E. Worthington - Special Effects, Matt Kutcher - Special Effects, Kurt St. Amant - Sound Mixer, Ben Wilkins - Sound Editor, Tim A. Davison - Stunts, Erik Rondell - Stunts, Ric Waugh - Stunts, Annie Ellis - Stunts, David R. Ellis - Stunts Coordinator, Mel Dellar - Unit Production Manager, Alison Cross - Screenwriter, Brad Mirman - Screenwriter, Kelsey Kline - Production Assistant, Dave Fulton - Unit Publicist, Calmar Roberts - First Assistant Camera, Donald Burghardt - First Assistant Camera, Packy Lennon - Gaffer, Charles "Lew" Smith - Key Grip, Leslie Percy, Jr. - Key Grip, Richard Bernstein - Music Editor, Daniel Brock - Post Production Supervisor, Gary Chandler - Post Production Supervisor, Christine Baer - Production Coordinator, Horst Grandt - Properties Master, Steve Pederson - Re-Recording Mixer, Paul Massey - Re-Recording Mixer, Dan Wallin - Re-Recording Mixer, Lyn Matsuda Norton - Script Supervisor, John Wildermuth - Second Assistant Director, Dale Martin - Special Effects Coordinator, Murray Close - Still Photographer, Sandy Gendler - Supervising Sound Editor, Val Kuklowsky - Supervising Sound Editor, John Vecchio - Assistant Chief Lighting Technician, Willie Mann - Best Boy Grip, David Sherry - Casting Assistant, Jan Glaser - Casting Associate, Pat Reddish - Chief Lighting Technician, Don Lundell - Construction Coordinator, Frank Viviano - Construction Coordinator, Violet N. Cane - Costumes Supervisor, Mike Moad - Dolly Grip, Chris Peppe - First Assistant Editor, Luis Colina - First Assistant Editor, Pat Morache - Scenic Artist, James Woods - Scenic Artist, Gavin Alcott - Second Assistant Camera, J. Steven Matzinger - Second Assistant Camera, Nancy Blewer - Second Second Assistant Director, Jim Meyer - Set Dresser, Terry Collis - Transportation Coordinator, Gary Burritt - Negative Cutter, Keith A. Wester - Production Sound Mixer, Jay Mark Johnson - Title Design, Wendy Smith - Art Department Coordinator
This article needs references that appear in reliable third-party publications. Primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject are generally not sufficient for a Wikipedia article. Please add more appropriate citations from reliable sources. (July 2009)
The first theatrical release was censored for the purpose of obtaining an R rating, reducing the film's running time from 101 to 99 minutes. The video premiere, however, restored the deleted material.
Synopsis
After her much older, wealthy lover dies following an intense session of sadomasochistic sex, dominatrix Rebecca Carlson (Madonna) finds herself charged with his murder. Desperate for freedom, she slowly seduces her attorney, Frank Delaney (Willem Dafoe), and embarks on a dark and dangerous affair with him.
Reception and controversy
The film was almost universally panned by critics and was nominated for a record six Golden Raspberries, including "worst actress" for Madonna, which she won. It also appeared on the 2005 list of Roger Ebert's most hated films. The screenplay and performances were especially disparaged.
Body of Evidence also exacerbated an already burgeoning controversy about Madonna's frequent association with pornography. Before its release she had already published her softcorecoffee table bookSex, and the film features her and Dafoe's characters in graphic scenes of simulated rape, cunnilingus, anal and public intercourse.[citation needed] Madonna re-created her look from the film for the music video of her song "Bad Girl", released at the same time.
