Indignation – Film Review by Emily Elphinstone

Directed by: James Schamus
Starring: Logan Lerman, Sarah Gadon, Tracy Letts, Linda Emond, Danny Burstein, Ben Rosenfield, Pico Alexander, Philip Ettinger, Noah Robbins

In cinemas November 18th

With an admirable resume as a screenwriter (The Ice Storm) and producer (Lost in Translation, Brokeback Mountain) it may seem unsurprising that James Schamus has now made his first foray into directing.

Adapted from the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by Philip Roth, Indignation is a beautifully crafted period piece set in the early 1950s. While his friends are sent off to fight in Korea, Marcus Messner (Logan Lerman) moves away from the family-run kosher butchers in New Jersey, to study at the ultra-conservative Winesberg College in Ohio. Though he excels academically (answering a question about how he gets along without a God, with the straight-talking quip ‘I get straight As’,) Marcus fails to fit into the expected social side of college life. Not only does he clash with his roommates; he also refuses an invitation to join the Jewish fraternity and struggles to accept the mandatory attendance at chapel. The only exception to his self-imposed isolation, is the alluring Olivia Hutton (Sarah Gadon); a fellow misfit who awakens his sexuality, and challenges both his views, and his determinedly solitary existence.

With a deliberately slow moving pace, Schamus and cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt pay attention to every detail; making each image of college life a joy to watch. Lerman gives an innocence and warmth to what could have been an alienatingly idealistic and dry character; coming to a fore in the standout scene of the film: A 15 minute battle of wills between Messner and the college head Dean Cauldwell (Tracy Letts), in which both meet their match with explosive results. The film may well be worth watching for this scene alone. However, the masterful creation of every detail in the heart of the film makes the eventual conclusion seem rushed. Though bookending Indignation with a hint at the future of the central characters certainly emphasises the overall feel of the piece, it lacks the focus which is such a joy elsewhere. Ultimately, the film is unsatisfying in places; but it nevertheless provides a visual feast which may well be the strongest cinematic depiction of Roth’s work to date.