Suture did not visit theaters for very long in 1994. In the U.S., the film made grossed just over $100,000. This is probably less than the catering bill for most major studio productions.

With no recognizable actors and a cerebral, slowly-paced story, Suture never really had a chance at the box office. But the film's commercial oblivion was also due to some savaging reviews by critics. They were outraged by the directors' prank of casting a black man as a white man, which in their opinion made it a one-joke film.

Suture is a curious, but mesmerizing movie. In the opening scene, we see a black man hiding in the shower, shooting a white man who is stalking him with a handgun. Thus, the film's ending is revealed in the very first scene.

Suture is also filmed in black and white, which has for decades been unusual except for occasional period pieces, and films with extremely low budgets (i.e. Clerks). With its fixation with white clothes and 'black on white' sets, epitomized by a large Rorschach 'ink splatter' mural over a psychiatrist's desk, Suture makes the most of its self-imposed 'limitation'. But one has to feel that the real reason for the black and white cinematography is because the male lead is a black man, who has been cast as the nearly identical half-brother of a white man.

Vincent Towers (Michael Harris) is the intelligent but emotionally distant heir to his father's multi-million dollar fortune. Presumably to perpetuate his idle and expensive lifestyle, Vincent murders his father. He then fakes a suicide, by coldly setting up his long lost and look-alike half-brother Clay (Dennis Haysbert) in a car bombing. But Clay somehow survives, although he has amnesia and requires reconstructive facial surgery.

Clay is taken for Vincent, and assumes his identity and fortune. Clay gradually recovers from his injuries, thanks to the work of surgeon (and love interest) Dr. Renee Descartes (Mel Harris). Meanwhile, Clay tries to recover his identity from the black hole of his lost past, aided by Freud-quoting psychiatrist Dr. Shinoda (Sab Shimona).

The viewer is initially bewildered. Vincent is a thin, affected white man, but is presented as the evil twin of Clay, who is obviously a muscular black man with a deep, raspy voice. No one in the cast ever notices that Clay is black. What is the motivation of David Siegel and Scott McGehee, who co-wrote and directed the film? Are they making a statement about the obsession our society has concerning race? Or is it an in-joke, a prank that began in a film school discussion group when somebody said, "Wouldn't it be funny if..."

The latter interpretation is supported by a lengthy scene in which Descartes flatters Clay with compliments on his classical Greco-Roman features. The dialogue says one thing, but the extended close-up says something else.

If a joke was what was intended, it can be certain that few people found it amusing. Looking at the user ratings for Suture at imdb.com, American voters have given the film an extremely poor average grade of 5.8. Non-U.S. voters, who presumably are less sensitive over matters of race, have given the film a much better average grade of 7.5. The median grade is 8, meaning that the average has been brought down by a minority of viewers who strongly disliked the film.

Actually, the seeming discrepancy between European and American interpretations of the film may be based upon its style rather than its casting. The pace of Suture becomes ponderous in its middle, as Clay's emotional and physical recovery is extensively documented. American audiences are used to more action and romance, while the black and white cinematography and casual dialogue is reminiscent of an early 1960s style of French and Italian art films.

The truth is, I enjoyed Suture, but not because of its style or its casting. I liked the story and the script. Although sometimes slow and self-conscious, it is a minor gem when compared to its more conventional and predictable crime drama brethren. (69/100)




Recommended: Yes