Front Page: Sleeping with the Enemy

Name: Sleeping with the Enemy
Director: Joseph Ruben
Release Date: 12th April 1991
Country Made: USA
Awards: Nominated for 4 Saturn awards, Won 1 BMI Film Music Award.
Genre: Drama Thriller
Production Company: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Males	6,095	5.6
Females	2,455	6.3

Even though more men voted compared to women, more women preferred the film. I think this is because the film is about domestic violence and this issue predominately affects women. I also think that more women preferred this film, as it shows a weak woman becoming strong, and the women watching admire this.

Males Aged 30-44	2,781	5.5
Females Aged 30-44	909	6.3

Many of the women that preferred this film were in the age range of 30-44years old, i think this is because they are a similar age to the main character and therefore can relate to her issues. This similarity in age between character and audience also gets the audience more involved, as they can relate to her age and the problems that people have in marriage, because many people in the age range of 30-44years are either married or in a serious relationship.

"I think most people tend to overlook how well-done the first 20 minutes of this movie really are. Martin carefully builds a creepy atmosphere, relying on brief glances, moments of silence and quietly expressive performances (especially by Julia Roberts) to help the viewer understand that, behind the image of a perfect couple, something is really wrong." written by G (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102945/usercomments)

Sleeping with the Enemy is a movie that has all the generic codes and conventions of a typical thriller film, although there is different take on the codes and conventions. I agree with what G says "I think most people tend to overlook how well-done the first 20 minutes of this movie really are. Ruben carefully builds a creepy atmosphere, relying on brief glances, moments of silence and quietly expressive performances (especially by Julia Roberts)" this does help the audience realise that the marriage isn't perfect, even if it does look this on the outside. The small glances and touches that Martin (Patrick Bergin) gives Laura (Julia Roberts) build up the uncomfortable and tense atmosphere that the audience feels when watching the film. Also the use of close ups on Laura's expression involve the audience and make them feel what she is feeling at the time.
There is continuous use of establishing shots, this shows a different side to thriller films because even though, locations are normally unglamorous and dingy, in this film the locations (the coastal house and the Iowa house) are glamorous and bright, but with a unglamorous and dark atmosphere that is created by the constant tension that Laura feels. I think this different use of locations creates unpredictability within the film, as it's not an obvious way of showing an unglamorous situation. The sense of claustrophobia is shown differently as well, as the beach house is bright and very open with large windows, however the location is isolated and is very open and barren, and shows that it is just Laura and her abusive husband Martin in that area this shows the audience that even though it isn't instantly obvious, Laura is in a claustrophobic, trapped situation.
The main theme's running through the film are dominance, power, and control these are shown through the music and again what G says "the brief glances, moments of silence." When Martin walks into the scene, the atmosphere and the music drops and becomes more sinister, this suggests that he doesn't just control his wife Laura, but also everything else-the music in the scene, the lighting, the mood. Another way power, control and dominance is shown is where Laura and Martin are positioned and the costume that they wear, for example: In one part of the film, Martin is shown close up and on the right third of the screen in focus, and Laura is shown behind him on the left third of the screen out of focus, this suggests that he thinks he more important and more worthy to be seen by the audience than Laura.
The costumes that Laura and Martin wear, also show the power that Martin has over Laura, because when they are attending a dinner party, they are both wearing black, but when Laura was getting ready she was wearing white and Martin asked her to change into black, and then the next scene they were both wearing black. Another way that Martin controls Laura is through humiliation, because in one scene he undresses her in front of the large windows, and her body language clearly shows discomfort, but Martin suggests to the audience that he doesn't care and that his wants are more important than Laura's dignity. However, at the end of the film there is a power switch, and this is shown through the positions of people, throughout the film Martin has been in the front and Laura has been behind him, showing his power, however in the last chapter Laura and Ben are shown before you see Martin's body, and this shows that the focus has been changed from Martin to Laura and that she now has control of her life back.
As well as costumes, names are important in this film because Laura and Martins names aren't out of the ordinary, they are everyday names there isn't anything special about them, which is exactly what makes them special. People can relate to Laura's situation with Martin due to their names because they are so everyday and mundane, the audience will know someone by the name of Martin or Laura and therefore can link the characters issues to their life, which involves the audience and keeps them watching.
In this film, there are use of flash backs, however i think that there is one particular piece of dialogue that is a flash forward "can't conquer our fears by running away" this is where Martin is talking about Laura not wanting to go on a boat, but it could been seen by the audience as a flash forward for what Laura's plan for the future is, running away? escaping?
There aren't many intertextual references that i noticed, however there was a scene that was similar to the shower scene in Psycho, this shows female weakness in situations, especially when they're alone and that they always need someone to look after them or protect them. There is also a reference to West Side Story, when Ben is dancing and singing about the Jets from the play West Side Story, this suggests that Laura has moved to a more cultural area and upperclass area as the people know about theatre.
During the film most of the music is similar to or the same piece from the opening title, this gives the audience the impression that maybe nothing changes, maybe Laura is always stuck with Martin, she doesn't actually get away even though she attempts it? The music from the beginning matches the first scene, as the music is almost calming and serene and the first scene is outside with nature, this gives the audience a false sense of freedom and happiness as you assume this is location is in tandem with Laura and Martin's relationship. This same piece of music, from the beginning, is also played at the end of the film and suggests a sense of closure and finality, because Martin has been killed by Laura, and she can been seen embracing Ben in the background, this implies that it is his end and her beginning, and that he's end had to come for her beginning to start.

In Sleeping with the Enemy women are represented as quite strong characters, because even though Laura is a subject to domestic abuse, she breaks free of this and the director uses Laura to show other women, that they can escape their abusive husbands, however Ruben does make the end of abusive husband Martin somewhat cliche, as Martin is shot by a desperate, scared, and hurt woman. Ruben also dismisses the idea of a strong man protecting a weak woman, because in the last scene Laura is protecting an unconscious Ben from Martin, so there is a huge role reversal from the typical man saves woman, therefore in this film woman are represented quite positively.