Sexual Perversity Meets University

With "Oleanna," writer and director David Mamet attempts to tackle the issue of sexual harassment. Choosing a college campus as his setting. Mamet only fans the fires of controversy. A film such as this must tread a difficult path to acceptance.

Everyone who sees "Oleanna" will have something to say about it. Indeed, it is one of the most engaging and thought-provoking films of the past year. Unfortunately, no one succeeds merely by taking risks, although in this film Mamet comes close. He should be praised for presenting a lucid, interesting piece on sexual harassment, but the praise should end there.

Deborah Eisenstadt plays Carol, an attractive young college student who is failing one of her courses. John, played by William Macy, is Carol's teacher. He is middle-aged, married and in the early stages of buying a new house. He has been told recently that he is a candidate for tenure.

One afternoon, Carol appears at John's office, confused, bedraggled and without an appointment. She convinces him to sit down with her and discuss her situation. This discussion soon escalates into a forum for John's rantings and ravings on everything from his problems to the state of education in the U.S. What began as a seemingly innocuous conversation ended with passionate speeches and heartfelt advice. For the first time in his career, John is making a connection with one of his students. At least, that's what he thinks.

Unsure about the entire episode, and angered by John's patronizing tone, Carol leaves dissatisfied with their meeting. This ambiguity leads her to turn John's life upside down. Claiming mental and physical misconduct, Carol files sexual harassment charges against John. Shocked by such outlandish charges, John insists that Carol meet with him again. This misunderstanding, he feels, will be easily fixed.

She returns in a manner that would make Rush Limbaugh proud. Looking as if she had just walked out of an eight-week NOW boot camp, she struts into his office with the utmost confidence. With her hair tied rigidly behind her head and wearing a dark suit, Carol looks nothing like the innocent girl she was before. She looks more like a postmodern witch. Mamet reaches his lowest point with this stereotypical view of women who press sexual harassment charges.

A film in two acts, there is little continuity between the first half and the second half. Not only does Carol look different in the second act, she is different. The woman who pressed charges against John is not the same as the one who crept into his office sheepishly hoping to straighten out her grade. Apparently, women who press sexual harassment charges are chameleons constantly changing color. The second half of "Oleanna" is a non sequitur. It is impossible to comprehend how the first act resulted in the second.

The other major flaw in this film is that here, unlike everywhere else in the world, the issue of sexual harassment is black and white. There is little to no room for misinterpretation. Not only are John's intentions not inappropriate, but neither were his actions. These charges are quite obviously misdirected. Throughout the film, the audience knows who is right and who is wrong. Mamet's message seems to be that sexual harassment charges are pursued unfairly by repressed feminists. No one, not even Mr. Mamet, can believe this. So why base a movie on this premise?

As John, William Macy is outstanding. Struggling along with the audience to understand his woman, it is easy to feel his anguish. Having collaborated with Mamet for twenty five years, he seems to identify with every nuance of the character. The script is less kind to Deborah Eisenstadt. She is forced to play two completely different women while somehow relating them. I'm not sure that even Mery Streep could have succeeded in this task. Eisenstadt can hardly be at fault for failing to make this character believable.

Technically, the film is fine. It was Mamet's intention that the direction underscore the writing and acting. This is certainly not the film for grand camera moves or stylish lighting. Mamet and his director of photography, Andrzej Sekula, leave that up to Oliver Stone and Robert Richardson. John's hard-wood paneled office with its musty flavor and dark lighting is treated much like the stage of a play. The actors move and the camera follows. All would have been fine were it not for David Mamet's simplified version of sexual harassment.