Certain works of literature possess quality that make them synonymous with specific time and place where they are set in. For example, *The Great Gatsby* is forever associated with Roaring Twenties America. Work that was supposed to do the same for 1980s New York City is *The Bonfire of the Vanities*, bestselling and critically acclaimed debut novel by famous journalist Tom Wolfe. Sadly, the reputation of his work was forever tarnished by 1990 eponymous film adaptation produced and directed by Brian De Palma.
The film begins when Peter Fallow (played by Bruce Willis) alcoholic journalist and film’s narrator is being hailed by New York City’s elite for his book. Plot through flashbacks describes the story depicted in that book. It begins with Sherman McCoy (played by Tom Hanks), descendant of wealthy aristocratic WASP family who makes a living as Wall Street bond trader or “master of the universe” and has everything people of his status are supposed to have – luxury home, seemingly perfect family and sexy mistress Maria Ruskin (played by Melanie Griffith). One night, while he drives Maria from airport, he makes the wrong turn and ends in predominately black Bronx neighbourhood. This lead to frightening encounter with two local youths which ends with Maria driving car during escape and accidentally running over one of the young men who would end critically injured. Sherman fails to report the incident to police and that leads to his downfall because his vehicle is later identified. Reverend Bacon (played by John Hancock), local community leader, stirs racial tensions demanding that the unknown white assailant pay for his crime. Abe Weiss (played by F. Murray Abraham), ambitious district attorney is willing to pursue the case hoping that minority votes would help his campaign for the mayor. Fallow begins to to cover his story that points to Sherman whose life begins to fall apart – he loses jobs, while his friends and family, including wife Judy (played by Kim Cattral), abandon him while himself briefly ends in jail. The only turnaround comes when conscience-stricken Fallow discovers that Maria actually drove the car and that could help Sherman at the court presided by stern no-nonsense Judge Leonard White (played by Morgan Freeman).
Wolfe’s novel was hailed as brutal satire on New York City, place full of contradictions that witnessed explosion of greed and material excess at Wall Street during Reagan’s years yet was also drenched in crime and simmering racial and ethnic tension. Wolfe created fascinating sets of characters and spared none of them, regardless of social class, gender, race or ethnicity, from his darkly perceptive criticism. Unfortunately, De Palma failed to recognise or properly understand the novel and instead presented *The Bonfire of the Vanities* as broad and completely ineffective comedy. The only thing he brought to the screen was his undisputed directing skill which is shown at the very beginning with spectacular minutes-long tracking shot that introduces us to the character of Fallow. Unfortunately, it also displays what is ultimately wrong with the picture – all style and little or no substance. Fallow isn’t that important character for the story and he isn’t particularly likeable. Same thing can be said for all other characters in the story, including Sherman McCoy, which had misfortune of being terribly miscast. Tom Hanks, brought in order to make both him and the film itself more sympathetic and Hollywood-like to bigger audience, simply fails to be convincing or to bring any charm. Same thing can be said for Bruce Willis who is utterly dislikeable as arrogant and cynical alcoholic, as Melanie Griffith doesn’t fare better, thanks to Michael Christopher’s poor script that burdens her character with terrible dialogue lines and malapropisms. Kim Cattral as Sherman’s diet-obsessed socialite wife is reduced to caricature, same as John Hancock as rouble-rousing community leader (obviously modeled after real life Reverend Al Sharpton) and F. Murray Abraham who overacts as hysterically ambitious politician. Morgan Freeman is the only actor that brings some dignity as noble judge, but his final speech during which he calls for fellow citizens to find dignity in themselves looks like it arrived from someone else’s film by mistake. While Vilmos Zsigmond’s cinematography makes film look good on few occasions, music score by Dave Grusin is underwhelming. The slow pace, poor anti-climactic ending and dislikeable character make *The Bonfire of the Vanities* waste of time for anyone but the more curious and patient among the viewers.
This verdict was shared by contemporary critics, who had never liked De Palma in the first place, but also by the audience. Hopes that the controversy over its racially charged content would help the ticket sales never materialised and *The Bonfire of the Vanities* ended as catastrophic flop, seriously undermining careers of almost anyone involved. Ironically, *Devil’s Candy*, book by journalist Julie Salomon chronicling traumatic production and its aftermath, later became another bestseller.
RATING: 3/10 (+)
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