Creating Carnage

In South Africa the play has been successfully staged in both English and Afrikaans and is guaranteed to be a hit with discerning cinema-goers looking for intelligent viewing with bite.

Simplicity of concept

The ingenuity of Carnage lies in the simplicity of its concept: After two boys duke it out on a playground, the parents of the "victim" invite the parents of the "bully" over to work out their issues. A polite discussion of child rearing soon escalates into verbal warfare, with all four parents revealing their true colours. None of them will escape the carnage.

This straightforward story explodes dramatically and spirals into chaos, as layers of civilised behaviour are stripped away to reveal the true nature, and sometimes cruel intentions and mischievous malevolence, of the characters.

What makes it even more intriguing and perfectly showcases Polanski's craftsmanship as director, is that the action of the film takes place in one location, the lush apartment of New Yorkers Penelope and Michael Longstreet, which gradually becomes a war zone where wit is pitted against savvy and frustration against calm-and-composed demeanour.

Jodie Foster is outstanding as the pretentious liberal writer and campaigner, well supported by John C Reilly as her ordinary wholesaler husband.

Magnificent and radiant

Equally magnificent and radiant in the role of investment broker Nancy Cowan, is Kate Winslet, whose comic timing and suppressed anger is a lethal combination, with Christoph Waltz absolutely delightful as her irritating husband whose mobile is married to his mobile.

The language of Reza's impeccable dissection of human nature is a feast for film-goers looking for a dialogue-driven narrative, in which the quick-fire delivery by its first-rate cast results in captivating viewing, filled with wicked humorous situations and fierce dramatic conflict.

The combination of Reza and Polanski, who co-wrote the screenplay, is a match made in heaven; Polanski's extraordinary visual sense and Reza's unique writing offer an enthralling experience.

If you have seen the stage play, make sure to see the film; you are guaranteed to relive the magic. If it is your first encounter with Reza's masterwork, you will be back for more. It is not often that this kind of magic translates perfectly into another medium and find a new life.

Rating 5/5

Behind the scenes

Almost as important as the four characters was the set. Constructed on the sound stages of Bry-sur-Marne on the outskirts of Paris, the set was created by production designer Dean Tavoularis, best known for his collaborations with Francis Ford Coppola on some of the most visually impressive films of the past 40 years including The Godfather trilogy, The Conversation and Apocalypse Now. Tavoularis designed a floor plan for a set which would be as authentic as possible, where it was possible to walk from one room to another, or to look from one room down the corridor to another, just as one would do in a real apartment. He also designed the apartment so that it would bring an extra dimension to the narrative at key moments. Read more: http://www.writingstudio.co.za/page3999.html