Masterpiece `Leaving Las Vegas' brings tragic love alive onscreen

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by Chris McKenzie

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The subtitle of Leaving Las Vegas is A Love Story , a phrase that usually has a positive ring to it. But Leaving Las Vegas is about everything except the positive aspects of love; it's an examination of what happens when lovers are caught in cycles of self-destruction, and of how hopelessness can coexist with love. It contends that even love, "the most powerful force in the universe," can be completely powerless in the face of despair.

It's a tragic story, but it sure is good, and with great directing from Mike Figgis ( Liebestraum ) and excellent acting from Nicholas Cage and Elizabeth Shue, Leaving Las Vegas is one the finest movies I've seen in years.

That doesn't mean that watching it is a pleasant experience. The intense tragedy is punctuated with sardonic comedy. The result is an emotional roller coaster for everyone. One moment the audience is laughing at something, then the next moment, the same thing is making them wince.

Nicholas Cage plays Ben, a movie executive who loses his family, his job and his respect due to his heavy drinking. With nothing left, he decides to go to Las Vegas with the last of his money and literally drink himself to death. He checks into a cheap motel, buys booze every morning and drinks 'til there's no more.

He stumbles across the path of a prostitute named Sera (Elizabeth Shue), who's trying in vain to escape her pimp, Yuri (Julian Sands). Fortune smiles on her though, and Yuri's unforgiving creditors finally catch up to him.

When Ben and Sera meet, both of them are so emotionally needy that they quickly and unconditionally fall in love. However, love is really all each of them has to give the other; their relationship is completely devoid of hope or redemption. Ben continues on his downward path, telling Sera, "You can never ever ask me to stop drinking," while Sera continues prostituting to support him.

By the time rays of hope creep their way into Sera's heart, it's too little, too late, and she ends up opening herself up to a man who not only can't find any hope in his life but doesn't even want to try to look for it.

If the story sounds dry or melodramatic on paper to all you cynics out there, it certainly has a different feel on screen. Part of it is Figgis' directing style. He uses 16 mm film, which gives the movie a grainy look throughout. He also uses montages, odd angles and even different filming speeds to add to the overall effect.

There's very little that is gratuitous in Figgis' style, which is a welcome contrast to other "cutting-edge" directors. In fact, I found that a lot of the story is told with subtlety, and that which isn't, doesn't feel out of place or put there solely for effect.

But the real story of Leaving Las Vegas lies in its characters, wonderfully created by Cage and Shue. Cage is already known as an able actor, but even so, his performance as Ben going through the pains and withdrawals of chronic alcoholism is amazing. As for Shue, if you lost any and all the respect you had for her after such films as Adventures in Babysitting and Cocktail , you'll definitely change your mind after seeing her here.

The only problem I had with the movie is that Yuri serves his purpose quickly and then is swept aside rather clumsily. However, this is only nit-picking at small details, and I forgot he was even there after about 10 minutes.

Other than that, this movie is pretty much as good as they come nowadays. Leaving Las Vegas looks unflinchingly at how bad life can get, even with love on your side.

So, if you spent Valentine's Day alone this week, and you want to be reminded that love really sucks, this is your movie.

But those who have significant others will appreciate this movie for raising fundamental questions on the nature and the redemptive power of love that are significant to everyone.

This item appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the February 16, 1996 issue.

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