"Funny" story. I was looking for a movie about the Green River Killer because I was at a Blitzen Trapper concert this evening (they're not necessarily my bag, but it was still pretty good). I *thought* they had a song about the Green River Killer, but it turns out it's called Black River Killer. It's a good, but really weird song, mixing folk with some g-funk synths. So it's ultimately unrelated, but I ended up watching The Riverman anyways. And it was pretty good - so I guess it was a happy mistake.
I don't really do much research for this blog - a movie a day is enough for my fragile little mind. So when I watched The Riverman, I couldn't help but think how it was a huge rip-off of Silence of the Lambs. Just substitute the Green River Killer for Buffalo Bill, Ted Bundy for Hannibal Lecter, and an older man for Clarice Starling - and it's pretty much the same thing. (And note - it *does* say "Based on a True Story" at the outset, but I pretty much just assume that's always a lie in horror movies nowadays.) Well, color me surprised when I *did* end up looking into it a little bit - it turns out that this is actually a true story, and Thomas Harris based Lambs on the events depicted here. So who's ripping off who now?
The Riverman is based off of Robert Keppel's memoir, titled (the strangely overly descriptive) The Riverman: Ted Bundy and I Hunt for the Green River Killer. I guess that title pretty much sums up the entire story. Keppel was a homicide detective and got in pretty deep investigating the Bundy murders - some might say a little *too* deep. He apparently had some sort of breakdown while working the case, and still harbors some guilt about the unsolved disappearances he couldn't get Bundy to cop to.
Despite being across the country - Bundy is on death row in Florida, and the killings are taking place in Washington state - rumors start up that Bundy may have some information on the Green River Killer. Because of his history with the case, Keppel is asked to help. He travels to Florida and has a series of discussions with Bundy. Keppel hopes he can not only gain some insight into the Green River Killer, but also to see if Bundy has anything to confess to before he gets executed.
Anyways, despite being called The Riverman, the film is way more about Keppel and his relationship with Bundy. While the Green River Killer isn't totally ignored, there's no doubt that Bundy and Keppel are the stars of this show.
And it could be because there are two really good performances anchoring the film. Cary Elwes does a damn good job as Ted Bundy. I'm not a big serial killer guy and couldn't pick the real Bundy out of a lineup, but Elwes really dedicates himself to the role. He's got this cocky, charismatic attitude and shit-eating-grin, and uses a distinct set of mannerisms and ticks to really inhabit the character. He manages to make Bundy intriguing but still disgusting, and he never flirts with being a hero like Lector in Silence of the Lambs. Bruce Greenwood is solid as Keppel - he's more of the straight man in the film, and it's a less flashy role. But he sells Keppel's obsessiveness well.
As a general rule, I've never been too into factual serial killer movies. There's something about the idea that this Happened In Real Life that really sucks the fun out of it for me. I mean, serial killers are certainly fascinating, but I feel more comfortable watching a documentary as opposed to a semi-fictionalized account - it just feels less icky to me. (It's particularly troublesome when the killer becomes a protagonist worth cheering for - these are shitty people!) But The Riverman plays at times like a documentary. A lot of it is based around interviews, and much (all?) of the violence is dealt with offscreen and in flashback form. Honestly, I'm not sure how many people you *see* get killed - I remember just one. So while there's no shortage of the aftermath and you get a lot of crime scene action, the actual carnage inflicted on living people is kept to a minimum.
I mean, it's still a creepy and cringe-inducing film at times. Sometimes, just hearing people talk about committing heinous acts can be worse than seeing it. There's definitely a sense of gloom hanging over the film (or maybe that's just Washington?), and neither the policework or the killing is ever glamorized. So in that respect, it feels more true to the vibe of a crime documentary than your standard feature film.
So mostly, I dug it. I guess the weakest aspect of the film is that you're never given a reason to invest in the characters. You're just plunked down in the middle of the case without a lot of introduction to anyone. Other than liking people because they either (a) are a cop, or (b) have a family, you aren't given much of reason to truly care about anyone. But again, this stays mostly true to the almost documentary-like vibe - The Riverman is not about character building or arcs or anything, so it's kind of hard to hold it against the film.
It's not the most well-made film either, to be honest. The scenes in Bundy's cell are pretty nicely-lit and even looking, but once you are outside and on location things get iffy. And the way it's shot and edited leaves a little to be desired. It's just not a very cinematic-feeling film, but that certainly doesn't derail it by any means. It accidentally kind of adds to the doc-like feel. (And I just found out that The Riverman is a made for TV movie from A&E. Which explains the flat-direction and the lack of explicit violence. But also makes it pretty impressive. The Riverman is all right for a normal movie, but close to great for a made for TV jam.)
So yeah, I liked The Riverman. I can imagine there are better serial killer movies out there, but as a relative novice I liked what it had to offer. Some great acting, a decent (and true!) story, and nothing too graphic or visually disturbing. I'd have to think it's a pretty good entry point into the serial killer genre.
I would recommend this film.
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