There are some films that demand the right to exist through sheer beauty. Indignation is one of those films.
As far as I know, no one was particularly clamoring for an adaption of the interminable Philip Roth’s 2008 novel. Most moviegoers probably have no idea who the author is. But during a summer of endlessly uninspired sequels and reboots and remakes, we should all be excited for a beautiful movie based on a book of which few of us have heard.
Indignation humbly earns all the praise that the movie going masses have misplaced in the blockbuster system as of late. It’s masterfully put together with a keen eye for detail and nuance and stands in quiet opposition to — actually, it’s too respectful to be a willing opponent to big summer movies.
Indignation is the result of a talented artist visualizing the work of another talented artist; too honest to be a statement against the mainstream. It unfolds like poetry: vivid and natural, albeit with obscured purpose.
Just like the novel, Indignation follows a young student named Marcus during his first year at a conservative religious college in Ohio. Philip Roth is known for somewhat autobiographical fiction, so Marcus is undeniably a Roth type: a repressed Jewish atheist with a wise tongue and a confused captivation with sex.
Logan Lerman’s performance as Marcus feels like meeting Philip Roth in the flesh. In Lerman’s best work yet, he fully embodies both a recognizable figure (an intelligent but standoffish genius) and a relatable figure (a college freshman navigating through the newness of sexual relationships, hostility towards certain beliefs, and scary independence). At times I was smiling wryly while recalling my own collegiate inexperience, at others I was fascinated with a character that gleams with unique passions. It’s a powerhouse performance.
Marcus’ partner in sensual exploration is Olivia Hutton (Sarah Gadon), a wealthy and rumored promiscuous girl who catches Marcus’ eye by just sitting in a library. Gadon walks a line between fragility and strength with a restraint rarely seen in younger actresses. Her scenes with Lerman are fraught with nervous delight.
Director/writer James Schamus, making an impressive directorial debut with Indignation, intelligently lets his tastefully adapted screenplay and these central performances bring Roth’s story to life without showy style.
Cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt seems to be on the same page, as he captures these lives with a fluidity that’s as discreet as it is gorgeous. According to his body of work, that’s his modus operandi, so Schamus picked the right man for the job.
The movie is best when Schamus lets Roth’s dialogue take center stage. The standout scene of Indignation is a nearly 20 minute conversation between Marcus and the university’s dean, the latter of which has a sinister problem with religious and sexual freedom that he masks with feigned kindness towards Marcus. The interplay between Logan Lerman and Tracy Letts during the scene is hypnotizing: as the two debate and disagree, a raw kind of tension builds from a place that is all too understandable for us all.
Conflicting ideologies live at the thematic center of Indignation. While the screenplay consistently strives toward this center, it’s difficult to shake the feeling that the movie isn’t sure why it does so. Roth is an opinionated writer — this film adaption, while intricately made, seems to have lost a bit of his drive to convey a specific idea.
But it still shines as a singular, dreamlike piece of art, and should not be ignored this summer. Life is confusing and beautiful, and Indignation slows the summer movie season down to be the same.
★★★★ (4 out of 5)
Read our Q&A with Indignation’s director.
