As a character states early in 'The Dying Gaul,' 'No one goes to the movies to have a bad time or to learn anything.' Yet this film is deeply disturbing and a profound meditation on mortality, fidelity and psychology.
Written and directed by Craig Lucas and based on his play, 'The Dying Gaul' focuses on a screenwriter, Robert Sandrich (Peter Sarsgaard), who is offered $1 million for his script, 'The Dying Gaul,' by Jeffrey Tishop (Campbell Scott), a successful movie executive who shares a Malibu mansion with his wife, Elaine (Patricia Clarkson), and two children. The catch is that Jeffrey insists Robert change the script's homosexual love story, in which one partner dies of AIDS, into a heterosexual one. This is an affront to Robert's personal conscience and identity, as the death from AIDS of his lover, Malcolm (Bill Camp), inspired the story. Though initially disgusted by the idea, Robert finally agrees, wanting to end years of frustration as a screenwriter, as well as to be able to pay child support to his ex-wife (Malcolm's sister!).
During a business visit at the Tishops' mansion, Jeffrey comes out to Robert as a bisexual, and they begin a secret love affair right under Elaine's nose. Meanwhile, Elaine begins a friendship with Robert, impressed by him and his script. When Elaine discovers the affair under most unique circumstances, all three of their lives begin to spiral out of control.
Though it possesses impeccable staging and drama approaching that of a Greek tragedy, the film does not come across as merely a stage adaptation. Lucas and his director of photography, Bobby Bukowski, hold the viewer's attention throughout with striking angles, dramatic use of lighting, gorgeous tracking shots of Elaine swimming through a luminous outdoor pool and intense close-ups showing Robert's psychological torment. The acting is uniformly superb, helping the audience to suspend all disbelief and get inside the tortured minds of the characters. Sarsgaard is excellent as always, but here he delves so deeply into the grief and pain of his character that his breakdown in one particularly intimate scene with Scott feels uncomfortably real. Scott is chilling and sensual as Jeffrey, and Clarkson gives a knockout, layered performance as Elaine, a devoted wife, a grieving victim and a strong avenger over the course of the film.
Lucas raises troubling questions: How does one maintain a truly faithful love for another person? How does one cope with the tragic death of a loved one? Robert's espousal of Buddhism adds intriguing layers to these debates. Is it true, like Robert says, that 'No one is a victim'? At that moment, Robert suggests a way for any of these characters to gain an enlightened perspective on their personal tragedies. Perhaps all these events result from karma, and one's reaction is all a state of mind. Yet even Robert, in a more vulnerable moment, fears that 'Anything I touch or feel is a potential slaughter.' The audience begins to experience its own palpable dread as the desires and pain of these three characters steer the film toward an inevitably tragic ending. 'The Dying Gaul' powerfully affects the viewer, stimulating both horror and reflection.
