The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck (1984)

Thanks for the memories!

Powerful

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Marlo Thomas does a fairly fine job in this television remake of the 1975 German film "The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum" in which she plays a single woman who picks up a charming man at a party and takes him home with her; unfortunately, he's a terrorist-suspect under surveillance by the police--and once the marauding press become involved (selling the story as pure sensationalism), the woman's private life becomes headline news. In the film's early scenes, Thomas is flirtatious and lovely, traits which are quickly abandoned once her home is invaded and she's dragged through the proverbial mud. The movie loses its humanity just as Marlo loses her innate sparkle, and the lack of self-effacing humor or light relief of any kind makes the film a heavy wallow. Still, it takes several trenchant, trendy swipes at exploitative journalistic tactics and ends on a thoughtful note.

It saddens me to know that even back in 1984 Hollywood was remaking stuff without giving the original film recognition. Being a bit young, I assumed that this was a poison affecting only today's studios, perhaps a sign of the times. Unfortunately not, however, and unbeknown to the general public there's a beautiful film that inspired this made for TV blah. 'Ocean's Eleven', 'The Italian Job' to name a few: all films from the archives of Hollywood that recently have been remade with your average-joe movie fan having no idea of their remake status. Even with smaller releases such as 'Welcome to Collinwood', nowhere on the DVD case does it pay respect to 'Big Deal on Madonna Street', which it has no problem copying scene by scene. Anyways, enough ranting; on with the show. Kathryn (Marlo Thomas) is a private business owner, Ben Cole (Kris Kristofferson) is a runaway bank thief/political activist/all around nice guy, and at a party they randomly bump into each other, finding themselves an hour later in each other's arms on Kathryn's living room couch (not any longer at the party). Kathryn didn't know about Ben's past (or did she?), so naturally when the uniforms come busting down her door the next morning she is quite shocked, and wants to know what's going on. She has no information for the cops (or does she?), yet as she is their only lead they continue to harass her and generally make her life miserable. As the film progresses we find out she might not be quite as innocent as first presumed, and she might, in fact, have something to offer the troublesome police. If you're going to watch this film please go out and rent `The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum', as you will love the story and understand very well the extent of Katharina's knowledge. If you have to watch the American remake, don't. It's an interesting story that forces you to look at the media in a different light, but it just wasn't pulled off very well in the 1984 remake, and despite the two leads the acting is surprisingly subpar. Rating: 16/40