Compliance made all the 2012 top movie lists, but somehow stayed off my radar until the end of the year. I follow a brilliant movie reviewer on twitter (Omar: @popcornreel) and along with Roger Ebert, I trust these two's opinions on films, usually.
I watched Compliance at home, alone, without an audience of moviegoers in my midst. I wonder if, had I seen this film with others, my viewing of this film may have been a different experience. Apparently, this film was so disturbing to Sundance Festival-goers that many walked out. And Omar went to various screenings of the film here in SF when it came out, and indeed saw many audience members leave.
Personally, I can't imagine walking out of this film. Yes, it's disturbing, but I've seen many other disturbing films that I could have walked out of (namely Savior, Martyrs, Rough Magic, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom). I have wanted to walk out of films that were ridiculously bad (most recently The Raven, Skyfall, The Hobbit, The Big Picture), but I feel compelled to see things through. I've seen Compliance twice now, and my blood boils, I get angry, and I want to shake my fist at the people on the film, but no part of me wants to walk away.
Compliance takes place in a non-descript fictional fast food establishment in a non-descript part of the country. We are to assume that it takes place in the middle of the country somewhere. Where isn't really important. The fast-food chain in the film, the Chickwich, is made-up, but is meant to be any of the popular fast food chains across the country. We are encouraged by the film to believe that this could happen anywhere.
The staff of the Chickwich is a typical fast-food chain staff. There are teenagers manning the cash registers, and slightly older folk doing the middle-management stuff, while the oldest of the staff are the managers and maintenance men. Sandra, the local manager, played brilliantly by Ann Dowd, is not having a good start to her shift. Somebody has left the door to the freezer open overnight, and $15,000 worth of produce and groceries spoiled. They are running ridiculously low on bacon, and they're looking at a busy Friday night. In addition, Sandra expects a drop-in inspection from the corporate team.
The shift starts and the teenagers are not taking things as seriously as the older managers. But this is expected by teenagers. They don't care about inspections, and middle managers, and regional managers, they care about getting through their shifts and going to parties. Everything starts rather uneventfully until "Officer Daniels" calls and says that he has a woman with him who has accused Becky, one of the doe-eyed teenage blond girls who works the front counter, of stealing out of her purse while she was being waited on. Sandra believes him and starts to comply with his wishes, first grabbing Becky and pulling her into the backroom, next checking her clothes for any contraband or money, and then further on to bigger and more destructive things at Officer Daniels' suggestion.
Most of the film takes place in the back room of the Chickwich. Becky endures humiliating and disturbing acts at the hands of the Chickwich workers, Sandra, and Sandra's fiance Van. The things that Officer Daniels gets the workers to do are maddening, and it's sad that Becky's self-worth is such that that's what she felt she deserved.
This film is based on a true story that happened at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania. In actuality, this activity happened in one way or another over 70 times all over the country. That is the most shocking part of this story. Yes, Compliance may be shocking and frustrating and maddening, but I can't imagine walking out of this movie. It's a wake-up call to those of us who blindly believe people in positions of authority. We need to ask questions, and stand up for our rights. This movie serves as a warning.
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