When discussingFatal Attraction, one of the more lurid thrillers of the1980s, terms such as ‘operatic’ and ‘obsession’ immediately come to mind. In a decade when people always seemed to want more,Fatal Attractionappeared to mirror the insatiable desires of the average consumer.Fatal Attractionprobes into the psyche of obsession and sociopathy, and features incredible performances from Glenn Close and Michael Douglas.
The film has found a new home onTubi, where it’s currently streaming for free. Audiences have a chance to enter a world where obsession and manipulation take center stage, and the most dangerous assailant is the one who wants what they cannot have.
A Chance Encounter with Fate
Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas) is an attorney who seemingly has everything: a successful career, a wife and daughter, and an apartment in Manhattan. His occupation, which sees him handling litigation for a publishing company, brings him into contact with Alex Forrest (Glenn Close), an up-and-coming editor. A chance encounter between them will be a catalyst for a world of obsession that will spiral out of control into nothing short of unhinged madness.A brief affair, one that’s depicted as highly sexualized and volatile, ends with Alex becoming blinded by obsession and undertaking any means to lure Dan back. The tranquil family life Dan once knew before his brief affair becomes completely disrupted — Alex methodically begins to take things apart, brick by brick.
The decision for Dan to engage in an extramarital affair, when he seemingly has everything one could ask for, sets up a central theme inFatal Attraction—the insatiable desire for more,which was prominent throughout the 1980s. The greed that permeated throughout the decade can be seen in Dan’s willingness to engage in an affair and Alex’s obsession with that which she can’t have. She weaves a web of deception in which Dan has to take part to keep the illicit affair secret. Remarkably, the lines between right and wrong ultimately become blurred. Dan is called out by Alex several times for using her and casting her aside, and Alex resorts to extreme measures to exert control over the object of her obsession.
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Alex’s actions are similar to those of a sociopathic predator; that is, she strikes at different aspects of Dan’s life that he can’t retaliate against. Whether it’s destroying his car, briefly kidnapping his daughter, or murdering her pet rabbit,they’re all actions where Alex remains in complete control over the situation with little to no chance of reprisal. Alex continually manipulates those around her, wearing a mask of sanity when it’s convenient or causing self-harm to elicit sympathy.Glenn Close’s performancecontinuously weaves between normal and unhinged, demonstrating the dichotomy with Alex’s character. What makes Alex such a potent antagonist is her ability to always be one step ahead of Dan. Regardless of what cautionary measures he takes, she always seems to find a way to outmaneuver him.
A Thriller with Operatic Themes
It would be far too easy to classifyFatal Attractionas a thriller that thrives on manipulation and obsession. While the tension and suspense throughout the film are by far the most engaging,Fatal Attractionincorporates other motifs and themes that add to its complexity. Throughout much of the first act, Dan and Alex continually mention their admiration and deep love for the operaMadame Butterfly.Their affection for the opera, composed by Giacomo Puccini, will play a central role in their relationship.
Madame Butterflyis the story of an American sailor named Pinkerton and his loveaffair with a Japanese Geishanamed Cio-Cio-San (Japanese for Butterfly). The two of them wed, with Cio-Cio-San ultimately becoming something of a placeholder for Pinkerton’s affections. Pinkerton departs Japan and marries an American woman. Distraught with grief, Cio-Cio-San commits suicide.
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Many aspects ofFatal AttractionmirrorMadame Butterfly, with Alex serving as a brief placeholder for Dan’s affections while his wife and daughter are away. Remarkably, the literal aspect of a butterfly comes to embody Alex’s character as she undergoes a metamorphosis of sorts. The change from professional to unhinged sociopath brought about by the trauma caused by Dan leaving is emblematic of the butterfly’s transformation from the cocoon. Alex ultimately becomes Madame Butterfly, a figure used and discarded for temporary gratification.
Additionally, water is a recurring motif inFatal Attraction, which bookends the beginning of the affair between Dan and Alex and the film’s conclusion. Water has been used in many mythologies as a symbol of transformation and purity.The presence of water in both sequences illustrates the beginning of Alex’s transformation and her eventual downfall, thus purifying and rectifying the marriage between Dan and his wife. The water motif in Fatal Attraction reinforces the subtle complexity that exists within the film as a whole.
Where Can I Watch ‘Fatal Attraction’?
Fatal Attractionis one of the most provocative thrillers of the 1980s.The film is currently streaming for free on Tubi.
