Film review: 'Indignation'

"Indignation" is a film about fate and its elusive grasp on the human condition. Based on the novel by Philip Roth, it echoes his belief that costly consequences are to be paid in life when we make even the smallest of mistakes.

Set in 1951, it's the story of Marcus Messner (Logan Lerman), a bright Jewish teen who leaves Newark to attend college in Ohio. It was a time when students read books, guys wore ties and girls wore pearls to class. It was also a time of war. And Marcus' scholarship provided him a deferment from having to participate in the Korean conflict.

While working in the university's library, Marcus is struck by the beautiful Olivia Hutton (Sara Gadon), whom he asks out on a date. Much to his bewilderment, she performs a sexual act on him, which sets into motion a series of events that have grave consequences. Consider the times — it was a sexually repressed society.

When Marcus' mother, Esther (Linda Emond), unexpectedly shows up on campus, she encounters Olivia. Immediately, she realizes that Olivia is "damaged goods" by the telltale scar on her wrist. Esther makes a horrible bargain with Marcus. She will agree not to divorce his father if he promises to break off his relationship with Olivia. She points out that "when the child goes wrong, look to the family."

In his directorial debut, James Schamus, known for his prowess as a producer and writer ("The Ice Storm"), has created a masterpiece. "Indignation" hits all the right notes, even given the touchy subject matter. In one particularly uncomfortable, yet riveting scene, Marcus is called into the Dean's (a fabulous Tracy Letts) office. There, he faces a 15--minute, anti-Semitic inquisition by the racist snob, thus the impetus for the film's title.

As the film opens, we get a sense of impending doom. The camera searches out an old woman in a nursing home and fixates on her face. Then, it suddenly pans through a dark alley in Korea, as gunshots pop to illuminate a chaotic situation. There's a voice-over as it plays out and throughout the film. The voice is that of a dead man, and it's devastatingly familiar.