But eventually, it refinds Margie when Wade comes back to himself. She's outside, small and resilient against the snowblasted farmscape, refusing to give in to him, to the narrative to which he and Rolfe and Glen have all given themselves up. Margie makes her choice, and it's devastating. Like many filmmakers, Schrader has been making versions of the same movie for years. Unlike many filmmakers, Schrader's film has gotten better over time.
Affliction shows a new maturity and patience.
This film achieves these same qualities but brings them alive. Rolfe's alienation is crystalline and edgy, while Wade's is rough, a torrent. This is bone-chilling. All rights reserved.