Paul Schrader's powerful "Hardcore" tells the story of a religious man sent into the world of pornography after his teenage daughter disappears on a retreat. George C. Scott gives one of his best performances as the religious man forced to confront worlds he never knew existed in order to protect the daughter he loves.
Scott runs a furniture business in Michigan when he receives word of his daughter's disappearance in California. He hires seedy private eye Peter Boyle who tracks the daughter down in a porno film you would find in peep shows that were popular back then. Scott decides to infiltrate the world of porn posing as a director and getting the aid of a prostitute (beautifully played by Season Hubley).
Scott's and Hubley's worlds are as far apart as can be but Hubley observes that perhaps they have more in common then first believed. "You don't care about sex so you don't do it. I don't care about sex so I don't care who I do it with". Two empty lives come together. It's a beautifully written scene well played by two terrific actors.
The film's only real flaw is its ending. Much like Schrader's "Blue Collar" it ends abruptly before we're ready. We want more answers then we get. The answers to the questions we get are out of left field and nothing before has prepared us for the explanations we get. And then the movie is over. I read that both Scott and Schrader objected to the ending but Columbia had final say. Too bad studios don't trust their talent more.
Scott runs a furniture business in Michigan when he receives word of his daughter's disappearance in California. He hires seedy private eye Peter Boyle who tracks the daughter down in a porno film you would find in peep shows that were popular back then. Scott decides to infiltrate the world of porn posing as a director and getting the aid of a prostitute (beautifully played by Season Hubley).
Scott's and Hubley's worlds are as far apart as can be but Hubley observes that perhaps they have more in common then first believed. "You don't care about sex so you don't do it. I don't care about sex so I don't care who I do it with". Two empty lives come together. It's a beautifully written scene well played by two terrific actors.
The film's only real flaw is its ending. Much like Schrader's "Blue Collar" it ends abruptly before we're ready. We want more answers then we get. The answers to the questions we get are out of left field and nothing before has prepared us for the explanations we get. And then the movie is over. I read that both Scott and Schrader objected to the ending but Columbia had final say. Too bad studios don't trust their talent more.