Line #25 Film/DeathAndTheMaiden


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6	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/628ce56b5276cb8ef8f49a5ded482f2e.jpg]]
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8	A 1994 film adaption of the 1990 play ''La muerte y la doncella'' written by Ariel Dorfman.
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10	Directed by Creator/RomanPolanski and starring Creator/SigourneyWeaver and Creator/BenKingsley, ''Death and the Maiden'' covers the events of one night, a decade after the revolution in an unnamed South American country. A lawyer brings a neighbor (Kingsley) home in a storm, where the housewife (Weaver) becomes convinced that the neighbor tortured her years ago. The trio deal with the accusations, old memories, and the conflict between revenge and the law over the course of the night.
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12	Has nothing to do with the [[Webcomic/DeathAndTheMaiden webcomic of the same name]], or that one arc of ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' comics concerning Nyssa al-Ghul. Not to be confused with the [[DeathAndTheMaiden artistic motif of the same name]].
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14	----
15	!!The movie contains examples of:
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17	* ActionGirl: Paulina
18	* AffablyEvil: When not in a position of power, Dr. Miranda is the friendliest man you'll ever meet. [[spoiler: When serving as a TortureTechnician, he was FauxAffablyEvil, pretending to befriend and comfort the prisoners before assisting with their torture and raping them]].
19	* BaldOfEvil: Dr. Miranda
20	* BlatantLies: Of course, the Doctor denies everything [[spoiler: until the very end.]]
21	* ColdBloodedTorture: Poor, poor Paulina. Oh, and it's TruthInTelevision.
22	* DarkAndTroubledPast: One word: Desaparecidos.
23	* DrowningMySorrows: Gerardo when he thinks that Paulina abandoned him. He begins drinking heavily and doesn't stop until he discovers otherwise.
24	* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Dr. Miranda is a family man who seems to be devoted to his children - he carries their pictures in his wallet, and when attending the musical performance he's very kind and tender with them.
25	* FauxAffablyEvil: Dr. Miranda liked to rape helpless prisoners but maintained his polite and cheerful demeanor thoroughout, which he reveals was to make the experience worse.
26	* HappyMarriageCharade: Paulina and her husband maintain a overtly friendly facade but have strong issues underneath as she's unwilling or unable to share her trauma until confronted with her former tormentor.
27	* HeroicSacrifice: Paulina didn't report her boyfriend's name while tortured.
28	* KubrickStare: Creator/SigourneyWeaver gives us few once she sees Doctor Miranda.
29	* {{Hypocrite}}: Dr. Miranda expresses disgust at the regime that he served and its enablers, particularly those who tortured and murdered political dissidents. [[spoiler: He himself was a torturer, so whether this is just a ruse or his way of projecting his own sense of guilt is left ambiguous.]]
30	* LiteraryAllusionTitle: "Death and the Maiden" is a subject treated in art many times since the Renaissance, but the play also specifically references the [[DontFearTheReaper poem by Matthias Claudius]] (original title: ''Der Tod und das Mädchen''), which was scored by Music/FranzSchubert.
31	* MakeItLookLikeAnAccident: Paulina sends Miranda's car off a cliff to fake his death.
32	* MinimalistCast: With the exception of the {{bookend\|s}}ed scenes at the orchestra hall, the entire film consists of just the three main characters.
33	* MoodWhiplash: The Doctor and Gerardo are drinking and telling jokes about women while Paulina is sending the doctor's car off a cliff.
34	* MeaningfulEcho: The Doctor always quotes Nietzsche. [[spoiler: And it's when Paulina tells him she heard the Doctor often quoting Nietzsche that her husband starts to believe her.]]
35	* ProperlyParanoid: Oh, Paulina.
36	* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: While Paulina detailed the torture she endured to Gerardo, this was the first time she told him about the rape. Gerardo is clearly much more revolted by that than by the beatings, electrocutions, and other torture that Paulina went through.
37	* RapeAndRevenge: Deconstructed.
38	* SoundtrackDissonance:
39	** In-universe. Dr. Miranda used to listen his favorite lied ''Death and the Maiden'' while he was raping her.
40	** Gerardo and Miranda are fighting during a rock song.
41	* TortureTechnician: [[spoiler: Dr. Miranda.]]
42	* VillainousBreakdown. When [[spoiler: Dr. Miranda finally confesses]].
43	* WickedCultured: Dr. Miranda loves classical music (especially Music/FranzSchubert) and frequently quotes Creator/FriedrichNietzsche.

Context Film / DeathAndTheMaiden