The Human Stain

The film is barely passable though some of the performances do get some credit. The problem with the film is that it smacks too much of something incredulous that I simply could not by! The whole premise of the life of Professor Silk and his secret was somewhat poorly constructed. This comes as quite a surprise as the entire drama was directed by famed Oscar Winner Robert Benton.

Falls short of the excellent book it's adapted from. Despite the great cast, they don't match the novel's characters well. A major theme about struggling to accept your roots is barely explored.

This is a great film with a steady pace and excellent performances by Hopkins, Kidman, Sinise, and Harris. The screenplay is well crafted too. The only downside is that the chemistry between Kidman and Hopkins isn't quite there, but it has nothing to do with their age difference. Other than that, the film is a success. It's a wonderful love story.

Any movie starring Anthony Hopkins is worth watching, and this one is no exception! It's a great romantic film with a compelling dramatic storyline.

Kidman rises to the challenge admirably. Hopkins is as good as ever. However, the film's tone is challenging, as if the situation is impossible...

So incredibly lame!!! I don't get how so many big-name actors could star in such a pointless movie. Seriously, avoid this like the plague!

This movie is incredibly dull from beginning to end. The story is really tedious. The only redeeming quality is Nicole Kidman's excellent performance. Only watch this if you're a huge fan of Nicole. Otherwise, don't waste your time and money on this film.

Definitely read the book. Like always, the book is way better than the movie version. Still, the movie is watchable.

In my opinion, this is the most dull and uninteresting movie I've ever had to sit through. I have to do an English assignment where we need to choose the most boring film we've encountered in our lives. So, if you're searching for a highly effective sleep aid, this movie would be my top recommendation.

Really monotonous and long. If you don't connect with the characters, there's nothing left to watch in the film. It's great if it makes some people reflect. But for me, this film just doesn't resonate.

Really disappointing. Spend your money on something else. The story is boring from beginning to end.

What a letdown this movie was!

Astonishing, a well though film with a lot of depth. Complexe caracters and extremely well acted. A must see movie. Hopkins, Kidmann give an excellent performance. Again Nicole Kidman shows her beautiful accets.

This is an excellent, highly intelligent film that is best appreciated when viewed in its entirety. It really makes you think.

The story (Phillip Roth) has enormous depth, the screenplay delivers Roth's powerful thoughts intact and the actors (so improbably cast) quickly disappear into their characters as only the finest can. I'm often suspect of Hollywood, but Hopkins and Kidman prove themselves in this one. The overall effect is astonishing, you'll see these issues from an entirely new perspective and in incredible depth. A film this finely drawn should be seen on the big screen. Not happy but liberating, your patience will be rewarded. Vastly underrated, will become the "Maltese Falcon" of this year. Possibly the best film I have ever seen.

What a great story! The actors all do a fantastic job in their roles. Anthony Hopkins demonstrates once again that he is one of the best, if not the best, actor in the world. Bravo!!

A stain indeed to intelligent film-making, miscast, misdirected what a waste of fine talents.

This movie has a very sobering message about the way our society has degraded with regards to political correctness. Anthony Hopkins and Ed Harris gave stellar performances as usual and Nicole Kidman held her ground as well. Gary Sinise performed well as a narrator and supporting actor. Despite all the good feelings I had about this movie, I felt that the story was weak at times and it dragged on for far too long. It was anti-climactic and left me wanting.

This movie left me feeling really let down. The story is unique and intriguing, and could have been a masterpiece with a different screenplay and better direction for the actors.

WARNING: This review is hidden because it reveals the content of the film.
Click here to show this review. This film won't be nominated for any Oscars because it's far too smart for the masses and the Academy. The Human Stain boasts the talented cast needed to bring such a film to life in a coherent way. It's a rare psychological drama. The title has multiple meanings. The first is literal, referring to the Vietnam vet responsible for the deaths of the two main characters. The second is more literary. By definition, a stain is a foreign color applied on top of another. This is precisely the case for Coleman in the film, who sees having a black family, despite being white himself, as holding him back from the social advancement and romantic life he desires. The title "stain" takes on another meaning when he decides to essentially disown his family for his own benefit, in order to substantially improve his social status. Here, the word "stain" represents a fault or guilt that weighs on his conscience, because he knows he wasn't true to himself in making this decision. The consequence of this act is the burden of living with this "fault" for the rest of his life, weighing him down like a ball and chain, or a stain on a new jacket. There's also a possible meaning in the life of the female character (Nicole Kidman). Her stepfather abused her when she was young, forever tainting her life. Moreover, those she loved always ended up hurting her. Her husband beat her and continues to harass her, and her children died in a fire. The loss of one's children causes unimaginable pain. These traumas have certainly marred her ability to love and be loved (in short, her love life). While less obvious than the symbolism of the title in Coleman's life, it still carries symbolic weight for all the main characters. The film also addresses the concept of suffering in a highly skilled manner. The ways in which the protagonists or antagonists attempt to cope with and live with their pain is unique to each character and utterly fascinating for the viewer, as it rings so true to life. In essence, this is a film crafted like the best books - the ones where you find yourself reaching for a pencil to underline and analyze the most symbolic, meaningful passages that can help you grow in your own quest to find life's meaning. I recommend this film to everyone. It's the best I've seen in years. In the same vein as "The Hours" but with even more food for thought. 10 out of 10.

I had read Philip Roth's excellent book and was eagerly anticipating this movie. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was, because having read the book, I thought I would surely be disappointed! But it was quite the opposite. I highly recommend it, especially for those who haven't read the book, as it's a great story and critique of American society...

It is a valuable and profound movie which can fairly satisfy film- lovers. It, indirectly, shows how much western societies has changed regarding the racism. Through the story, we feel how lucky we are that our world has been improved a lot and has become much more humane. It's serious movie involving your mind after walking out of the movie theater. What we see less and less in hollywood thesedays. No doubt, the movie will bore people who consider cinema just as an entertainment. Perfect casting is one of the cardinal advantages of this movie.

This film is a must-see if you enjoy contemplating deep, thought-provoking themes during and after watching. It delves into several significant existential questions, with the actors skillfully guided to bring these profound topics to life.

All that talent. Such a lousy movie. The Silk character as portrayed by Hopkins bears minimal resemblance to the young Silk, a man who determinedly went about setting and achieving his goals. Kidman and others play secondary roles on the screen. It is Hopkins' movie and he doesn't cut it.

The movie drags on in parts, and the story only really comes together and gets engaging towards the end. The screenplay doesn't do this story justice.

The actors are fantastic and the movie is extremely well made. It tells a story that could be our own. Bravo!!!

Bravo! A terrific movie. Once again, I'm glad I didn't listen to the critics (like The Gazette, which gave the film a poor rating and kept comparing it to the book). Hopkins, Kidman, Harris, and Sinise are truly outstanding. I don't get the criticism of Kidman's acting. She plays a woman who's lost her self-esteem - a character who'd be pitied in real life, which isn't easy to portray. She does it brilliantly and believably. The visuals and music all work well together too. I also don't understand the critics saying the film drags. I didn't think it was too long at all - the pacing is just right for a story like this. It's the kind of film I love, where you meet a handful of characters and the story revolves around them. And it's well told. I was hooked from start to finish. In a nutshell, the film tackles themes of hypocrisy and lies, but also truth, love, and respect. Maybe it takes a certain amount of life experience to appreciate a film like this.

A good movie based on a fabulous book! Benton does a great job directing a great cast, but the screenplay could have never done justice to Philip Roth's masterpiece. Read the book before seeing the movie; your experience will be greater for it.

Anthony, Nicole, Ed, and Gary, all performed like stars. The story full of passion and such sadness made for a very good film.

This movie really moved me. Toward the exit. That about sums it up.

An odd film - neither bad nor excellent. It's worth waiting for the video release. In my opinion, the actors are poorly directed. However, the story itself isn't bad.

I can't understand all the fuss about the alleged miscasting of Hopkins (and Miller as Hopkins' younger self), having read the book, I found Silk's secret just as strange on paper as on the screen, Hopkins in this role was no less disturbing than the Coleman Silk I tried to imagine while reading the novel. Roth's brilliant creativity and penetrating insight is faithfully preserved by the film makers, despite the admittedly questionable casting. My feeling is that the brilliant acting of Anthony Hopkins was well worth this stretch. I really cannot think of any other actor capable of giving as much depth to Coleman Silk - and certainly not one with the perfect ethnic profile. Hopkins was definitely an excellent, if not perfect, choice for this role. We are all big enough to get beyond the crutch of super realism - especially when it comes to fiction. I am truly disappointed with the critics' obsession with this truly minor problem. With regard to the screenplay, although there may have been other equally effective ways to render Roth's story to cinema, I don't think a better rendition of his extraordinary novel was possible. Chapeau to Robert Benton and Nicholas Meyer (director and writer respectively) on an excellent job. A great movie which when you leave the theatre has you desperately looking for a place to go with your friends to discuss what you just saw and what it all meant..