People are voting emotionally.

Great Film overall

Excellent but underrated film

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Long before pornography of every kind was but a thumb-swipe away, the industry was defined as scuzzy video stores and grimy peep shows; low-budget productions headed by open-shirted, bling-covered gangsters who were out to make a fast buck. Written and directed by Taxi Driver scribe Paul Schrader, Hardcore, also known as The Hardcore Life, forces its God-fearing hero into a repulsive world of sleaze, prostitution, and, most ridiculously, murder. Now almost 40 years old, Hardcore's portrayal of an industry that can now be discussed without such social stigma attached has certainly dated, but still packs a punch thanks to a terrific central performance.Dutch Calvinist Jake Van Dorn (George C. Scott) leads a well- respected life as a prosperous business man in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A single father, he lives alone with his daughter Kristen (Ilah Davis) and surrounds himself with his Church-going friends, working hard to establish himself as a functioning member of the community. His life is turned upside down when he gets a phone call informing him that Kristen has gone missing during a school trip. Receiving little help from the police, Jake hires private investigator Andy Mast (Peter Boyle), who quickly spots the young girl's face in a low-budget porn film. Feeling that Andy isn't quite up for the job, Jake immerses himself in the industry in the hope of finding clues to his daughter's location, posing as an amateur director looking to get a new project off the ground.Hardcore has a lot going for it, especially the central performance from Scott, whose reaction to seeing his daughter defiled on film is one of the film's most powerful moments. Schrader's script tries to unravel Jake's character slowly as he digs deeper into this unknown world, but the subtle, interesting hints spotted throughout are left frustratingly unexplored. Essentially a film of clashing morals, Schrader does a good job capturing the grimy look and feel of sticky-walled private screening-rooms and poorly-disguised brothels, bringing the two worlds together in Jake's relationship with hooker Niki (Season Hubley). Taking its themes very seriously, this is a bold and honest piece of work that sadly falls apart during the climax, where it seems like a whole new movie begins and ends simultaneously.

Paul Schrader's Hardcore features a rare performance that tows the fine line between believable lunacy and cartoonish behavior that never crosses over and subjects itself to the latter. The performance is that of George C. Scott, who plays Jake Van Dorn, a Calvinist businessman working in Michigan and serving as a single-parent to his eighteen-year-old daughter Kristen. While presumably on a church retreat to Bellflower, California, Kristen never arrives at the event, leading Jake to hire a private investigator (Peter Boyle) to try and find her whereabouts. Eventually, the investigator finds an 8mm film of his daughter and two other men around her age; it's clear just from the first frame of the film, which Jake sees at a local seedy theater, his daughter is now a porn star.Jake loses it, with enough questions, assumptions, judgments, and miscalculations racing through his mind to cripple the psyche of a dozen men. He comes to the conclusion that his daughter had to have been kidnapped to join such an underworld, and becomes dedicated to bringing her back home. He dives into California's sleazy, pornographic underworld, venturing through brothels, adult bookstores, and peep shows to find her, eventually meeting Nikki (Season Hubley), a porn star and hooker.Hardcore is the classic case of a character being immersed in a world he had no conception of and would've rather gone on pretending as if the world and all of those affected by it never existed. His tunnel-vision, conservative mindset has made it seem that since everything in his own life was perfect and completely free of any trouble, that there's no way anyone else's life could be troubled. He doesn't see problems, therefore none exist.Jake's rude awakening becomes more alarming with what he has to witness. To many audience members, presuming their braveness to already seek out such a peculiar film, the content in Hardcore isn't particularly jolting, but to Jake, it's some of the most revolting stuff he's seen in his entire life. Consider the discomfort and anxiety felt by Jake as he walks into a low-lit brothel, with pulsating, blood-red lights and wallpaper decorating the rooms and meets a young stripper, with a thick piece of glass separating them. The stripper plants both of her heels on the glass whilst sitting down, exposing her whole body for Jake's pleasure, as they communicate through the glass. Jake is beyond uncomfortable and is simply trying to get his daughter back, but in order to do so, he must subject himself to worlds he never thought could've existed.This kind of relativism makes for a deeply fascinating film, and in Schrader's screen writing and directing hands, Hardcore beams with life. Schrader includes a barrage of must-have locations for this kind of film, and captures them in a way that adheres to the principles of realism. Never does Schrader seem to go overboard in his depictions of this underworld, nor does he compromise Jake's character by making him unlikable. This is one of the first times I've seen such a close-minded, holier-than-thou, judgmental character on screen that I didn't detest; it's not entirely his fault he's been closeted to his own set of beliefs for so many years. He thought all was well and good.Scott captures this character so intensely that even his freakouts and mental breakdowns don't feel forced nor over-the-top. Scott eventually learns how to get ahead in this business, at one point going undercover as a director and interviewing male porn stars that could've perhaps had contact with his daughter. These scenes, when Scott dawns a wig, a fake mustache, and shag clothing, are completely transforming for his character, and we see a man's own personal ethics and values degrade throughout the entire film, in a slowburn fashion.Hardcore sizzles on screen, creating characters that exist, a fascinating underworld captured in details rather than in essences, and an impending sense of dread as time marches on and Jake's daughter's fate becomes more and more questionable. Much has been made about the finale, which is said to have been taken over by cautious studio executives rather than accurately reflecting the original vision of Schrader. For me, it works as a way to simmer down the film's explosiveness that it carries throughout, especially towards the end, as things intensify. The bittersweetness of the entire affair, in addition, compliments the film's nature of nothing ever totally being right or in place; not even in the beginning, as Jake is still so deeply lost in his own mannerisms.Starring: George C. Scott, Season Aubrey, and Peter Boyle. Directed by: Paul Schrader.

Paul Schader's "Hardcore" (1979) stars George C. Scott as Jake VanDorn, a rigid Calvinist who goes to Southern California to search for his 15 year-old daughter who disappeared during a church youth convention in Disneyland. A hired p.i. (Peter Boyle) finds his daughter on a cheap porn flick, so Jake eventually masquerades as a porn producer to find her. Ultimately a young, lost prostitute, Niki (Season Hubley), assists him and they develop an interesting relationship."Hardcore" explores the dichotomy and similarities of people who live 'hardcore.' Jake's Dutch Calvinist religious faith is so hardcore and rigidly structured that he can explain it in-depth with an acronym (TULIP), whereas the sex industry of S. California is hardcore in a ultra-hedonistic manner. The lifestyles couldn't be more different and yet there are similarities. Niki points out to Jake that they aren't so different -- he feels so little about sex that he doesn't even do it, while she cares so little about sex that she doesn't care who she does it with.This is a smart film that doesn't spell everything out, but if you watch it closely details emerge. For instance, why did Jake's daughter fly the coop? Why did his wife divorce him? It becomes clear that the VanDorn household was overly rigid and sterile; there was little life, joy, and love, which are intrinsic Christian qualities. The most toxic poison was Jake's hardcore pride, which he weepingly repents of in one potent scene.But this isn't an anti-Christian film, although it shows the obvious flaws of Jake and his denomination's religiosity, Jake clearly plays the deliverer and the sex industry is portrayed as the ugly, deceitful mire it is. This is one of the few mainstream modern films where the protagonist's Christian faith is overtly depicted. The film doesn't shy away from exploring Jake's faith, and testing it. There's even a prolonged scene where Jake explains the Calvinist credo to Niki. How many Hollywood films allow a character to spend five minutes detailing theological concepts? Despite Jake's pride issues and the sterility of his household, his Calvinism comes off better than the hedonism of late 70's L.A. Jake is on a crusade into the land of heathen and is admirable in that he puts himself in harm's way to find his daughter, and he never succumbs in a land of a thousand temptations. If the Midwesterners are depicted as stern and brittle, at least they are better off than the hedonists of the sex industry, which is a slippery slope that leads to dissatisfaction, addiction and death.Some complain that it's not believable that Jake's daughter would take such a radical turn toward the sex industry, but let's keep in mind that it's easy for a naive, inexperienced girl to get swept up into something she can't control. It's a slow spiral into hell. You aren't 'hardcore' the moment you step off the bus, so to speak.The first hour starts to get rather tedious with Jake's intro to the sex industry and ensuing search for his daughter but, take heart, the story picks up in the second half with the introduction of Niki. Her relationship with Jake is the heart of the picture. ***SPOILER ALERT*** We meet this totally lost and humble prostitute and we (and Jake) inexplicably come to like her. She was a runaway of sorts who started turning tricks in Vegas at the young age of 15. Can she be blamed for the hideous hole life has thrust her? (In a way, yes, but that's another subject; let's have some compassion here!). She acts hip but at the same time is desperately seeking a savior. Jake merely hires her to help in his search and unexpectedly finds himself getting close to her, enjoying her company, and vice versa. Jake isn't in any way, shape or form an evangelist but he finds that he can open up and freely discuss his Christian beliefs with Niki, and she's just as free and comfortable to discuss her beliefs (she's a Venusian, whatever that is, lol). "Hardcore" is so incredible and original because these characters are "real" and they really talk. What's more, although Niki is a pathetic, lost prostitute she has amazing insight into things. For instance, although Jake informs her that his wife died, she "guesses" that she actually divorced him and also discerns why she left. Yet, she's not arrogant about her insights; she's obviously highly gifted and yet wasting her life away in the sex industry. ***END SPOILER*** Some complain about the ending but I think it works pretty well; it's happy in one way but downbeat in another. It rings of authenticity (disregarding the contrived Ratan theatrics, that is). ***SPOILER ALERT*** Jake may be a changed man at the end, but not changed enough to handle bringing a former-prostitute back to Michigan as his quasi-adopted daughter. After he successfully finds his daughter he looks at Niki from a distance and she looks at him to discern his intent (will he offer succor or not?) and she KNOWS the truth and turns away, forever. It's a heartbreaking scene, but I guess more realistic than Jake taking her back to Michigan. Regardless, I wish it would have ended with something more hopeful, like Jake doing SOMETHING to help her out of the pit of prostitution. ***END SPOILER*** I was in Las Vegas recently and came across a prostitute like Niki (albeit not as anorexic). She was very young and therefore still beautiful; she looked at me with eyes of feigned desire, likely to pick up some business. In the film these girls are written off as "a dime a dozen." I guess no one cares about them.I do

Screenwriter Paul Schrader also directed this purposefully distasteful, 'hard hitting' modern-day example of innocence lost (in his favorite theme, the struggle between sin and religion, as earlier viewed in his script for "Taxi Driver"). When a deeply religious family man from Michigan (a convincingly pained George C. Scott) ventures into the L.A. porno scene to find his runaway daughter, we know already what's going to happen (didn't Travis Bickle hope to save the pre-teen prostitute Iris?). Schrader is full of cookie-cutter cant; if the picture didn't look so convincingly sordid and tawdry, it could pass for a television movie-of-the-week. The filmmaker doles out little handfuls of redemptive rhetoric, yet the way he keeps us watching (by traipsing into the gutter) is rather condescending. In his search, Scott teams up with streetwise Season Hubely, who comes on like a foul-mouthed Bathsheba, indifferently displaying her sinful flesh while Scott pretends not to notice. The scenario fails to match up with the hokey, contrived plot (and the characters in it), releasing every ounce of dramatic tension. Schrader hopes to juxtapose a Fundamentalist existence with the deathtrap that is pornography, yet--to us--both worlds (as shown) look pretty glum. *1/2 from ***