Taglines: This is the murder weapon. Her name is Rebecca.
Body of Evidence movie storyline. Elderly Andrew Marsh is found dead in his bed in what looks to be murder, as a non drug using Andrew was found with cocaine in his system, which exacerbated the medical issues surrounding his heart condition. Rebecca Carlson, Andrew’s much younger girlfriend, is on top of the suspect list.
She hires a lawyer, Frank Dulaney, before she is even questioned or charged by the police. But she is eventually charged. Key to the case is motive, with Rebecca standing to inherit Andrew’s $8 million fortune (which she states she being named his primary beneficiary she knew nothing about).
The case also stands on Rebecca and seemingly Andrew’s “aggressive” sexual behavior, which included BDSM, with most believing that Rebecca was trying to “screw” him to death. This brings into question Rebecca’s past relationships, as well as the behavior of those around Andrew, such as his personal secretary Joanne Braslow, who would like to see Rebecca convicted more than anything.
As Frank begins to work on the case, he gets lured into Rebecca’s seduction and the thought of entering into the world of BDSM with her, despite he being happily married. This personal relationship with his client provides additional motivation to help her get acquitted, which he feels is his job anyway despite her guilt or innocence.
Body of Evidence is a 1993 American erotic thriller film produced by Dino De Laurentiis and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Uli Edel and written by Brad Mirman. The film stars Madonna and Willem Dafoe, with Joe Mantegna, Anne Archer, Julianne Moore and Jürgen Prochnow in supporting roles.
It originally had the rare NC-17 rating. The first theatrical release was censored for the purpose of obtaining an R rating, reducing the film’s running time from 101 to 99 minutes. The video premiere, however, restored the deleted material. Madonna’s performance in the film was universally derided by film critics and it marked her fourth film acting performance to be widely panned, following Shanghai Surprise, Who’s That Girl and Bloodhounds of Broadway.
In France and Japan, the film was released under the name Body. In Japan, Madonna’s other 1993 film Dangerous Game was released there as Body II even though the films have nothing in common nor are related to each other in narrative.
About the Story
An older man, Andrew Marsh, views a homemade pornographic tape. It is later revealed that Marsh died from complications stemming from erotic asphyxiation. The main suspect is the woman who has sex with Marsh in the film, Rebecca Carlson, who after being charged with murder is represented by lawyer Frank Dulaney. As the trial begins, Carlson and Dulaney enter a sadomasochistic sexual relationship behind the back of Dulaney’s unsuspecting wife.
During their first sexual encounter, Dulaney, overcome by lust, notices too late that Carlson is tying his arms behind his back using his own belt. Carlson pushes him onto the bed, removes his underwear, and while he is restrained, humiliates him by pouring hot candle wax on his chest, stomach, and genitals, amused by Dulaney’s frustration and increasingly desperate reactions. The two then have sex, with Carlson in complete control, an obvious counterpoint to their relationship in the courtroom, where Dulaney is the one in control.
Carlson proclaims her innocence to Dulaney in private and in court, but District Attorney Robert Garrett seeks to prove that Carlson deliberately killed Marsh in bed to receive the $8 million he left her in his will. The testimony of Marsh’s private secretary, Joanne Braslow, reveals that he had a sexual relationship with Braslow that could have contributed to his death, casting a reasonable doubt as to Carlson’s guilt.
Dulaney maligns Carlson with accusations of her withholding information from him, threatening to drop her as a client and end their affair. In response, Carlson contacts Dulaney’s wife and discloses the affair. When Dulaney’s wife confronts him, he initially plays it off as if she is paranoid, but is unable to deny telltale evidence. Dulaney goes to Carlson’s home and confronts her, which ends with them having rough sex on the floor. When Carlson pulls out handcuffs, Dulaney cuffs her hands to her bedpost and roughly initiates sex with her.
jh3>Body of Evidence (1993)
Directed by: Uli Edel
Starring: Madonna, Willem Dafoe, Joe Mantegna, Anne Archer, Julianne Moore, Jürgen Prochnow, Michael Forest, Richard Riehle, Anne Archer, Mario DePriest, Charles Hallahan
Screenplay by: Brad Mirman
Production Design by: Victoria Paul
Cinematography by: Douglas Milsome
Film Editing by: Thom Noble
Costume Design by: Susan Becker
Set Decoration by: Jerie Kelter
Art Direction by: Michael Rizzo
Music by: Graeme Revell
MPAA Rating: R for violence, language and a scene of sexuality.
Distributed by: Metro Goldwyn Mayer, United Artists
Release Date: January 15, 1993 (United States)
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