Review: Savage Grace (2007) – A Dazzling, Disturbing Descent into Madness
Released in 2007 at the Cannes Film Festival, Savage Grace immediately polarized audiences. Directed by Tom Kalin (Swoon) and written by Howard A. Rodman, the film chronicles the real-life Baekeland family—Brooks (Stephen Dillane), Barbara (Julianne Moore), and Antony Baekeland (Eddie Redmayne). The title ironically inverts the Catholic hymn “Amazing Grace,” suggesting that wealth and freedom (“savage grace”) lead not to salvation but to moral collapse. This paper argues that the film uses an elliptical, detached aesthetic to critique the performative nature of upper-class identity, culminating in the infamous matricide that ends Antony’s psychic unraveling. Film Savage Grace 2007 Lk21
What Works:
Historical Foundation: Based on the book by Natalie Robins and Steven M.L. Aronson, the film dramatizes the shocking 1972 murder case in which Antony Baekeland killed his mother in their London apartment. The family’s wealth originated from the invention of Bakelite, the first synthetic plastic. Review: Savage Grace (2007) – A Dazzling, Disturbing
Note on watching via Lk21:
The film’s visual beauty (color, composition) is a big part of its impact. Low-resolution streams can mute that. If possible, seek a higher-quality source. Also, ensure subtitles match the dialogue – the film has delicate emotional beats that bad subs can ruin. The title ironically inverts the Catholic hymn “Amazing