There’s an old saying in movies: “Every great film begins with a great script.” “Violet,” from director Jennifer Linch and writer Ivan White, offers a challenging tale of heartbreak, revenge and redemption. In it, young martial arts expert Violet, finds herself in the middle of a human sex trafficking ring looking for her lost sister, Mattie. What follows is a harrowing story which takes place in the midst of an illegal brothel where Violet is tested to her limits in her quest to save her wayward older sister.
The script is a smooth-flowing story, which takes the reader into the heart of one of the most vile businesses on earth. White pulls no punches in drawing a bleak and traumatic life for the women forced into this environment. His scenes include graphic and disturbing moments of torture, forced drug use and rape. However, with this subject matter, it’s refreshing to see an author and a director willing to address the seedy details of this issue. The places similar to the one Violet has to fight for her life in, exist virtually in every major city in America. They result from rampant organized crime, and the American public’s willingness to deny the scale of the problem. As we see in “Violet,” its victims are a mix of foreign and American women and girls as young as 6.
This script is written in the tradition of Korean and Hong Kong vengeance films, with dialogue created specifically for an American audience. It reminds me of classics such as the “Vengeance” trilogy: “Mr. Vengeance,” “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance,” and the classic Greek tragedy/Martial Arts film mash-up, “Old Boy.” The English and Vietnamese characterizations highlight the difficulties of integrating into American society while trying to make ends meet in the midst of senseless tragedy. Violet and her sister Mattie are fully formed characters, as is the main baddie, Simon, whose cruelty seems even more limitless than the suffering he and his men inflict on their victims. Violet evolves into a clear and dangerous force for good as the story develops, while Simon sinks deeper and deeper into a morass of evil. Mattie is given a full back story to explain her actions and mistakes. Minor characters include Joey, Mattie’s unscrupulous boyfriend, Cecep, Simon’s dangerous bodyguard, Bill, a jaded FBI agent, and his partner, the idealistic Ian. For the most part, they are straightforward supporting parts with little development beyond what they do to move the plot forward.
The action sequences give specific detail, but only allow for minimal interpretation of events. What the final product will look like is in the capable hands of director Linch. She has been given a script which feels comparable to the best Asian cinema has to offer. It is imaginative and full of emotional heft. The action contains enough surprises to keep the audience guessing, but flows easily from one scene to another. Jennifer Linch is a name to remember, as is “Violet.” Watching it develop into a fully realized motion picture should be a blast.
Below you will find a link to an interview with Jennifer Linch and also a link to a short film she wrote and directed called “Flowers of the Night.”
