In fleshing out the real life story of Dupont’s corruption and negligence for human life and the lawyer trying to expose it, director Todd Haynes’ latest film, Dark Waters is legitimately shocking and effective.
Dark Waters follows Robert Bilott (Mark Ruffalo), a corporate defense lawyer who finds himself on the opposite side of the courtroom when he starts to investigate the claims of Wilbur Tennant (Bill Camp), a farmer from Bilott’s hometown of Parkersburg, West Virginia. Bilott, upon seeing the devastation that Tennant’s of his livestock and land, digs deep into what Dupont has been up to and finds information and secrets so vile. What makes it even crazier is that this film is based on a true story.
Billott’s discovery leads him to fight against corporate corruption that’s slowly poisoning the residents of his hometown. But, it comes at a heavy price. The looming shadow of Dupont constantly casts fear for the safety of Bilott, his family, and everyone involved in the case. Because of this, he must do everything in his power to stay the course and show that Dupont is not above the law.
The first trailer for Dark Waters immediately reminded me of Tom McCarthy’s Oscar Best Picture winner Spotlight — and that’s not just of Mark Ruffalo or that Participant Media is behind both these films. Maybe it was the tone or the idea of the film uncovering the dark truth behind an institution that was once considered good, but the actual film carries that same vibe. There are certain moments that the direction and tone of Dark Waters tries to evoke those same feelings of Spotlight. Ruffalo even delivers a similar speech to one that he gave in Spotlight (the one about people knowing what the Catholic Church was up to and not doing anything about it) and it’s one of the things that makes Dark Waters not feel as unique. To make things worse, there are even moments where it unnecessarily tries to ramp up the shock value.
However, Haynes has a firm grasp of how to tell this story and manages to create some effectively shocking moments that stem from the detailed story the film presents. Now, like Bilott, chemistry wasn’t my favorite subject in school, so it would be easy for the discussions on chemicals and their effects on the people to become confusing. The film doesn’t fall into this trap. It does a great job giving enough explanation without making viewers feel dumb. The explanation allows viewers have a greater understanding of the horrifying nature of Dupont’s chemical dumping — both visually and through dialogue. It’s horrifying seeing how the chemicals essentially turn farms into a cow graveyards and leave other animals rabid and covered in welts. It’s honestly worse with people. Even the numerous files about cases that Bilott receives are haunting and show the seriousness of Dupont’s actions.
Haynes also utilizes Bilott as a perfect guiding force that viewers can connect with. Whenever he discovers something new, his pain and shock can be equally felt. From discovering the birth defects and cancers that the chemical dumping causes to having to convince those around him that he’s not crazy and that there’s a real threat, he’s incredibly relatable. As more horrors come to light, you really start to share his sense of passion about getting justice for innocent people. Not to mention, Ruffalo’s strong and charismatic performance makes the jargon and chemical talk much easier to digest.
Ruffalo is at his best here. He legitimately is the beating heart and soul of what makes Dark Waters such an engaging watch. Billott’s such a good-hearted and passionate person that makes you want to be with him every step of the way and Ruffalo constantly shows this with every scene. The same can be said about Bill Camp’s performance, as he makes Tennant a strong and lovable character whose tragic story is incredibly realistic. Camp perfectly brings out Tennant’s deep-seated anger and genuine care for injustice to stop happening. Viewers will instantly be able to relate to his feelings as they see him slowly brought down by the poisonous dumping, but still finds a way to stay strong against the looming presence of Dupont.
The most interesting aspect of Dark Waters is actually how Haynes makes Dupont a dominating presence which is what made them such a formidable foe for the real life Bilott to fight against. As the film begins to show more of Parkersburg, Haynes does a great job showing how strong of a grip they have on the town. Their name is slabbed on recycling cans, major landmarks, and even all of the people see them as a force for good. Showing Dupont’s authority in Parkersburg like this greatly sets up the scrutiny that Tennant faces in a place where he was once welcomed and roadblocks that Bilott faces in the courtroom. Some of the suspense-building moments that come from Dupont essentially stalking and attempting to get Bilott and Tennant to quit are a little over the top at times, but their presence and power is definitely felt.
Aside from the gory details of the chemicals’ effects on the body and the negligence that comes to life, the most shocking element of this story is actually how long it took for things to come together. I’ll never forget the number of gasps that occurred as Haynes flashed each year that passed and how long things had gone on since Tennant walked into Bilott’s office. It’s such an effective way to build the story of the entire case and showcase the corrupt, cruel, and uncaring nature of Dupont that makes this case so important.
Dark Waters is surely an important and strong showing of corporate corruption and the lengths people go to maintain powe, but also those that desire to achieve justice. While it’s already a jam-packed year of strong films and performances, I wouldn’t count Dark Waters out just yet—especially in the case of Ruffalo and Camp. Regardless of its award chances, though, it’s still a fascinating film that I would totally recommend, as it definitely has the chops to enlighten and empower those that see it.
