Review – Ed Gein

Of all the movies based however loosely on the sad, strange story of Ed Gein (a filmography that includes Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs, among others), this is the first serious attempt to accurately portray the man himself. To be sure, much of the drama here has been “enhanced,” with departures from reality ranging from name changes to extensive speculation about the relationship between Ed and his mother. Steve Railsback does a solid – if occasionally somewhat hammy – job as the title character. My only gripe about the final product is that in general it’s just a bit too prosaic. The simple, straightforward approach to writing, shooting and editing (only rarely departed from throughout the movie) makes a great contrast to Gein’s grisly deeds, but more attention to visual detail might have helped the film-makers bring out the essential backdrop of bleakness of small town Wisconsin just a bit better. Oh, and fair warning: I’m at least a casual buff of Geinabilia, and if you don’t share this taste then there’s a good chance you won’t enjoy this production anywhere near as much as I did. Mildly amusing