Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

The Burning Bed Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 18, 2017

After becoming a sex symbol, or perhaps THEE sex symbol of the late 1970s, Farrah Fawcett struggled to be taken seriously as an actress. After rising to the top of pop culture awareness with “Charlie’s Angels,” Fawcett turned to television movies to make a different impression. While trying to find a sense of creative satisfaction, Fawcett struck gold with 1984’s “The Burning Bed,” which offered the actress a chance to put away demands of glamour and portray a woman subjected to horrific abuse in her toxic marriage. “The Burning Bed” takes inspiration from the true-life tale of Francine Hughes (who passed away earlier this year), and director Robert Greenwald (“Xanadu”) treats the severity of the story with some care, trying to keep melodramatics at arm’s length for as long as possible. But this is truly Fawcett’s big showcase, delivering a haunted performance that’s impressive in its dramatic commitment and physical display, helping the endeavor remain grounded as its television interests fight for attention.

Meeting Mickey (Paul Le Mat) as a teenager, Francine (Farrah Fawcett) was overwhelmed by his attention, badgered into sex and a relationship by the older man, who wanted to possess her. Marriage and babies soon followed, putting Francine into a spousal position of subservience she didn’t want, while Mickey offers blunt force to keep his bride in line, commencing a longstanding offering of abuse that Francine finds impossible to escape from. As the years pass and more kids are added to the family, Francine realizes that she has no way out, finally taking matters into her own hands, killing Mickey, an act of self-defense which lands her in prison, commencing a trial for which she offers no defense.

There’s no spoiler here: “The Burning Bed” opens with Mickey’s death in the titular fire, watching as Francine ignites the blaze and escape with her children. She doesn’t get far, soon imprisoned for the crime and assigned a lawyer (Richard Masur) who doesn’t know how to defend a woman who won’t speak about the past. Flashbacks are offered, presenting structure to “The Burning Bed” as viewers are taken back in time to 1963, where Francine, a nervous virgin, meets a force of nature in Mickey. A “wild” man with a reputation, Mickey spies easy prey in Francine, setting out to possess her in carnal and marital ways, consuming her life before it has a chance to begin, with the pairing celebrated by his simple mountain family (including Grace Zabriskie and James T. Callahan), who welcome the new bride into their home, as Mickey is unprepared to take care of anyone but himself.

“The Burning Bed” isn’t a mystery, it’s a study of the horrors Francine endures while married to Mickey, who’s skilled at drinking and possesses anger issues that prompt him to beat his wife whenever he feels threatened by her, either through outside interest from other men or her quest for an education. The rage is real and, in 1984, wasn’t a common topic for television consumption, forcing Greenwald to labor over abuse sequences, which make up the bulk of “The Burning Bed,” also reaching exploitative extremes as beatings and belittings carry on for quite some time, disrupting the picture’s flow.

Despite some pacing issues, the essential nightmare of “The Burning Bed” is vividly recreated, but anguish is felt elsewhere too, watching as Francine tries to find help from various legal systems, only to find the bureaucracy punishing, favoring the abuser. As time passes, the film also explores Mickey’s smooth-talking ways, trying to remain in control of Francine while she works to better her life through divorce and business school, all the while desperate to maintain custody of her three kids.

It’s a wrenching study of powerlessness, and Greenwald doesn’t plow ahead with manipulations, working to keep Francine’s frustrations authentic, which is where “The Burning Bed” finds its greatest power. It’s no documentary, but there’s commitment to the particulars of defeat, finding Francine returning to Mickey often out of sheer fatigue, unable to locate an exit plan that won’t destroy her and her children. Scenes of office- based restlessness are the most effective here, showcasing a side to the issue of spousal abuse that’s as chilling as the actual violence. Francine wants out but doesn’t have the money, the time, or the rights to make a break, leaving her to rot in a poisonous relationship, navigating Mickey’s habitual lies, manipulations, and threats.

The Burning Bed Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation provides a basic HD upgrade without a recent refreshing. Already a modest endeavor visually, "The Burning Bed" still battles a level of softness, with detail stronger in close-ups and when exploring dingy dwellings. Make-up effects are also textured. Colors are adequate, with secure primaries that accelerate when around paint jobs on emergency vehicles and period costuming. There are a lot of browns and grays in the movie, preserving its somber mood. Delineation is acceptable. Source offers no significant points of damage. The disc also includes a 1.33:1 version of the film -- a comparison is on view in the final four screenshots.

The Burning Bed Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA isn't advanced, dealing with small sonic goals befitting a television production. Dialogue exchanges are clear, with subtle emotionality easy to understand, while more violent encounters offer no distortion. Scoring is artistically odd (light jazz?) but registers as intended, with adequate instrumentation. Sound effects, including the opening inferno, offer agreeable intensity.

The Burning Bed Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview (15:54, HD) features director Robert Greenwald, who recounts his professional history working in theater, only graduating to film production after reading a series of books on the subject. Greenwald was personally vetted by Farrah Fawcett, who spied promise in the helmer after catching his previous television movie, and the pair embarked on a period of research, visiting shelters to speak with victims of abuse. The director discusses his handling of Fawcett, who wasn't professionally trained, protecting her raw emotions. And he shares delight with the picture's astronomical ratings, fearing the work would be ignored by the public, while the subject matter went on to inspire his current mission to make politically minded documentaries.

The Burning Bed Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Burning Bed" evolves into a legal film in its third act, with Francine facing murder charges, challenging her lawyer to try and find way into her story that keeps the mother and victim sympathetic to the jury, working to bring out pure fear from his client. Again, the material plays simply at times to welcome a mass audience (the effort was a huge success when it aired in October, 1984), but it also provides a spotlight on a widespread issue, working as a tool of empowerment for viewers who might be trapped in the same situation, without completely condoning Francine's graduation to murder to put an end to her suffering. And in the middle of all this is Fawcett, who delivers a sensational performance as Francine, using restraint as her primary weapon, rarely indulging hysterics as the character endures the worst life has to offer. It's a critical moment in Fawcett's career, and she proves herself skilled for the job, shedding glamour and overacting to simply inhabit Francine's despair, and it gives "The Burning Bed" a special power that supports the effort as it tries to be something more than a routine study of torment.