The documentary Untouchable, which depicts the rise and fall of former movie producing mogul Harvey Weinstein, doesn’t tell us any information about him we don’t already know at this point. But what it does do is give us an idea of how monstrous he truly is. The interview subjects that have been subjected to his sexual misconduct describe the severity of his behavior and it becomes quite harrowing to watch. Granted, Untouchable was never meant to be an easy pill to swallow. But still.
Buy Hollywood Ending Harvey Weinstein and the Culture of Silence bookIt’s discomforting seeing these unfortunate women relive their trauma at the hands of a man with a God-like complex. During the ’90s, he and his brother Bob had a super strong run because of their awards and box-office success. However, Harvey clearly believed he was a king or a god since he would stall the careers of promising actresses just because they didn’t return his sexual favors.
Truthfully, the interviews with Weinstein’s victims, including actresses Paz De La Huerta and Rosanna Arquette, are where Untouchable hits the hardest. As they’re describing their experiences of being sexually abused, the camera keeps lingering on them as a way to amplify the seriousness of their trauma. To go even further, there’s a sequence where the women collectively describe how they thought their meetings with Weinstein would open doors for them in the industry. But when the musical score quickly turns ominous, they describe how things would immediately take a turn for the worse during their encounters.
Director Ursula Macfarlane also interviews people who formerly worked as staff members for both Miramax and the Weinstein Co. and revealed how they were witnesses to his intense behavior. Even if the behavior his staff members were subjected to wasn’t as severe as what he did to all those actresses, Untouchable still shows that he had a hold on practically everyone that crossed his path.
As previously mentioned, Untouchable reiterates things we already know about Harvey Weinstein. As a result, there isn’t too much to add. But it still does its job at continuing the conversation regarding sexual misconduct. Also, the ending reminds us that the Weinstein effect that has taken shape a few years ago, along with the #MeToo movement, doesn’t begin and end with Harvey Weinstein or the entertainment industry. Weinstein is just the tip of the iceberg and Untouchable reminds us that there are plenty of Harvey Weinsteins out there in various industries using their power and privilege to intimidate and silence victims of sexual assault.
