In the vast landscape of cinematic subgenres, black comedy occupies a precarious position, teetering on the brink of extinction. While once a vibrant and vital force, injecting a much-needed dose of dark humor into mainstream entertainment, it’s become a rare breed in modern cinema. The box office struggles of comedy in general have undoubtedly contributed, but the uniquely vicious brand of black comedy epitomized by films of the late 80s and mid-90s seems particularly endangered. Exceptions, like 2020’s *I Care a Lot* and the consistently brilliant *It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia* on television, remain few and far between.
However, 1989 gave us a peak of this dark subgenre with Danny DeVito’s *The War of the Roses*. This savage satire, starring the iconic trio of Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and DeVito himself, marked a powerful cinematic end to a decade that saw them all reach the pinnacle of their respective careers. Remarkably, the film’s wicked humor and biting social commentary feel astonishingly contemporary in 2024, a testament to its timeless and subversive nature. On its 35th anniversary, it’s the perfect time to revisit this often-underrated masterpiece—arguably the nastiest, most ruthless comedy of the 1980s.
The film centers on Oliver (Douglas) and Barbara (Turner) Rose, a wealthy couple whose seemingly idyllic college romance sours over eighteen years. Oliver, consumed by his successful law career, becomes distant and selfish, while Barbara, a stay-at-home mother, finds herself increasingly resentful of her gilded cage. Their divorce, initiated by Barbara’s desire for fulfillment beyond material wealth, quickly escalates into a brutal battle of wills. A legal maneuver by Barbara’s lawyer, exploited by Oliver’s equally ruthless lawyer, Gavin (DeVito), sets the stage for a conflict that spirals from petty squabbles to acts of shocking cruelty and violence.
Forget the typical “war of the sexes” trope where differences are ultimately complementary. In *The War of the Roses*, Oliver and Barbara are fundamentally incompatible; their inability to compromise fuels a toxic dynamic. He refuses to acknowledge his flaws; she indulges in a simmering resentment that has festered for years. The film is a relentless exploration of hatred—its genesis, its festering growth, and its pervasive toxicity. It captures that visceral reaction where the mere presence of another person elicits an overwhelming desire for their removal from your life. The film’s power lies in its unflinching portrayal of this irrational desire, even when the characters recognize their own unreasonableness. They choose spite, they choose cruelty, they choose to inflict pain on each other, their children, and everyone around them.
DeVito’s direction masterfully blends dark humor with near-horror, particularly in the chilling third act, set within the dimly lit confines of the Rose’s marital battleground. The screenplay, by the late Michael J. Leeson, adapted from Warren Adler’s novel, perfectly complements DeVito’s vision. Douglas and Turner deliver career-defining performances, embodying their characters’ unpleasantness with a gleeful abandon that somehow avoids making them entirely unlikeable. The audience is captivated by this macabre spectacle, strangely unable to fully root against the self-destructive Roses.
The film culminates in a darkly ironic and fitting conclusion (spoiler alert for a 35-year-old movie!): both Barbara and Oliver meet their demise, their escalating battle ending in a catastrophic, literally deadly crash. The final image—Oliver’s last desperate grasp at Barbara, met with her final, decisive rejection—serves as a profoundly cynical yet unforgettable ending. The moral of the story? Prenuptial agreements might just save your life. On a deeper level, *The War of the Roses* is a cautionary tale about the corrosive power of anger and the self-destructive nature of revenge. It’s a stark reminder that victory doesn’t equate to satisfaction—a lesson learned, perhaps too late, by Oliver and Barbara.
Thirty-five years on, *The War of the Roses* remains startlingly relevant and remarkably entertaining. Its enduring appeal is evident in the upcoming remake from Searchlight Pictures, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman. While I usually harbor reservations about remakes, the prospect of witnessing Cumberbatch and Colman unleashing their own brand of toxic verbal sparring is undeniably compelling. *The War of the Roses* is currently available for rental or purchase on Amazon and other digital platforms. Experience the darkly hilarious spectacle—if you dare.
