When Madonna Seduced Willem Dafoe in Portland

A Jury in Portland once faced the peculiar task of determining whether engaging in intimate relations with Madonna could be considered a lethal weapon.

This unusual scenario formed the basis of the locally-produced erotic thriller, “Body of Evidence,” featuring Madonna, alongside Willem Dafoe and some sado-masochistic elements.

Madonna portrayed Rebecca Carlson, a woman accused of murdering her older, affluent boyfriend at the Pittock Mansion using both cocaine and s*x as her weapons.

Dafoe, on the other hand, played her defense attorney, Frank Dulaney, who found himself compelled to explore the potentially fatal world of domination, as is customary in neo-noir films.

Despite being filmed in Oregon, “Body of Evidence” received substantial criticism for shamelessly imitating “Basic Instinct.”

Consequently, it is unlikely that this film will ever be hailed with nostalgic repertory screenings or earn a place on the prestigious Oregon Film Trail.

Nevertheless, the movie did effectively utilize downtown Portland as a captivating backdrop, evoking a sense of glassy noir.

The attorney would spend his evenings at local coffee shops, while the mysterious mansion loomed on the hillside, and the seductress's s*xual entrapment took place along the Willamette River.

One standout location in the film was Madonna's lavish houseboat at Sellwood Riverfront Park, where marital commitments and attorney-client boundaries seemed to apply solely on land.

The most memorable scene occurred in the courthouse parking garage during their second intimate encounter.

Madonna climbed onto a car, gripping a ceiling pipe, while Dafoe supported her weight on his shoulders in an unconventional manner that played with the thrill of public exposure.

Conversely, the film's weakest moment undoubtedly occurred during the climactic action sequence, where Madonna's performance felt forced and director Uli Edel appeared rushed to bring the story to a close.

Despite this, Joe Mantegna delivered a solid performance as the district attorney, injecting necessary gravitas into the otherwise formulaic courtroom scenes.

Madonna claimed that the s*x scenes were improvised to add surprise and authenticity, but they came across as unfocused, leaving the camera uncertain of where to focus its attention.

“Body of Evidence” presented Portland as a prudish city, with Frank cautioning his client about the conservative views surrounding s*xuality.

The disapproving gallery even led the judge to clear the courtroom.

One unresolved aspect of the film was Madonna's character, who supposedly roamed the country ensnaring wealthy men with vulnerable hearts.

She also owned a vast art gallery in Portland, which was only briefly glimpsed and mentioned.

Julianne Moore felt exploited during her gratuitous s*x scene, which served no purpose other than showcasing skin.

Additionally, the presence of doughnuts played a crucial role in one scene, although they did not seem particularly artisanal.

To salvage the film, Edel could have experimented with lens gels and intricate boudoir choreography, much like Paul Verhoeven's approach.

More importantly, the casting of Madonna and Dafoe should have been reversed.

Dafoe would have been better suited for the role of the corruptible Michael Douglas archetype, a white-collar family man susceptible to a corrupting influence.

Madonna, with her career built on the transformation from good girl to provocateur, may have excelled as the corrupted rather than the vacant femme fatale she portrayed.

In conclusion, while “Body of Evidence” was a subpar, unoriginal, and disappointingly tame production, it deserves recognition for its audacious attempt, its effective use of downtown Portland, and its unique interpretation of local values.

The film is available for streaming on Pluto TV, Roku, and Tubi.