倒计
!/$时

The sto
ry/! appears simple on the surf
ace, :%but  is re__(vealed, especially after -multiple viewings, 
-as more multi-layered and textured t!#h]$.an Cassavetes a/@.t hi `s be);st. O[%ste=nsi+b=ly it ,conce;rns \a 14-ye-+ar o,ld Catholi%c [girl, % Wynne ( Agut#)`t_= er) g.ro^`wing up [in this p;;;ost-moder ) -n wa !steland, ?? who de: )velops a,)[ crus` h on her ^^much older ad-op/#t:ive bro,th[er !(Mar: /?shall@^%)\-- a? crus@@-h whi(ch perversely deepens# an?$d *),]gro#:_w:!s into in\#@*fatuation-* onc[e she  star^.ts ](/,to believe he is the local sex killer. This is+ in itsel%f an idea that makes you si$ `+t u?( /*p and $=;:jolt,
% but as t-h;+e)_ nar.(rative deve/`$lop
*s, +:it co^ntinu.+es@ no)t necessa#-rily a!^long a li:;;near path but in s ev=eral confusing and fascin`^%,`ating directions: the fami@[,ly:]9s history, (detai
+led ! effec%=tively in ch`i:(lling flashba=$ck[) \%]during a:*`^n impr% ovised sean+ce) is a  c#heq[uered one , _and has $,suffered at least one maj=#or relocation and (u\pheaval in the last t [en years.

At t^he crux, ^however, it!.& /%#39s# the dep^=),ict_%_ion of soc_/ial al changes t+ha$)t m/!ake I Star]t- Cou--?nting so @@fasci+nating an_d elevate ?.its langua:+\g+e far *);beyond the confin e-:=s of the st;andar
%
d horr(or film. The ma\-
`jor subtext+- that teenage
_)g]\irls were maturing more,* quickly than b[@efore, and deve;lo.ping full s[exual and r omantic a*pp;%e [/tites ^(ev%-en if in th _ought rathe-r than de.%ed) but were not possessed
of enough disc?+.?reti]`on t o mak e the rig:ht cho,`)ices- w\as a step forward fo
r  a genre in !`w`hich\ its (((young _f]?emale_s had previ*?+o=usl#?y been `/portr=@ ay@/,ed as :bimbo vict?,ims (Cove:
r Gir`)l Kille:*r and The%; N*i$ght Caller spring`@_ to min%*%d);(, but no)t o:`ne ([t=ha#*
?t a:*ll vie
]wers ;]would[= n=_ecessa%-rily agre;e w \[ith)`.
But most  ].s;,triking of all, an;d poss*-ibly the /[most en%duri^=ng image which the@@#_ viewer will t\_ake [ away w$]ith them, is o*- f [+the $/maste)#rful symbolis ,m with which dire cto=[r ]`Gree#n!%e invests# . every sho @/t. Every in.@,ch of the K?inch family's world-  t: heir h
-ouse, ;their w]alls, their TV, Agu= tters$ underwear, /b=/;edroom furni=[tu,re `$and toys, Su]?=t\\cliffe's++ cl/ othes,:? Mars+hal]l-s van, the lo_(cal Catho`_lic/ church=,[, thei
r town cent,\re, th/_/!eir r\^*.ecord shop)\:? :(- is painted a b$# right, scintillat_i
ng white- a*?\ wh@i,*te  which, by  :];in`/feren
^ce, + is s ?lowl$ !y becoming smudg =,ed and corrupted with the ,d= irt of]] th)/e [,outside world. White also sy\mb
,olise:-s, o)f c;ourse,;` purity and in_)no. /?ce,/nce (two qualit^ies C\/at)=holic school_#gi?\]#rls are supposed t!%*o hold dear), and it`
is in)to/ this _w(%o rld of inn*ocence that the ]ever-) --pres ent =%red @bu :\s (a symbol o`=f vi]olation and penetration), c=onducted by t=)he lechero\!:]us ?/@yet s:imilarly j+;uv^@enile S+imon Ward,, ^:mak;-es regular [,#journeys. The@! a llegory i, %s fur^ther expande?^d in one `,?sc,[%ene where Agutt^#e!/r believes she s`;ees the C hr-!ist fig(#ure in %c`hur( ch weeping bl+ oo/d: by th^ @e time w e a/cknowl$-edge it, i;- ts gon.e, : .but t]$he s]`eed h!!as already been planted/. -Rarely in a ,genre ,production has the use of colour and b
ackground b!@een [? so imp?* `o#rtant o/r effective in cr
eating ]a @_uniformity\]+  o] f mood.
I_+% Star?@t Cou#,@nting is as n,(ear-perfect an end to - (a d/*`ecade%= as one!) co+u??@ld h^ope `%%for,=?[^ and e:+%xa-[ctly t
h .e, ^kind of film p):/eople /+should b e mak%!ing no
w- which is, of-] ( course, exact? [ly why^ they.%`) ne +ver will. A genre e ^ssentia+];l.
`;by D.R /. [email protected]