BASED on the novel Waltz into Darkness by Cornell Woolrich, Original Sin is a story about the fatal emotion called love.
Starring Antonio Banderas and Anjelina Jolie, the film depicts love in its most depraved. It opens with Jolie’s character, Julia Russell, narrating to a priest the events that led to her imprisonment.
Her story takes place in Cuba, where Luis Durand (Banderas), a wealthy plantation owner awaits the arrival of his mail-order-bride—Julia.
Durand is pleasantly surprised when he finds out that his would-be wife is not plain at all. The bride turns out to be a very beautiful woman—Julia. In an act of deception, Julia tries to test Durand whether he would marry her because of her physical attributes, which he does.
In the beginning, the marriage seems to be blissfully dreamlike. The newlyweds are moony-eyed and appear so immersed with each other that audiences are caught into their euphoria.
Russell is the picture of a perfect bride—passionate, alluring, and beautiful. It’s no wonder that Luis became an easy prey. He gives her full access to his bank accounts.
The romantic illusion shatters when Luis discovers that he married, not the real Julia, but a woman named Bonnie. Confused, Luis rushes back home to confront his wife, only to find out that she has fled with his money.
Penniless and heartbroken, Luis sets off to Havana to look for Bonnie.
Charmingly handsome, naïve, and lovestruck, Banderas plays the character of Durand to the hilt. His rugged good looks and exceptional acting skills make him very convincing. His desperation and extreme love for Bonnie emanate in every nuance of his expression and movement.
Meanwhile, Jolie is perfect for her role—the ultimate femme fatale, a seductress and immoral woman who uses her sex to manipulate her victims. Blinded by lust, men are helpless under her spell.
Original Sin is a story about a dark kind of love ruled by weakness, corruption, and immorality. The film is loaded with sexual scenes that highlights the corruption of human emotion. Mixed with violence, it is not surprising that the film was rated “for adults only.”
