Swoon (1992) is the crime drama film directed by Tom Kalin based on the true-life story of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb. These two young men were students at the University of Chicago and belonged to an affluent family. However, the family background did not stop them from brutally murdering Bobby Franks, a 14- year-old boy, in the year 1924; the act was referred to as “the perfect crime”. This case is also referred to as the ‘crime of the century’ owing to the heinousness and senselessness of the act carried on by nearly sub-human who were relatively affluent.
Since this film was incorporated during the New Queer Cinema, it reconstructs the narration by placing emphasis on the relationship of Leopold and Loeb, which was extremely influential and homoerotic, looking into the base causes that drove them. It is common knowledge by virtue of history that the duo had a Nietzschean philosophy in them, that they were “overmen or beyond man,” and hence had the entitlement to commit crimes. However, Swoon explores the more complex issues of hate, sex, and grievances that were repressed and frustrated within the two men. The film is visceral and few may even describe it as distressful; its representation of sexual obsession, themes of power, and the impact of wealth on the human being are presented in an enigmatic and stylized manner, which is a combination of horror and noir.
Swoon isn’t just a vicious crime story, but also an examination of the treatment of homosexuals, depicting how hounded both the media and society of the time sought to demonise the murderers’ relationship. It brings into frame the historical criminal case, creating a narrative that inflicts questions about identity, power, and oppression. The work was achieved with an innovative structure which is at times even disturbing, distinctive black-and-white imagery, and troublesome content: by Mrozek’s words, the picture ‘handles many complex themes’. Swoon received positive reviews for giving a different perspective to the subject matter and is consequential to the representation of crime and LGBTQ+ elements in film.