With the steadfast popularity of documentaries that take on true crime and crime-related scandals as it’s subject, it was inevitable that a sub-genre of dramatizing these documentaries and docuseries would soon trend and proliferate. After all, the guiding philosophy would be that if these documentaries were avidly followed, then you’d have a built-in audience for the dramatization. The latest to follow that route, as part of the ever-increasing drive to generate content for our favorite streaming platforms, is HBO’s The Staircase.
Colin Firth & Toni Collette in HBO’s 'The Staircase'
An eight-episode miniseries, The Staircase takes off from the 2004 docuseries of the same name, that followed the case of Michael Peterson, who was then convicted of murdering his wife, who was found dead at the bottom of the staircase in their home in Durham, North Carolina. A twisted tale of family, bitterness, and secrets; the 2004 docuseries was a French production created by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade. Back in 2004, the documentary crew followed Michael, a writer, in the aftermath of his calling 911, and saying his wife had fallen down the staircase in a bad accident.
The sordid circumstances that the police incident report and autopsy unveiled was how there was so much splattered blood, and evidence of repeated blows to Kathleen Peterson’s head with a blunt instrument, along with several lacerations to her body. All making the claim of a simple fatal fall seem far-fetched. A passion project of director and writer Antonio Campos, this mini-series drops the first three episodes on May 5, with the remaining five episodes released on a weekly basis.
Colin Firth heads the cast as Michael, and Toni Collette takes on the role of Kathleen. Invited to do a media round table with Ms. Collette was an opportunity not to be passed up, even if it was going to happen at 5:30am Manila time. Ever since Muriel’s Wedding, and on to memorable roles in such films as The Sixth Sense, Little Miss Sunshine, and Hereditary, I’ve admired Collette’s attack on her roles - and how comfortable she is, whether in drama, horror, or comedy. She’s a consummate thespian; and I love the convincing manner in which she slips into roles and accents, such that people are surprised when they discover she’s Australian.
As Ms. Collette explained, this was a project that meant a lot to her, as the docuseries had objectified Kathleen, reducing her to ‘victim’. As the only person in the cast no longer with us, with everyone else still alive, this also granted her more freedom in interpreting the role of Kathleen, fleshing her into a breathing, living person - and dwelling on the Why’s, and not just the What happened, and the How’s.
For Toni, this was one of the clinchers in why she readily took on the role. Campos’ screenplay was ready to go deeper, add texture, and use dramatic license to make the crime, and the circus that followed, more compelling a watch. And I’d would guess that audiences will take to this treatment, and be ready to absorb the drama and flights of studied imagination that turn this into something inspired by, but radically different, from the docuseries.
In fact, in Campos’ dramatization, leStrade and his film crew are important characters as well, as Campos studies the role of media, and how making this a documentary, in itself had repercussions on how people presented themselves and ‘acted’ when the cameras were on.
Toni also recalled how in the docuseries, the husband was practically glorified; and how this mini-series would go some way in correcting that and offering a more balanced perspective. Working in a then unstable company, Kathleen was a great leader at work, but under a lot of pressure during the time prior to her death.
At the time of the media round table, I had advance screened the first five episodes, and commended Toni on a job truly well done; as she had certainly ‘fleshed out’ Kathleen in a way that didn’t disrupt with the overhanging rigid structure of dramatizing the docuseries. And one could visibly discern why the show has been described as a passion project for Campos. He began writing the screenplay in 2008, and one appreciates how he’s followed the events all the way to 2017, and knows how to withhold certain information for dramatic effect.
The Staircase will surely whet your appetite for true-crime drama, and help you understand why these dramatizations still serve a purpose even if the documentaries are available for viewing.
Filipinos can watch or download "The Staircase" from May 5 on HBO Go!