Dead Again (1991)

Dead Again Poster

In 1949, composer Roman Strauss is executed for the murder of his wife. In 1990s Los Angeles, a detective comes across a mute amnesiac woman who is somehow linked to the Strauss murder.

Introduction
"Dead Again" is a 1991 American romantic thriller film directed by Kenneth Branagh, who likewise stars along with Emma Thompson. The film combines elements of romanticism, secret, suspense, and neo-noir. Its plot focuses on a reincarnation theme with 2 time periods - one set in the 1940s and the other in the 1990s.

Plot
The modern-day story starts in Los Angeles, where Mike Church (Kenneth Branagh) is a disgraced Los Angeles detective-turned-private detective focusing on discovering lost people. He is asked by a priest to assist a mute, amnesiac lady referred to as Grace (Emma Thompson). Mike initially hesitant, finds that he has a flair for hypnosis and looks for assistance from an antique dealer orgasm hypnotist and past-life regressionist called Franklyn Madison (Derek Jacobi).

Under hypnosis, Grace remembers a previous life as a lady called Margaret Strauss, who was married to a well-known composer, Roman Strauss (also played by Branagh). According to her regressions, Margaret witnessed her partner Roman brutally killing her with a pair of scissors. This traumatic past-life memory triggers Grace to restore her voice but likewise instills a fear of scissors.

Examination and Hypnosis
Throughout their examination and multiple hypnosis sessions, Church and Grace slowly fall for each other. On the other hand, Mike begins having frightening dreams of himself killing Grace in the exact same harsh manner as Roman apparently killed Margaret. This triggers a search for the fact about Roman and Margaret's story, aiming to identify fiction from truth.

Twist in the Tale
As the story progresses, it is revealed that Margaret was killed, but not by Roman; it was her jealous partner, Inga (Hanna Schygulla). Roman was mistakenly founded guilty based on inconclusive evidence and the court's rush to judgment. The past life regression also reveals that Margaret and Roman reincarnated into Mike and Grace, who then go on to fix their historic injury by facing the real killer, now an old female.

Conclusion
"Dead Again" is an intriguing film with a special balance of thriller and love. It explores different themes consisting of reincarnation, destiny, love, and the principle of previous experiences affecting today. The movie skillfully utilizes plot twists keeping the audience guessing about Roman and Margaret's fate until the end. The efficiencies of Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson are compelling, particularly their representation of 2 unique characters in different period. The movie ends on a favorable note with Mike and Grace clearing Roman's name, therefore settling the wrongs from their past life.

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