and
Philip K. Dick. In the world of science fiction literature there are few names which carry the same level of respect outside of that specific genre. From his first work written in 1950 up until his last in 1982, Dick, in the tradition of H.G. Wells and H.P. Lovecraft before him, helped to capture the unique nature of the society and channel it in new and interesting ways. Questions of identity and the role of the individual, the increasing power of faceless corporations and the rise of the military industrial complex in the wake of the first major American/Soviet conflict or what you M*A*S*H fans might know as the Korean War, all of these (including his increasingly deteriorating mental state in later years, as a result of an untreated mental illness) helped to inform Dick’s distinct view on life and thus his writing. To some critics it might be considered exercises in paranoia, a latent schizophrenic managing to maintain his increasingly erratic thoughts long enough to bang out some stories. But to those who are receptive to it, myself included, his stories are filled with fascinating ideas and chilling possibilities for mankind, even if they leaned more towards the speculative rather than the scientific.
There have been a number of films based on works by Philip K. Dick: Blade Runner (directed by Ridley Scott), Total Recall (helmed by Robocop director Paul Verhoeven, later remade in a lackluster 2012 effort by Len Wiseman), Minority Report (directed by Steven Spielberg) and of course A Scanner Darkly, directed by Richard Linklater, whose film Bernie appeared in last year’s Marathon. Notable at the time for it’s all-star cast, including Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Robert Downey Jr. and Woody Harrelson, and its distinctive art style. Seven years from now, in Anaheim, California, the city, and perhaps the entire country, is being racked by illegal narcotics, the deadliest and most prolific of which is known as Substance D. To combat this ever-growing threat, the Orange County Police Department have become an entity unto itself, with narcotics agents, aka ‘scanners’, so deep undercover that they don’t even know who each other are, due to the ‘scramble suits’ they wear, which completely obfuscates their appearance. However, what happens when the person you’ve been assigned to monitor is yourself? What happens when you’ve taken so much Substance D you’re not even sure who the real ‘you’ is meant to be? Such is the case with ‘Fred’, also known as Bob Arctor, who finds himself pulled into a mind-bending conspiracy where, to abuse a cliche, nothing is as it seems. Especially the aphids.
I guess if I were to say anything negative about A Scanner Darkly, it’s that during the second half, when things are falling into place, it feels like the movie hits a wall and then you’re just waiting to see things play out. In that, I think the original story probably does it better. Other than that, I think Linklater manages to capture that near nihilistic, end-with-a-twist-and-leave-’em-thinking kind of science fiction that writers like Harlan Ellison, Ray Bradbury and of course Philip K. Dick were known for and adapting it film just as well if not better than Verhoeven or Truffaut managed to do, although personally I can’t help but feel the ‘age’ of the material despite a modern sheen . The cast really work off each other well, RDJ and Harrelson in particular really carry those scenes in the first half, although you could argue whether Keanu’s ‘Keanu-ness’ is a low point or an effective performance of a perpetual burnout. The animation style could be seen as a gimmick at first, but on the other hand it is an effective way to not only give the audience the feel of heightened reality but also to easily convey concepts like the scramble suit and Arctor’s hallucinations. Overall, and I don’t mean to sound insulting, but it’s a really firm B movie for me. It looks interesting, I like the concept and some of the characters, but as a whole I think it never really grabbed me like Blade Runner grabbed me, or entertained me like Total Recall entertained me. Maybe on a second viewing or after reading the original work I’d feel differently, but first impressions wise I’d say it falls short of a must watch, unless you love the work of Richard Linklater/Philip K. Dick, in which case you were going to watch it anyway. Even if it’s not a must-watch though, it’s still a good movie, so I have no issue with recommending it this Halloween.
No comments:
Post a Comment