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British enfant terrible Ken Russell’s Altered States was an adaptation of a book of the same name by Paddy Chayefsky, but the author (who was also the screenwriter for the movie) disowned it after he saw the final cut. The movie starred William Hurt as an eccentric underground scientist who is obsessed with his experiments on altered states of human consciousness and human evolution – so much so that he starts resorting his bizarre experiments on himself. Suffice it to say, the consequences of his spending hours in an enclosed chamber and self-infliction of hallucinogenic drugs, are grotesque to say the least. Accompanying him on this fantastical journey are his loving wife, his ever-loyal friend, and a disbelieving doctor. The director juxtaposed the ominous tone with prolonged usage of psychedelic lights, imageries and sounds, to present us a movie that does a decent job in treading the fine line between a disturbing, visceral experience on one hand, and silliness and ludicrosity on the other. Russell’s overt self-indulgence would be evident to anyone who has watched the film, yet there’s also a strangely engaging quality about the disorienting visual fest, outlandish psycho-babble, and especially the excellently crafted sequences with the ape-man that he dished us in this “body horror”. The acting too was good if not great.
Director: Ken Russell
Genre: Psychological Horror/Sci-Fi
Language: English
Country: US
Terry Gilliam is renowned for his incredible sci-fi satire Brazil. 12 Monkeys, though not of the same caliber, nonetheless remains a competent sci-fi set in a dystopian timeframe. A dark and intense examination of the meaning of “madness” and how its definition varies from person to person, the movie is about time-traveller James Cole (Bruce Willis), a prisoner in the future, being sent to the past to unravel the origin of and possibly thwart the virus attack that has wiped out nearly the entire humanity. Upon his journey to past he befriends a sympathetic psychiatrist (Madeleine Stowe) who, initially reluctantly and later willingly, becomes his only ally, and also the mad, rabble-rousing son (Brad Pitt) of a world-famous biochemist. The film delivers the goods in creating an atmosphere that is filled to its brim with grime and grunge, which in turns helps in holding our attention despite the plot not being its biggest strength. Bruce Willis, as the time-traveller on the verge of insanity and perpetually plagued by a sense of déjà vu (through his recurring dreams), gave a solid performance, as did the beautiful Madeleine Stowe; the show however was befittingly stolen by Brad Pitt for his gleefully over-the-top supporting turn. Though not a great film per se, over the years it has managed to gain considerable cult following.
Director: Terry Gilliam
Genre: Thriller/Sci-Fi
Language: English
Country: US
Set sometime in the not so distant future, Code 46 tells the cautionary tale of a highly regulated world where every action is closely monitored by the State, especially with respect to who one can or cannot marry. A married American man, who has come to a futuristic Shanghai to investigate a possible counterfeit racket in an organization, ends up getting romantically involved with a mysterious female employee working for it, oblivious of the fact that by doing so he might be violating “Code 46”, a law considered sacrilegious by the powers that be. The film has been expertly shot – the set-pieces, lightings and shades used managed to the its moodiness, and also accentuate the themes of loss, memory and urban alienation. Tim Robbins too, as always, has done a noteworthy job as an actor. Unfortunately, the director didn’t pay as much attention in developing the characters and building the narrative as he did on the atmosphere. Consequently, though the sleekness and the visuals were good to look at, the film felt dehumanized and hollow, and thus failed to involve me, leave alone captivate me. In fact, I would go so far as saying that I found the movie a bit boring even. The two lead actors, too, were highly lacking insofar as a plausible chemistry between the characters goes.
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Genre: Sci-Fi/Psychological Drama/Romance
Language: English
Country: UK
George Lucas’ debut feature was in the genre he’s come to be associated with, viz. the sci-fi genre. But, contrary to what one might expect, it was a polar opposite to the kind of flamboyant extravaganza that he’s popular for thanks to his Star Wars series. THX 1138, expanded from his award-winning student short, is a brooding, disquieting, even surreal, exploration of an Orwellian future. Set in an unknown time in a dystopian, computer-controlled future where everyone is under perpetual surveillance, and a pristine, dehumanising environ reminiscent of Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, the film has Robert Duvall as the eponymous bald-headed nameless protagonist. Always dressed in white androgynous attires, he ends up committing two crimes considered inexcusable by the state – those of reducing his sedatives and making love with his female roommate (Maggie McOmie); and these end up in providing him with the resolve to break free. Less about plot, the film is filled with claustrophobic visuals and an oppressive, menacing tone. However, that said, I found the film a tad uneven, and deliberately artsy and sluggish at times – but I’m sure these facets can be forgiven given the challenging nature of this 1984-esque mood piece.
Director: George Lucas
Genre: Sci-Fi/ Thriller
Language: English
Country: US
Given that Zack Snyder was the person who made 300, it is not surprising that Sucker Punch too is a high-octane visual fest. The film tells the fantasy-within-a-fantasy tale of Babydoll, a cherubic, diminutive young girl who, in order to escape the reality of the dreary mental asylum she’s been forcefully admitted to, creates extravagant fantasies where she’s the heroine, and, along with Sweet Pea, Rocket and other fellow luscious and ass-kicking bimbettes, must procure a set of objects that would help them procure their freedom. The film boasts of thumping action sequences, lightening pace, and arresting and innovative visual treatments. But, like 300, it is also spectacularly devoid of any semblance of intelligence. Made principally for attention-deficient juveniles, this escapist, over-edited and CGI-infested film doesn’t just require your brain to take a nap while you’re watching it, it literally forces you to flush it down the nearest drain. However, having said that, I did like the director’s attempt to create a subversive piece of action-fantasy; and I must add, I was reasonably glued to my seat, popcorn basket and cola glass during the film’s length. So yeah, Snyder did deliver a feisty sucker punch alright.
Director: Zack Snyder
Genre: Action/Fantasy/Adventure
Language: English
Country: US
To simply qualify Brazil as inspired from George Orwell’s 1984 would be telling only one half of the story. The Byzantine plot is based in an Orwellian and dystopian future where the world has been converted into a cold, disconsolate, concrete jungle, populated by dysfunctional human beings, controlled by a Fascist regime and tyrannical bureaucracy, and operated by endless automisation. And, to escape the bleakness of the decaying world around him, Sam Lowry, a civil servant, takes refuge in his elaborate dreams where he is a winged superhero single-handedly fighting grotesque villains in order to rescue his lady love. Terry Gilliam, who directed this enormously ambitious science fiction film, filled every nook and corner of the story with pungent observations and jet-black satire of a technology-obsessed world filled with narcissistic, cartoonish characters, and quick to label revolutionaries and renegades (people who possess the courage to choose freedom over oppression) as pariahs and dangerous terrorists. The film, filled with special effects, production designs and breathtaking imagination that would be groundbreaking even today, has as its motif the melodious 1930’s song from which the title and the theme have been borrowed. Jonathan Pryce gave a superb performance as the meek, docile and escapist loner, and has been immensely aided by a host of terrific performances, including a quirky cameo by Robert De Niro.
Director: Terry Gilliam
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Political Satire/Social Satire
Language: English
Country: UK
