MEDICINE MAN

US, 1992, 106 minutes, Colour.
Sean Connery, Lorraine Bracco.
Directed by John Mc Tiernan.

Medicine Man was executive-produced by its star Sean Connery. It is an adventure film - but it is more of a message film about the environment, the Brazilian rain forests, ecology and destruction, technology, nature and medical cures, a respect for `culture and medicine'.

The film was shot in Mexico, standing in for Brazil. It is a mixture of Tarzan as well as The African Queen and The Mission.

Sean Connery gives a sturdy performance as the doctor who prefers to live in the jungles and forests, trying to find a cure for cancer. Lorraine Bracco is somewhat strident as the American doctor who comes down to assist him. There is the expected clash, the battle of the sexes, collaboration in work, falling in love.

Connery had been directed by John Mc Tiernan in The Hunt for Red October. Mc Tiernan had also worked in the forests with Predator. His other films include Nomads, Die Hard. Die Hard 3, Last Action Hero.

1.Entertaining blend of message and popular entertainment?

2.The Mexico locations, the jungles and the forests? The native cast? Customs and rituals? Musical score?

3.The title - as applying to Robert Campbell, to the native doctors? Themes of health, culture, magic and cures?

4.The focus on health, possibilities of cures? Research, biochemistry? Traditional and native medicines and cures?

5.Themes of progress and technology, the roads into the forests, the machines, setting fire to the forests, the destruction of ecosystems? Equipment - and the need for strong technical equipment for biochemical research?

6.The audience entering the forests with Rae? Her personality, demanding? Her explanation of herself, background research, prizes? Her engagement to Tom Fallon? Her administration of grants? Her coming to South America, travel? The boat, the Indians, the difficulties? Left alone? Meeting the masked Campbell, his drinking, the rituals? Her observations, apprehensions? The clash next day? His wanting to get rid of her, her demands for a bath? Her interest in his work, the investigations, the data? His equipment? The woman with the cancer her cure? Her interaction with the people, the children? The conducting of the tests? The plants available on the treetops, the heights, the cables? The exhilaration of the heights? Seeing the fires and the progress of the road? Her arguments with Campbell? The sequence with her bathing and the children, the fish? The trek to the medicine man, the drugs and the effect on her, her talking freely, her fall - and the danger of the rescue? Her presence at the ritual fight, her interventions? Her returning to camp? The importance of the deadline, the research, the discovery about the ants? The confrontation with the bulldozers? The destruction of the camp, the equipment, the research? Her response to Campbell's sketches? His dismay? Her decision to stay? The relationship between the two? Her mellowing?

7.Seeing the situation through her eyes? The mystery, the different culture, having to adapt, change?

8.Sean Connery as Robert Campbell: his story, his wife and the research, her leaving him? His sketches? His becoming a bush man? The mask, the drinking, the rituals? His relationship with the people? The arguments with Ray? The tests, the woman with cancer, the cures? The alcohol and how it was made, his drinking? His anger with her, the apology? Taking her on the cables and the heights? The sick child? The trek to the medicine man, rescuing Rae? The ritual fight and the injuries? The progress of the fire on the road, the confrontation? The destruction? Having to start again?

9.The portrait of the village, village life, rituals, work, health, traditions? The medicine man and the traditional medicine? The dangers, the destruction of the forests, the villagers having to move?

10.The action sequences, punctuating the more serious-minded message material?

11.The tradition of movies with the battle of the sexes, strong-minded man and woman, their interchanges, dominating each other, surrendering to each other?

12.The value of this kind of popular ecological, health message story for wide audiences?