IMPULSE
US, 1990, 108 minutes, Colour.
Theresa Russell, Jeff Fahey, George Dzundza.
Directed by Sondra Locke.
Impulse is a strong psychological police thriller. It is a star vehicle for Teresa Russell (who reprised some of this role in Ken Russell's Whore). It was directed by actress Sondra Locke (Heart is a Lonely Hunter), long-time associate of Clint Eastwood and appearing in The Outlaw Josey Wales, Bronco Billy, The Gauntlet and other films. Her film resembles Eastwood's star vehicle as a policeman in New Orleans, bordering on the brink of psychological disturbance, Tightrope.
The supporting cast is good, including Jeff Fahey as the police counsellor and George Dzundza as a brutal policeman.
The film re-creates the atmosphere of the Los Angeles streets, police investigations - as well as the psychological impact of the work on the police officer, Teresa Russell being an undercover agent who poses as a prostitute, goes to a police psychiatrist for counselling and has to come to terms with herself.
The film was released at the same time as Blue Steel Kathryn Bigelow's portrait of a policewoman under stress, played by Jamie Lee Curtis.
1. Interesting and entertaining police drama? Crime thriller? Psychological drama and thriller?
2. The atmosphere of the Los Angeles streets, bars, mansions, police precincts? Day and night? The world of night and shadows?
3. The title, its reference to Lottie and her work, her experience, psychological response to her crises? The impulse of going with the gangster, the murder, her phone call, the investigation?
4. The portrait of Lottie: the introduction to her, audiences thinking that she was a street prostitute, her leading men on, the violent abuse of the client, the range of clients on the street? The outburst, the police arrest? Her relationship with Morgan, his coming to her home, his behaviour, coming on to her - and her threatening to ring his wife? The brutality of the clash? Her discussing it with the psychiatrist? Her hostility towards the psychiatrist? Her resistance? Her explaining her situations and fantasies? At work, Morgan and the jobs? Her encounter with Stan, attraction, resisting, going out, interacting? Talking, returning home, the sexual liaison? Her reflecting on this with the psychiatrist? Her letting her guard down? Her further work - and resisting the man, saying that she was attracted to girls? His arrest? At work, the return home, the car breaking down, going into the bar, the gangster picking her up - and allowing herself to go with him? Her doubts, going to the bathroom, pondering? Hearing the shots, seeing the killer? The criminal in the house, hiding? Her ringing the police? Taking the money and hiding it? Her relationship with Stan, his investigations and desperation, Morgan? Lying to him - almost telling him? His violent reaction, suspicions, thinking she wanted the money? The reactions of Morgan? Their planning to trap the killer, the media and the publicity? Her going into the house - the killer coming, her shooting him? The effect? Her resigning, meeting Stan, decision to go away with the money, the irony of Morgan confronting her - and the empty case? Stan and his putting the money in the car, her coming back to him? A future?
5. The psychological dimensions, the woman in the police force, the men's reactions, her being exploited, abused? Her going undercover as the prostitute? The psychological effect on her? As a policewoman, her cover, the atmosphere of vice, the potential clients and their abuse? Its effect on her capacity to relate, to trust? Her violent reactions? Pretending to be the prostitute, her interaction with the potential client, going to his home and its effect on her? Her decision to warn the police? The psychological barriers about admitting the truth, the identikit, the photo? The ending, the catharsis of the confrontation with the killer, shooting him? The truth?
6. Stan and Charlie, their work in the police force, the counsellor, the cases? The witnesses, the witness protection program? Stan and his clash with Morgan? Stan and his observing Lottie, the meeting in the bars, the awkwardness, relationship? His work with the criminal, the investigation? His finding the photo, his anger with Lottie? Compromise with her, setting her up? The money?
7. Morgan, his type, loud, the potential for assault, the job, at work, sending the photo? The final confrontation about the money, the fight with Stan?
8. The world of criminals, the Mafia, witnesses, the witness protection program? The world of drugs, violence? The witness, his fears - and his decision to kill the boss?
9. The world of vice - from the side of criminals, from the side of police? The blurring of the lines? Right and wrong, good and evil?
