INTENSITY, (DEAN KOONTZ'S INTENSITY)
US, 1997, 130 minutes, Colour.
Molly Parker, John C. Mc Ginley, Piper Laurie.
Directed by Yves Simoneau.
Intensity is based on a popular novel by Dean R. Koontz. Stephen Tolkin's screenplay remains very close in plot outline and structure to the novel.
It is a cat and mouse story. Molly Parker portrays a young woman who has had an abusive childhood and who is placed in a situation where she is staying with a family who is murdered. The murderer, played by John C. Mc Ginley, is a sociopath, with a heightened sense intensity that makes him enjoy crime. At the end, ironically, it is revealed that his occupation is as a small town sheriff.
The film takes place mainly in the initial mansion, on the road in a campervan where Molly Parker is hidden, and in the mansion of the killer where he has abducted a young girl and imprisoned her.
Piper Laurie appears as a woman who attempts to help Molly Parker. The film keeps something of the intensity of Koontz's novel, while being an above average telemovie with the themes adapted for television and the home audience.
1. The popularity of the novels of Dean R. Koontz? The transition to the screen? Plot, characters, structure?
2. The north western American settings, the mansions, the highways, the towns? Musical score?
3. The title and its reference to Edgler Vess's sense experience, psychological state, psychotic behaviour? Enjoying the intensity of tormenting people, breaking them, killing them? Violence? The three black dogs at his home, symbolising his aggression? (And the contrast with the gentle silver wolves in the forest and their appearing to help Chyna in her plight?)
4. The prologue: Chyna reading The Wind in the Willows, her negligent mother and her drinking, the violent boyfriend? His killing the neighbours? Chyna's flashbacks and remembering his pursuing her, hiding on the top of the cupboard, her mother and her sayings, abuse of her child? The aftermath of these experiences? Her explaining them to Laura at the restaurant?
5. Chyna as a mature woman, able to cope with difficulties, drawing on her resources and going beyond what she expected of herself? Going to the Templeton home, helping in the kitchen, listening to Jack playing the piano, the meal? Her enjoying her stay? The sudden transition to the terror, the killings, her hiding under the bed, seeing the knife? Seeing the murderer, carrying the bodies, eluding him? (And the later irony of him saying that his heightened senses did not hear or smell her presence?)
6. Going into the van, the dead Laura? The drive, her staying hidden? His stopping at the service station? His mad talk about Ariel and the photo? Chyna coming in and warning the two men? Edgler shooting them? Chyna and her taking the car and pursuing him?
7. Her meeting the woman on the road, explaining the situation? The woman and her phoning the police, her incoherent message? Following the van, the pursuit, Edgler pushing her off the road and killing her? The policeman and his realising that the phone call may have made sense, looking up the documents on Ariel, trying to find the van and the woman?
8. The policeman and his wife, the phone calls to her, her support? His doing the best he could, looking at the crash scene, the piece of paper on his shoe, trying to pursue the killer? The pathos of his being shot by the killer dressed as the sheriff?
9. Chyna getting back into the van, Edgler knowing that she was there by the footprints? His going back to the house, with Ariel, with the dogs? His capturing Chyna and chaining her? His conversation with her, confessing his exploits to her? His going to work?
10. Chyna and her ingenuity with the chains, with the table, with the drill? Opening the door for Ariel, helping her escape? The dogs and Edgler's suit? Backing the van, using the ladder, the pursuit of the dogs? The escape and meeting Edgler? Chyna using her ingenuity with the cigarette lighter and the gas? Burning him? Their escape?
11. Thriller, cat and mouse pursuit, psychological struggles, intensity?
