COBRA

US, 1986, 87 minutes, Colour.
Sylvester Stallone, Brigitte Neilson, Reni Santoni, Andrew Robinson.
Directed by George Pan Cosmatos.

Cobra was written by Sylvester Stallone as a star vehicle for himself. After Rocky and Rambo, his is now a policeman, Marion Cobretti, nicknamed Cobra. He is in the Zombie Squad, a group that goes in to combat mad killers and terrorisers. The film is in the vein of Death Wish (with the touch of Rambo). The film focuses on crime in the United States, opening with some statistics, critical of the courts in their leniency in treatment of criminals. The film takes a very strong Right-wing view of law and order - and the use of violence. In fact, the film is quite violent in its presentation of crime and the combating of insane criminals. It is directed by George Pan Cosmatos (Massacre In Rome, Cassandra Crossing, Escape To Athena, Rambo). The style is very much the fast-paced style of video clips.

Stallone gives a variation on his Rocky and Rambo style. Police snarl at one another. Stallone's wife, Brigitte Nielsen, is the glamorous heroine.

The film was very popular - showing the ugly side of the United States and raising questions in a blunt way about violence in our society.

1. The impact of the film? Its reputation? Sylvester Stallone and his stances on law and order?

2. The visual presentation of violence, crime, the administrators, the special squads, retaliation? The special effects and stunts? The credits and the black and red colours giving a mood to the film?

3. Themes of violence, the visual presentation of violence? Law, justice and responsibility?

4. Los Angeles: light and darkness, stunts and special effects for violence, editing and pace? The use of songs and musical score as background, collage effects? The justification of such violence and its impact? Reality and unreality?

5. Sylvester Stallone and his image, writing the film, creating his character? His American stances, support of President Reagan? The police, bullshit laws, the introduction about statistics, the role of the judges and their sentencing of criminals, paroles? The law, rights and limits?

6. The title and the emblem, Marian Cobretti and his name? An evocative title?

7. The supermarket massacre, the madman, shooting and smashing, the police, Cobra and his going into the supermarket, challenging the criminal, use of knife and gun? The TV interviewer, and the questions and Cobra showing him the corpse? The police, their methods? The contrast with Cobra and Tony?

8. The credits and the mad group, their axes, a new world? Madness, bikies, violence? Their philosophy? The range of members? The policewoman? Deaths and the indiscriminate slashings: the woman in the shop etc? Their creating mayhem? Killing people to cover themselves? Ingrid witnessing the killing and her pursuit?

9. Cobra as a character, life, clashing with authorities, the Zombie Squad, his attitude to authority? His quips? Home? Ingrid and the lead, the sketch of the killer, the hospital guard, his computer work, the attack on the hospital, saving Ingrid, transferring her, the journey, Tony and his junk food, the attraction towards Ingrid, the night at the motel, his keeping vigil, fighting and saving her, the massacre, the factory and using his wits, the final confrontation with the villain, rights? and motives? The end and his achievement? Character

10. Tony as his buddy, the comedy about the junk food, the attack, helping, his being wounded?

11. Ingrid and her witnessing the killing, the collage of her modelling with its sex and glamour, her fears, the hospital, the attack, her saving herself from the killer, her being transferred, attracted towards Cobra, her participation in the finale?

12. The police, officialdom, hostility, clashes, Cobra punching his rivals?

13. The leader and his madness, the cruelty of his killings, disguise in the hospital, the murders of the nurses and staff? The gang and the pursuit of Cobra? His dialogue about violence, society, new world?

14. The repercussions of this kind of film - for the audience watching it, its stances on law and order, justice and responsibilities? The film denounced as dangerous?