ICEMAN

US, 1984, 96 minutes, Colour.
Timothy Hutton, Lindsay Crouse, John Lone, Josef Sommer, David Strathairn, Danny Glover.
Directed by Fred Schepisi.

Iceman is the second American film (after Barbarossa) of Australian director Fred Schepisi. With success for The Devil's Playground and critical acclaim but box office reaction to The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Schepisi went to America and undertook a number of projects. In six years, this was his second.

Iceman reflects interest in archeological expeditions and the search for human ancestors. The screenplay is plausible: an expedition finds a frozen iceman of 40,000 years ago. His functions are able to be re-animated - while technological skill enables him to live, the problem arises as to environment and culture shock.

The film portrays vividly science, medicine and technology. It has special pleading for sociology and anthropological awareness - some thing lacking in contemporary technological scientists. However, the screenplay goes further and reveals that the iceman was on a religious quest. In ways reminiscent of Jimmie Blacksmith, Schepisi enables us to understand the humanity and the religious yearnings of the iceman and his mythology.

Timothy Hutton, made to resemble physically John Loan who plays the iceman, leads a competent cast. Photography is by Ian Baker who worked with Schepisi on Playground and Jimmie Blacksmith and the music is by Australian composer Bruce Smeaton.

The film works on an entertainment level - but has several layers of meaning.

1. An enjoyable entertainment? Message film? Insight into humanity, 20th. century society?

2. The work of Fred Schepisi, his Australian career, work in Hollywood? His interest in humanity, minorities, life and human quests?

3. Panavision photography, Arctic locations? The contrast with laboratories and science, machines and technology? The Vivarium and the re-creation of primitive environment? The realism of the locations, the lack of realism with the vivarium and the sets? The clash of reality and unreality? Editing: pace, urgency, shock, the culmination for the iceman?

4. The cinema devices for the audience to understand the iceman: the Arctic landscapes, the discovery of the body in the cave, the gradual thawing, the operation processes, Charlie and his language and sounds, the contrast with 20th. century human beings, audience expectations of icemen, the collages to show his way of life, his vision of things?

5. The musical score: Moody and evocative?

6. The plausibility of the plot: Credible, realistic? Facts of anthropological expeditions? of technological advances in medicine and re-animation? The credibility of the scientists' reactions, the reactions of the anthropologist? How to cope with such a find, with the iceman being alive? Treatment by scientists, by academics? Judgments about the value of such finds? The criteria for behaviour? The need for humanity? The mistakes in treating Charlie? The conflict of value systems to cope?

7. The opening with the atmosphere of the icy landscapes, the blue cave, the evocation of the Arctic, the modern world with the helicopters, the urgency of the find, its being transported (during the credits)? The unpacking, the discovery, the plans, the laser cutting of the ice? The discovery for understanding the past? For the future? Where should the priority lie?

8. The scientists and their urgency? Dr. Brady and her skills, wanting to use the iceman for analysis, for preventative medicine etc.? Her terminology, language, knowledge? The contrast with the scientists and the other technicians - Maynard and his offhandedness? The security officers and their role? The official and his supervision, decision-making? The importance of the discussions about the issues - scientific, philosophical, ethical? The decisions to act and allow Charlie to live? The effect on all of them?

9. The impact of the thawing, the medical background, audience familiarity with operation scenes? The editing with speed, pacing? The focus on the machines? Human abilities? Charlie's gradual thawing and becoming more human? His reactions? The decisions about letting him live? The issue in the abstract? The issue as real for the iceman?

10. Dr. Brady and her work, part of the team, her reaction to Shepherd, the clashes, the explanations? The irony of her seeming to be an ice woman and frigid? Her gradual thawing? Discovering her humanity in dealing with the iceman? Reality rather than theory? Shepherd persuading her to go in and talk with the iceman? His treating her as feminine, her feminine, her feminine response? Growth in sympathy?

11. The team and their skills, ideas, Maynard and his jokes? As seen by Charlie? The supervisor and the need for decisions and changes of decisions? His pleasure in the discovery, his supervisory role, his responsibilities?

12. Shepherd and the opening? His appearance - like Charlie with hair, beard? Their continually being paralleled? Friendship, contrasts? The awkward academic, the anthropologist in the field? The continuing slinging off at him? His lack of technical knowledge? His human considerations, social awareness, environment? His presence at the thawing, his clumsiness and getting in the way? His reaction to the decisions? His hopes? Getting the team onside?

13. Charlie and his being frozen in the ice, the manner of his death 40,000 years passing? The thawing, the medical tests, his becoming more human, his skin, heartbeat? His awakening - and seeing the others in a blur? The effect on him of seeing the masked attendants, fright? Shepherd seeing him as a human being? The bridging of 40,000 years? The visual impact of culture shock and audience appreciation of this?

14. The Vivarium and primitive conditions, jungle, food? The animals? The contrast of the animals kept in cages for scientific observation and experimentation and the iceman allowed to stay in his original conditions? Questions of language and communication? The audience seeing his behaviour, hunting, fire, surviving? His religious attitudes, the implements with him, his prayer? His discovering the pipe and its effect? The shock of seeing the 20th. century world and people? His being hurt -and the decisions to operate on him and keep him alive?

15. Charlie with Shepherd: their mirroring each other, the two languages, communication, behaviour, friendship? His name? Trusting and sharing? The effect of the experiences on both? Or Dr. Brady? Joy, puzzle? The effect of playback of behaviour for understanding? Charlie’s response to Dr. Brady as feminine?

16. The revelation of his quest? Hunger, family, death? The gods? His wanting to appease, the gods? The interlude with Shepherd discussing mythology with the Eskimos, language, the continuity of mythology over 40,000 years? The bird mythology and the helicopter? The drawings? Charlie's fast and rituals? The decisions as to what he needed most: medical help, sociological help, values and religion?

17. Charlie's discovering the door and the switch, the maze and labyrinth of the corridors, the laboratories? The animals and his encounters with them? Lights, glass doors, mirrors? His smashing them, cutting himself? Machines? The confrontation with Maynard and stabbing him? His terror? His breaking out into the ice and feeling at home? Shepherd trying to help - Shepherd's understanding the human values, the religious quest? Shepherd's use of the cross and the evocation of Christian symbolism contrasting with ancient mythologies?

18. Shepherd's decision to let Charlie go? Charlie's joy out in the snow, his quest, the collage of his memories, the helicopter, the cave? His joy in reaching the cave, clinging to the helicopter and being raised as if on a gigantic bird, his fall and the repetition of the same postures in which he was found frozen? The religious satisfaction and appeasing the gods, redeeming his family? Shepherd's joy in watching?

19. The film's confronting contemporary issues of science and technology, society and behaviour, values and humanity, religious issues and human fulfilment?