FORTRESS

US, 1993, 91 minutes, Colour.
Christopher Lambert, Kurtwood Smith, Lincoln Kilpatrick.
Directed by Stuart Gordon.

Fortress is a futuristic science fantasy, a prison drama in the tradition of Escape from New York, Total Recall. It was filmed entirely in Queensland, at the Warner Bros studios on the Gold Coast. The production design was by David Copping.

The film takes place mainly in a 33-level underground prison of the future, high tech, computer controlled. Christopher Lambert (echoes of the Highlander films) is the hero who confronts authority and leads an escape. Kurtwood Smith (the father in Dead Poets Society) is very effective as the villain of the piece, a mechanical person wanting to have human feelings and yet under edict from the central computer. (A multinational corporation owns the private prison.)

The film has its brutal moments, especially with fights. However, it is a fairly non-stop action film for those who enjoy this kind of entertainment. The direction is by Stuart Gordon, director of H.P. Lovecraft's Reanimator as well as the writer of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.

1.Popularity of grim science fantasy about the future? Interpreting the present and the future? Fear of totalitarianism? The emergence of the hero? Action?

2.The title, the prison, its style, expectations?

3.The Queensland settings, the desert (standing in for Mexico)? The production design of the fortress, models, special effects? The cells, the punishment styles, computer control? Effects and stunts? High tech for this kind of genre? The musical score?

4.Editing and pace, brutality, action? Power and technology? The human dimension? Rebellion and heroism? Hope? The theme of children?

5.John and Karen, the opening, trying to get through the guards, their being caught, Karen's escape? The prison, the reasons for her wanting to escape, her pregnancy?

6.Entering into the fortress, the prison routines? The computer control? The explanations, the stories, the elevators? The Intestator into the stomachs of the prisoners? The control over them? The red and yellow lines, pain and death? The control of dreams?

7.John Brennick, going to the cell, his friendship with Nino and protecting him? The confrontation with Maddox? With Deeday and Stigs? The work, the man with the claustrophobia and his death? The cell, lights out, the visual control? Number 187 and his brutality, the confrontation with John, the desperate fight, on the ledge? Poa and his control? The punishing of 187? The control of dreams? John and the isolation, taking the punishment for Nino? His arrest, in the mind-wipe mechanism for three days?

8.Poa, human and machine? Regulations about babies? The development of babies and machines? Under the control of the computer? Prurient, fascinated by sex? Spying on the dreams? Attracted by Karen? Wanting her to be with him? Letting Brennick go? Inciting Brennick? Abraham and his valet? The deal with Karen? Her getting him to drink, his loss of control, her taking over the computer? Restoring John's dreams? The final confrontation, the battle, Abraham's death? The explosion of the Poa-machine?

9.Karen in the prison, watching her husband, the decision about Poa? The drink, controlling the computer, restoring his mind? With Abraham, the prism and the map, the escape?

10.John, the change, like a zombie? The restoration? His persuading Abraham to help? With the map? Maddox and the removal of the Intestator? The plan for the escape, using the glasses? The prisoner dying at the computer? Maddox and his being shot? Abraham and his death? Nino and his help for the escape?

11.The prisoners and their support?

12.The robots, the control, the battles? The escape through the pipes? The truck?

13.The staging of the fights, the escape? The final hope? Popular futuristic science fantasy?