BRAINSTORM
US, 1981, 106 minutes, Colour.
Natalie Wood, Christopher Walken, Louise Fletcher, Cliff Robertson, Jordan Christopher.
Directed by Douglas Trumbull.
Brainstorm is a film of science fiction and science fantasy. It was produced and directed by Douglas Trumbull, who worked on the special effects for Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and directed the science fiction film Silent Running. The special effects are quite striking.
The film was plagued by difficulties during production, especially with the death of its star Natalie Wood. However, it was able to be completed with substitutes and re-editing.
The film is reminiscent of such movies as Altered States, with Scientist involved in psychological and technological experimentation, clashing with their wives who eventually save them through love. It is also like such movies as Future World, where people's imaginations and dreams are visualised. It is also in the vein of the military conspiracy dramas as the-powers try to take over the experiments and use them for military purposes.
The film has an excellent performance by Louis Fletcher as Dr Reynolds, a strong performance culminating in a very effective heart attack and death sequence.
Interesting premises, fine production, but lacks the impact that it might have had.
1. Interesting science fiction, science fantasy? Human relationships, love? Military conspiracies?
2. Panavision photography, the lavish special effects? The Credits? Laboratories and technology? The contrast With domestic sequences? The military meetings? Musical score?
3. The title and its implications, psychology and technology? People's ideas and dreams? Imaginations? Their destructive potential? The code for the conspiracy? For the plausibility of plot: the experiments, psychology and technology? Dr Reynolds and her work? Michael and Karen and their involvement, experiments?
4. The opening with Gordey and his imagination? Imagination being taped - animal experiences, eating? The possibilities for insight, for control, for trauma? Ethical issues? The trying out of living peoples imaginations? Alex, his Staff?
5. The effect on Hal, the focus on sexuality, his physical and moral collapse, his leaving? His life free from the laboratory and its recovering its human dimension?
6. The military and Dr Marks? Being assigned to supervise, monitor? Dr. Reynolds and her anger? Sense of betrayal? The meal and her attack on Alex? Marks and the military using material, the tapes, tapes to induce trauma? Mark's warning at the beginning? Michael breaking into the system? Christ and his using the tape - and needing therapy? Karen and her hostile imagination?
7. Dr Reynolds, her heart attack? the drama, being recorded? Its killing Gordy? Michael adjusting the tape, getting into the system, experiencing her heart attack, the dying, out of body experience, reflection and summary of her life, interactions, going to the Heavens, the images of union with the Universe?
8. Lillian and her dedication, arguments, her life seen in the retrospective dying?
9. Michael and Karen, their life and love together, Chris? Their work, getting caught up in the experiments? The frightened images? Michael's gift of the tape of love for Karen? The dinner and the betrayal by the military? Michael ane the investigation, seeking out the tape, Karen and Michael and their cover fight, communication and plan? Hal and his help? The phone? Karen and her fear, Michael being saved?
10. Alex, the government, his friendship, the test of the experiments, the deaths, the cover-up, his having to cope?
11. Marches and the military? Their control? The assistants and their help? Monitoring Michael trying to break into the system?
12. An optimistic ending? The experiments, the break-throughs? Yet the expose of the conspiracies and saving the World?
