POINT BREAK
US, 1991, 122 minutes, Colour.
Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Gary Busey, Lori Petty, John C.McGinley, James Le Gros.
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow.
Point Break is an action thriller, FBI investigation of bank robberies, but with a surfie ethos. The film was directed by Kathryn Bigelow (Near Dead, Blue Steel).
The film captures the atmosphere of the California surfies, the beaches, the waves, the activity. It also focuses on the close-knit community of surfers, their philosophy of life (with phrases like "a hundred percent adrenalin", "to the limit", "over the edge" ...).
Keanu Reeves is an FBI agent who is ordered to become a surfie in order to investigate bank robberies allegedly committed by surfies (disguised with masks of ex-presidents). Patrick Swayze is the lead surfer. Gary Busey is the veteran FBI man.
The film has strong action sequences, good surfing sequences, skydiving - especially with Keanu Reeves diving out of the plane at the end without benefit of parachute (and landing with Swayze). The robbery sequences and chases are also well staged and filmed.
However, the film is quite long, might have ended in several places. As it is, the climax is at Bells Beach, Australia - with Hawaii standing in for Victoria and Peter Phelps around with an Australian accent to make it authentic!
1.Entertaining action thriller? Surfing thriller? Police investigation and FBI? The blend of surfing thriller and action?
2.California settings, the beaches, the town? The sea and the waves, the surfing? The skydiving stunts? The desert? The climax and the huge wave? Musical score?
3.The title, surfing jargon, limits, adrenalin, hundred percent...?
4.Johnny Utah and his background, sport? His success in training? His pride, arrogance? Los Angeles appointment? Partnering Angelo? His resentment, seeing him in action, tough stances? The robberies of the ex-presidents? The job, infiltrating the surfies? The backing of Angelo? The decisions, the authority and their criticism of his stances? His infiltration, the surfboard in the office, the comeuppance of his superior? His mingling on the beach, going surfing, the encounter with Tyler and her rescuing him? Her teaching him surfing? Reporting in? Angelo and his advice? The meeting with Bodhi, admiring him, listening to him, his philosophy? Bodhi rescuing him from the Razorheads?
5.Johnny and his surfing with Bodhi, mixing with the group, the friends, the individual personalities, way of life, parties, drugs, philosophy? Money?
6.The suspicion of the Razorhead gang, the build-up to the raid, the tension, the violence, the reaction of the gang, the mower? The raid going wrong? The realisation of the FBI surveillance and the stakeout for months? Ruining the plan? The reaction of the authorities?
7.The authorities and their attitude towards Johnny and Angelo?
8.Tyler, her background, surfing, relating to Johnny, her ethos, the love affair? The impact on her, on him? His concealing the truth, her finding out the truth and her reaction?
9.Johnny's realisation that Bodhi and his friends were the ex-presidents? The robberies, the confrontation? The chase? The robbery going wrong, the shooting, the man wounded and dying? Unmasked? Bodhi and the confrontation with Johnny, his not shooting him?
10.Their taking Johnny, Tyler as hostage? Making him participate in the robbery? Their making mistakes? The skydiving and the experience?
11.The build-up to the confrontation, in the plane, going to the rendezvous, the communication with the guard for Tyler? The parachute finale? Johnny and his diving without parachute? The surviving with Bodhi? Rescuing Tyler? Bodhi going off into the desert?
12.The Australian sequences, the waves, Johnny Utah arriving, the confrontation with Bodhi? The enormous last wave? Bodhi's death, Johnny tossing in his badge?
13.The film as a successful robbery thriller, FBI investigation? The film as a successful surfing and skydiving action story? The film as a successful presentation of young adults, their philosophy of life? The film blending all these ingredients?
