DREAMSCAPE
US, 1984, 94 minutes, Colour.
Dennis Quaid, Kate Capshaw, Max Von Sydow, Christopher Plummer, Eddie Albert, David Patric Kelly, George Wendt.
Directed by Joseph Ruben.
Dreamscape is an entertaining, if rather implausible, piece of science fantasy. Like Future World and Brainstorm, it is a psychological science fantasy, the visualising of dreams – in this case someone psychic entering into dreams and altering them. Needless to say this can be therapeutic as well as destructive. The film highlights both.
Dennis Quaid is a very good cheeky hero. Kate Capshaw is a lively heroine. Max Von Sydow is as usual as the scientist. Christopher Plummer does his suavest sophisticated villain. Eddie Albert is an amiable President. David Patrick Kelly is the villain to end all villains.
The special effects are rather artificial - but that is natural for dreamscapes. While the film takes itself sometimes too seriously, it is rather tongue-in-cheek. It is B-budget material of past decades decked up in bigger budget style.
1. Enjoyable science fiction, science fantasy? Political overtones? Nuclear overtones?
2. The '80s and the popularity of science fiction? Lavish treatment? Farfetched real? The conventions in dialogue and treatment? Serious or not?
3. The title and indication of themes? The special effects and their style for the dreamscape, the blend of artificial and real? The contrast with the real world of laboratories, universities - and politics and covert action?
4. The introduction to the dreams: the President and his nightmare of nuclear devastation, his wife and her being engulfed in the flames? The further dreams with the devastation of Washington? The responsibility for nuclear destruction? The tram through a destroyed Washington? The killer in the dream, the nuclear victim passengers and their attacking the President, blaming him? The labyrinth and the dead-end? The fire, the monster and the President having to kill his monster?
5. Scientific research, the possibility of psychics entering dreams and altering them? The laboratories, supervision of laboratory work? Paul Novotny and his expertise, experiments, the exhilaration of his work? Jane as his assistant and her contribution? Tommy and the other psychics? The man who went mad? Alex and his capacity for entering dreams ~ without laboratory links?
6. The possibilities for therapy and the examples given? For sinister use, political?
7. The dreams: the worker on top of the skyscraper, holding on to the girder, Alex falling? The little boy and his fantasy monster, the landscapes and caverns, the long ladder, the fight with the monster and the boy killing him while rescuing Alex? His father not helping him? Jane's dream of sexual encounter with Alex? Tommy entering the dream and killing a victim? The President's dreams?
8. Alex as hero? A gifted psychic, his escape, the race track and the thugs chasing him, his skill in eluding them, being taken by Blair's men? Paul's blackmail? Alexis curiosity? The tests? The infatuation with Jane? Entering her dream? His skill in the dreams, the worker, the boy and the killing of the monster? The possibilities? Entering without laboratory conditions? The warning from the novelist and meeting him, the assassination? Blair's smooth style? Suspicions, the President's arrival? The attempt to kill Alex at the track? His decision about the dreams, confronting the monsters, helping the President? The assuming Tommy's father's shape and killing him? His entry into Blair's dream, the elevator and his becoming the monster? The humorous train ending?
9. Paul Novotny as scientist, his skills, exhilaration? Reaction to Blair? His death?
10. Jane and her liveliness, professionalism, her dream, the relationship with Alex, helping him, the happy ending?
11. Christopher Plummer as Blair: sinister, smooth? Brutal henchmen? Power over Paul? Over Alex? The visit to the President, his friendship and offer to help? His Right-wing political views? The humiliation of America? His being against nuclear disarmament? Tommy as his agent? The plan for the President, Tommy's death? His defeat? His own dream and death?
12. Tommy as sinister, psychic, jealousy of Alex, his entering the dream and killing the woman, eating casually after it? The information about his father's murder? The clash, Blair's patronage, his entering the dream, the fights with Alex, the confrontation with his father image and death?
13. The world of the covert operations, spies, the assassination at the university etc.?
14. The delight in fantasy therapy?
15. The contemporary political overtones: terrorism, assassination, world supremacy? The nuclear symbol - the dreams, the destruction, the President wanting disarmament and negotiation?
