DISTURBING BEHAVIOUR
US, 1999, 85 minutes, Colour.
James Marsden, Katie Holmes, Nick Stahl, William Sadier, Steve Railsback, Bruce Greenwood.
Directed by David Nutter.
David Nutter is, perhaps, an unfortunate name for a director of a film about disturbing behaviour. Some of the characters in the film are quite nutters - from the opening sequence where a seemingly respectable young man murders a girl and shoots a policeman.
Some way into the film, audiences who are familiar with Ira Levin's Stepford Wives (released in the 1970s as well as in 2004 in a version with Nicole Kidman) will recognise something of the village of Stepford. The students are the Stepford students.
Bruce Greenwood is in charge of a program at the school with transforms students who misbehave into seemingly model students except that they break out in irrational sex and violence when under pressure. Nick Stahl has the best role insofar as he is a rebel and is then transformed into a model student. The hero is James Marsden along with Katie Holmes who confront this manipulation of students' lives. William Sadler is an eccentric ratcatcher who is despised as retarded but who is like a pied piper, leading some of the students to their death over a cliff.
The film is brief, is reminiscent of many of the films about teenagers at school - but with some dashes of the horror genre as the exemplary students manifest their aberrations.
1. The title? As regards teenagers, schoolgoers? Adult disturbing behaviour, especially Caldicott, the rat man?
2. The coastal setting, the isolated community, the island, the town? Schools, homes? The warehouse and boiler rooms? The local scenery? Authentic atmosphere? Musical score?
3. The opening credits, the special effects, the indication of something mysterious? The disturbing behaviour of the football player, the sexual encounter, killing of the girl, the confrontation with the police, shooting the young officer, being allowed to go by the officer? The mystery of the town?
4. The focus on Steve and his family, the memories of the tragedy of his brother? His father not wanting to talk about it? The family moving away from Chicago? Arriving, the welcome, people not wanting to leave the town? The house, his wanting to talk to his father, his father's disappearance? Going to school? His look at the people in the school? The encounter with Gavin, Gavin explaining the different groups around the cafeteria, the bikies, the prim people, the geeks? The revelation about the prim people and seeing the murderer amongst them?
5. Gavin, his lifestyle, watching the episode with the football player? Running away, his albino friend? Their doing drugs? Rebels? Befriending Steve, explaining things to him? Especially the blue ribbon people? The enigma of the blue ribbon people, model students, yet the eruptions, especially the young man in the supermarket and his violent outburst?
6. Caldicott, his place in the school, the staff interview with Steve? Gavin and Steve listening in to the parents' meeting, the parents wanting the best for their children, submitting them to the processes with Caldicott? The irony that Gavin was to be the next victim? The walk along the seashore, his wanting to shoot his parents, Steve taking the gun from him? His next reappearance as a blue ribbon student, his violence towards Steve? The irony of the video that he made before being taken away?
7. Steve and his friendship with Rachel, Rachel and her being a rebel? The blue ribbon student who wanted her for a girlfriend, her rejection of him? Steve at home, relationship with his sister, the sister being attracted to the Caldicott method? The parents wanting to give both their children to this system? Wanting the good for them?
8. Steve, his observations of what was happening in the school, his meeting with the rat man, realising that he was not as retarded as he appeared? The rat man, his chasing the rats, his inventions, the siren sound to repel the rats? His discussions with Steve? His turning on the machine and the young man unable to bear the sound? The finale and the rat man coming in his car, rescuing Steve, turning on the machine, the torment for the students, their descending on him, his driving the car over the cliff like a pied piper and taking the students with him?
9. The aberrant behaviour of the blue ribbon students, their sudden manifestations? Rachel and Steve and their finding the asylum, the failed projects according to Caldicott? The taking of Rachel, the taking of Steve? His being set up in the chair, the video programming to change his attitude? His breaking free, the fight, the escape and taking Rachel? Her battering the young man trying to stop them? Witnessing the climax and the destruction of Caldicott, the fight with Steve on the cliff, his fall?
10. An eerie picture of adults and mind control, the all-American way - but the darkness underneath with the shadow erupting in sex and violence? The final irony of Gavin, his appearing at the new school, his being the new Caldicott?
