TOTAL RECALL
US, 1990, 109 minutes, Colour.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Ronny Cox, Michael Ironside.
Directed by Paul Verhoeven.
Total Recall is a lavish futuristic fantasy that is the collaboration between Philip K. Dick (author of the story for Blade Runner), Paul Verhoeven (director of Robocop) and Dan O'Bannon (writer of Dark Star, Alien) and other writers. It also has an enormous budget with state of the art technology and special effects. And it stars Arnold Schwarzenegger in a role that is more demanding of him than usual.
All in all, it works very well and should please fans of the genre. It is the future on Earth and Mars. Technology has so developed that people's memories and life patterns can be altered. There are power-hungry multi-planetary companies, thug squads and a hero who will prove that good will triumph over all manipulation.
The version screened in theatres in Australia was modified for violence by the director himself, using alternate takes. (Of interest, this was initially a project for Bruce Beresford to be filmed in Australia at the de Laurentiis studios, but they went bankrupt.)
1.Interesting science fiction, fantasy about the future? State of the art technology and film-making? An Arnold Schwarzenegger film?
2.The Earth locations, homes, society, travel, workplaces, laboratories? Mars and its red planet, the lack of air, the settlement and the mine, officers, slums and clubs? The atmosphere of Mars?
3.The importance of the lavish special effects, costumes and decor, stunts? Big budget on the screen? Musical score?
4.The significance of the title - the travel company and what it offered, Doug's experience and his inability to recall his previous life, the video recording explaining his life without his recalling it? The moral experience for Doug?
5.The opening with Mars, the red planet, travelling, the couple and the falling, Doug waking from a nightmare? His lack of memory of Mars? The truth about his brain, the erasing of his memory, the erasing of his personality? The instilling of a new life, new memories and its effect? The possibility and impossibility of recovery? The background of science and technology - futuristic Frankenstein experience?
6.Arnold Schwarzenegger as Doug, the film capitalising on his screen presence, physical presence? His wife and their relationship, the detail of his ordinary life, domestic, going to work, drilling and building? His interest in Mars, the advertisement in the train about the travelling? His decision, going to the laboratory, his plan, his ideal woman? The focus on Mars? The beginning of the experiment, the personnel, the PR man and his persuasion, the laboratory personnel? The experiment going awry - and the PR man with his client? Trying to control the situation?
7.Doug at work, his work companions - and their being planted to guard him, their pursuit? The wife and her control over him? The leader of the violence squad pursuing him, the technology to see where he was, his pursuit, escapes? The contact and the information about the video? The truth about himself? The possibility of making holograms - and using the technique to elude pursuers? His mission to Mars?
8.The arrival on Mars, interplanetary travel, disguised as a woman and eluding pursuit? The breaking of cover and the inflating of the woman? His being revealed underneath? The shoot-out with the squad at the airport? The contacts on Mars, finding the nightclub, the sleazy atmosphere, people's reactions to him, meeting Melina, her hostility, his not understanding it? The friendship of Ben, driving him in the cab? The squad and their pursuit, violence? Continually tracking him? Finding him, the fight with his wife and her death? Melina on his side? The quest for the rebel leader, being taken by the guide, discovering the truth about the rebel leader - and the mutants, the seer in the stomach of the mutant? The message about the future and the saving of Mars?
9.His final mission, going to the mine, his being caught, the confrontation with Cohaagen, the video of his true self? His being tricked? The decision to alter his brain as well as Melina's? His effort, the escape? His final decisions about right and wrong? Putting his hand in the hole for the explosion? He and Melina being blown out of the mine? Their struggles, the fresh air?
10.Melina and her place in the initial dream, her part of the mission, knowing Doug in the past, the prostitute in the bar, suspicions and hostility, the decision to help, the clash with his wife, being caught, sharing his experience, the happy ending?
11.Cohaagen as the boss, running the planet, the mine? The rebels? The leader of his violence squad? His concocting the whole plan to get Doug to lead him to the head of the rebels? Tracking him? The confrontation, the revelation of the truth, the options for Doug? His being blown out of the building and dying for lack of air which he had been hoarding?
12.The thugs and their leader, the violence, the relationship with Doug's wife, her part in the mission? His anger at her death? The pursuit, the tracking, the holographs, the spaceport shoot-outs, the risk of breaking the protection? Getting his orders from Cohaagen? His death?
13.Ben, his friendliness, one of the mutants, helping him with the taxi, the escapes, the shoot-outs? Showing his mutant arm? The ultimate betrayal, the motives, his destruction?
14.The mutants on Mars, the special effects and makeup for their appearance? In the bar? Helping Doug, the lack of air and their collapse? Their leader, the psychic in his stomach, his death?
15.A picture of future society, power, use of people, technology and manipulation, greed and power? Moral choices?
