GLEAMING THE CUBE

US, 1989, 100 minutes, Colour.
Christian Slater, Steven Bauer, Richard Herd, Le Tuan, Min Luong, Ed Lauter, Micole Mercurio, Charles Cyphers, Max Perlich, Tony Hawk.
Directed by Graeme Clifford.

Gleaming the Cube was something of a cult film of the late 80s, especially for skateboarding fans. Some expert skateboarders from the period, especially Tony Hawk, appear in the film. There was a revival of skateboarding by 2005 with such films as The Lords of Dogtown, directed by Catherine Hardwicke.

However, this film also has a theme of Vietnam. Ed Lauter and Micole Mercurio portray Mr and Mrs Kelly who have adopted a Vietnamese boy as brother to their son, Brian, played by Christian Slater, something of an icon at this period of his career with such films as Name of the Rose, Heathers, Pump Up the Volume. When the Vietnamese boy is killed, looking into a racket about the shipment of arms to Vietnam, he is killed, while the police think that it was suicide. Needless to say the younger brother decides to investigate with the help of his friends.

The film is a skateboarding film, a teen film, a film with issues about Americans and war as well as race issues. It was directed by Graeme Clifford, from Australia, who directed such films as Frances, Ruby Cairo and Burke and Wills. Since the 1990s his work has been with American telemovies.

1. The title? Skateboarding, the skates? Sports excellence? Brian’s story?

2. The California settings, life in the suburbs, factories, streets? The musical score?

3. Christian Slater as Brian, his popularity at the time? Age, something of a lout, his dress, his friends, relationships, skating? His relationship to his parents, their strictness? The competitions? His relationship with Vinh? The problems at home?

4. Vinh, his background, at home, the bonding, within the family? The accounts, work? His search? The video? His death? The family grief, the effect on Brian? The funeral?

5. The video, the owner, the thugs, the issues of drugs, money? Lawndale and his authority? Colonel Trac, the cover-up, the plans? Nguyen and the murder? Further cover-ups? The bikies, the confrontations, shootouts? Tina and her being taken? Released?

6. Brian, the effect of the actions, the investigation? Lucero, the clash, his friends? Nguyen, the tape and the pursuit? Tina, the visit, the chains? Her abduction, the rescue? The fire? Skating – and the future?

7. The sketch of the American parents, strictness, their expectations? With Vinh? With Brian?

8. Lucero, his background, tough, the clashes, information and the search? His believing?

9. Tina, Trac, the truth?

10. Lawndale, the money, the schemes, his thugs and killing, and the death of Trac?

11. A film for a youth audience? For an adult audience? Its themes? Its impact in 1989-90? Decades later?