LIVE WIRE
US, 1992, 81 minutes, Colour.
Pierce Brosnan, Ron Silver, Ben Cross, Lisa Eilbacher, Tony Planer, Al Waxman, Brendan Jennings, Philip Baker Hall.
Directed by Christian Duguay.
Live Wire is a brief thriller with Pierce Brosnan after his series, Remington Steele, and before he became James Bond. He appeared in a number of films at this period, but generally in supporting roles. Mrs Doubtfire, The Mirror Has Two Faces. However, here he anticipates something of his James Bond style.
The film makes the point in the early 90s that terrorism has not arrived on American soil. However, in this film, Ben Cross has developed a formula that is put into water and ignites inside a person and explodes. Pierce Brosnan is a munitions expert who has to work on the case. Ron Silver is a dodgy senator, playing both sides (as he did in the Jean- Claude van Damme film Time Cop). Lisa Eilbacher is Brosnan's estranged wife.
The film was directed by Christian Duguay who specialised in action and espionage films like The Assignment. The running time is brief, plenty of action and explosions and a behind-the-scenes emotional plot.
1. The popularity of this kind of action film? Terrorism in the United States? Heroism in solving the case?
2. The Washington settings, an atmosphere of realism? Senate offices, restaurants, FBI headquarters? The musical score?
3. The title, its significance, human beings becoming the live wires for explosions? The other wires used in the film, the framing device with the woman tied in her car, the senator's house and the explosions?
4. The basic situation, the arms bill, the support of the senators, their reneging, their deaths? Rashid and his associate, their putting the explosives in the water, the deaths of the senators? The threat at the opening of the children's centre? The water in the fountain? The emotional blackmail, the demands of millions of dollars? The motivation of the terrorists?
5. Ben Cross as the terrorist, his suave British manner, the phone calls, his sinister presence at the explosions? Things going wrong, the chauffeur being arrested, causing the explosion in the courtroom with the judge? The failure at the opening of the children's centre? The final confrontation with the senator and Danny O'Neill, his own death from the explosive? His henchmen, the radical demands, the ruthlessness, the impatience, the death of the chauffeur, his own death while dressed as a clown in the fountain? The realism in the 90s of this kind of plot? After September 11, 2001?
6. Danny O'Neill, his work with the girl in the car (and the reprise at the end)? His moodiness, the flashback to his daughter's death, the estrangement from his wife, the interference of her mother? Her having an affair with the senator? His continued confrontations with the senator? His being called to the restaurant, his associates, their trying to understand what happened, the second explosion in the car, the interrogation of the chauffeur, the bomb in the court? The surveillance of the children's centre, his rescuing his wife and the senator, getting the people to leave? Discovering the formula with Shane? The final confrontation and the shootout in the senator's mansion? The reconciliation with his wife, discussing of the issues, her pregnancy and a future?
7. The senator, his double-dealing, wanting a higher profile, his staff, security, his relationship with Terry? His clashes with Danny? The opening, the security? The truth, the phone calls from Rashid? The final confrontation in the house - he and Danny leaping and his being impaled? The other senators and their confidence, the threats, their deaths in the restaurant and in the car?
8. The court scene, the chauffeur, the judge and the water, the clearing of the court?
9. Danny's associates, Shane and the scientific investigations, James Garvey? The relationship with the FBI?
10. The popularity of this kind of action show - and the perennial threat of unbelievable terrorist acts?
