TROUBLE IN MIND

US, 1985, 111 minutes, Colour.
Kris Kristofferson, Lori Singer, Keith Carradine, Genevieve Bujold, Divine, Joe Morton, John Considine.
Directed by Alan Rudolph.

Trouble in Mind is the work of writer-director Alan Rudolph. An assistant to Robert Altman, he made offbeat films like Welcome to L.A. and Remember My Name as well as oddball films like Roadic and Songwriter. During the early '80s he made two film noir thrillers - in the real world as well in the world of the human psyche: Choose Me and Trouble in Mind.

Filmed, anonymously, in rain-soaked Seattle, this film is set in an ambiguous future. It has the ingredients from many American genres - the road, the ex~con, the bar--~ the gangster film, the western. But it is done in a mixture of realism and surrealism that is quite arresting.

The strong cast is led by Kris Kristofferson as the ex-policeman, ex-convict whose odyssey this is. Genevieve Bujold has a good role as the manager of the bar. Lori Singer is a young mother and Keith Carradine as her husband who undergoes transformation in the city, both psychological, physical and in his fashion and hairstyle. The supporting cast includes Joe Morton (Brother Prom Another Planet) as well as Divine as Hilly Blue.

This is a film which invites its audience to be involved with as well as mull over.

1. The impact of the film? Psychological thriller? The blend of reality and unreality? The present,future? The focus on situations, charactersand relationships?

2. The title: the real world, the world of the mind? Sanity and insanity? The suggestions of violence, intended and unintended violence? Reality and fantasy?

3. The use of Seattle locations: reality, Rain City? Prison, houses, apartments, the bar, the streets? The blend of realistic and styldsed locations?

4. The range of songs - especially El Gavilad, composed by Kris Kristofferson and 'Trouble In Mind' performed by Marianne Faithful?

5. The interplay of genres and conventions: futuristic fantasy, gangster film, noir thriller, western?

6. The city (and the country), the zones, the poverty, the militia, the caravan park, permanence and impermanence, ordinary and out of the ordinary, havens for people in a violent world?

7. Kris Kristofferson as Hawk: his past and the killing, the experience of prison, leaving prison and his purpose, appearance (and the overtones of the western)? The visit to Wanda and his Changing, advice, staying? The past sexual relationship? The present? Distancing himself? The surrealism of his room and the models of the city? Private? Going back to Gunther and wanting work?. Being with Coop and Georgia? Attracted by them, providing help, a refuge? The contacts with Hilly Blue and his henchmen? The death and the clashes? The build-up to the fight with Coop? The showdown? His concern about Georgia and the baby, the search for the baby, leaving the money for them his death?

8. Wanda and her remaining at the bar, An experience of permanence? The bar, her past, her power and influence, Hawk and his change, Georgia and his friendship, the advice? A tough woman?

9. Hilly BLue (and Divine's presence and performance)? Manner, environment, thugs? Nate? The robberies and the deals? The headquarters? Life in the zones? Robberies? Solo and his recruiting of Coop? The build-up to the showdown - and its bizarre and comic violence? Death?

10. Solo, tough, robberies, the poet and his oddness? Recruiting Coop? The deals, involvement, death?

11. The arrival of Coop, Georgia and Spike? The innocents coining to the city? Their hopes, the caravan park, a place to live and settle? The encounter with Wanda, with Hawk? Georgia and her innocence, the baby? Friendship with Wanda, love, advice? The hurts and fears? The loss of the baby and the search? Her having to cope with Coop's changing? Becoming wore desperate, leaving Coop. the money from Hawk? Their future?

12. The portrait of Coop, naive, innocent? The encounters with Solo, Hilly Blue? The deals? Greater involvement? Involved in the robberies, the crime genre? Changing character, appearance, effect? The clashes with Georgia? The build-up to the fight with Hawk? The deaths? The irony of his final choices, joining the militia?

13. The film as an interesting but bewildering experience? Inviting reflection and understanding? People, patterns, loss and success, past and future?