REAPER
Canada, 2000, 96 minutes, Colour.
Chris Sarandon, Catherine Mary Stewart, Vlasta Vrana, Joanna Noyes.
Directed by John Bradshaw.
Reaper is a murder mystery centring on an arrogant crime writer, Chris Sarandon, who has achieved significant reputation and has writer’s block. Attacked on a television programme for his morbid interest in crime, he walks off in indignation, leaves his wife and goes to a secluded motel to try to write. He has had drinking problems and continues to drink, and refuses to take his medication.
In the credits there has been an intimation of somebody pursuing a woman in the forest and her being killed. Two women are killed in different places and each has a page of his novel at the scene of the crime, the description of the murder. The local Sheriff, Vlasta Vrutna, is not particularly helpful to the Detective sent to investigate, Catherine Mary Stewart. She lives at the same motel as the author and gets to meet him, and he is an immediate suspect.
There are many scenes of forensic investigation, and a clue given about a parolee who may then be a murderer. He is pursued, draws a knife, is shot by the investigator.
When clear evidence is available, it looks as if the sheriff was the killer – and the investigator attempts to drive away with the author. But…
The film was co-written by Australian director and writer, Vincent Monton.
1. An interesting murder mystery? Crime, investigation, suspects?
2. The city settings and the remote motel on the coast? Television studio? Home? Motel rooms? Seems of crimes? Police precincts? The open countryside? Musical score?
3. The title? The introduction to Luke Sinclair, his personality, morose, questions on television, the attackers coming to the studio, his walking out, the publishers wanting a book, his promises, writer’s block for 18 months? His going home, not taking his tablets, drinking, leaving his wife?
4. Driving, the motel, remoteness, the owner welcoming him, promising not to reveal the truth, immediate gossiping? In the room his writer’s block? Drinking? Dining, people recognising him?
5. The first murder, the body, Sonia and her being sent to investigate, clashes with the Sheriff? The local policemen not taking precautions? The finding of the page with the corpse? The sheriff accosting him in the dining room, speculation about the page and the description of the murder? His whereabouts?
6. The character of the woman owning the motel, friendly, information, gossip, listening in? Hearing Luke’s wife, the phone calls, her coming to accost him, criticisms, leaving?
7. The second body, the description in the book, the page? The German hitchhiker?
8. Sonia, information about blood types, parolees, the company that used the strangling tape? The information about the driver, seeing him pick up the young girl, driving, fear, turning off the road, the police pursuit, his drawing the knife, Sonia shooting him?
9. Sonia, with Luke, the sexual encounter?
10. The information about the blood, the tattoo on the girl’s neck, further suspicions of the sheriff, motives for letting Sonia shoot them – but his being really out of breath?
11. The Sheriff’s pursuit, Sonia suspicious of him, going into the forest, her fear of Luke, his attempt on her life, the sheriff shooting and saving her?
