MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
US, 1996, 110 minutes, Colour.
Tom Cruise, John Voight, Emmanuel Beart, Vanessa Redgrave, Kristin Scott Thomas, Emilio Estevez, Jean Reno, Ving Rhames, Henry Czerny.
Directed by Brian De Palma.
Mission Impossibile was very popular for many seasons on television, Peter Graves and company involved in espionage, with messages that went up in flames in a few seconds, and an insistent score that was instantly recognisable.
The 1990s saw quite a number of television series, both comic and serious, leading into big-budget feature films. This one had a high-powered director in Brian De Palma (The Untouchables, Carrie…) and a higher-powered actor in Tom Cruise who, by this time, had been in the movies for 15 years, going through something of an apprenticeship in the 1980s and appearing with strong actors including Paul Newman in The Color of Money, but finding his own stardom in Top Gun.
In his early 30s, and doing his own stunts, Tom Cruise proved a credible action hero – so much so that there were four sequels during the next 20 years and Tom Cruise appeared in a number of action films including two where he was Jack Reacher, Lee Child’s tall and well built action hero, but Cruise carried off the character nonetheless.
This film has interesting locations, action in Prague, action in London, in the US and on a train from London to Paris. It also has a number of twists, especially in Jon Voight’s character as the head of the unit ordering and supervising a mission impossible, but the members of the team being killed.
Included in the team are Emilio Estevez, uncredited, Emanuelle Beart and Kristin Scott Thomas.
One of the villains is a very smooth-talking Vanessa Redgrave, assisted by Jean Reno and Ving Rhames.
It is interesting see the modes of communication in the 1990s, phones, Internet and computers – and to compare the same modes of communication in the later sequels.
But this was a big hit at the time and is still enjoyable.
1. A popular action entertainment for Tom Cruise? Cruise and his career in the 1980s and 1990s? The beginning of a franchise and the films over the next 20 years?
2. The popular television series, agencies, espionage, the disguises, plot twists – and the messages in smoke after five seconds? The popular musical score and its use in this film?
3. The range of locations, the opening in Ukraine and the studio, action in Prague, the move to London, on the channel train? The secure facility? Atmosphere of excitement? The musical score?
4. The introduction to the theme, the interrogation in the Ukraine, the threats, the surveillance and the death of the officer? Getting the traitor? Masks removed? The introduction to Ethan Hunt?
5. Jim Phelps and his assembling the group, the teamwork, the different personalities, the tasks? The list of agents, codenames, the need for espionage agencies to have the full list? The reception in Prague? The criminal and his attempt to steal the code? Jim and his coordinating in the room, with a variety of screens? The role of each of the members of the team? Jack, technical, into the elevator shaft, his control of the screens, the engineering – and the interference, and his death in the shaft? Hannah, surveillance at the reception? Sarah, social, with Ethan in disguise as the Senator, getting the pass, going into the computer room, setting up the camera in the glasses? Ethan and the audience having seen the television interview with the Senator? Claire and her standby, her being Jim’s wife?
6. Things going wrong? Jack and his death? Jim on the bridge, his being shot? The car exploding? Ethan, pursued, with Claire, catching up with the criminal, his death, Claire’s death?
7. The aborting of the operation? Ethan going back to the hotel? The code, Job chapter 13? Noticing the Bible, looking up the reference, his using it in emails to all the connections, and the different languages? His noticing the Drake hotel on the book, where Jim had stayed in Chicago?
8. Finding Claire alive, their working together? Suspicions about her or not?
9. The email return, the men picking up Ethan, going to see Max, her being in control, wanting the information, wanting to sell it? Ethan and his deal?
10. The introduction of Max’s two assistants, the ex-agency operative, Luther, and his role, the action agent, Franz? Working with Ethan?
11. Infiltrating the agency, getting the disk and copying it? The device of lowering Ethan from the roof, the distracting of the official and Claire putting the poison in his drink, his being sick? Franz holding Ethan, the rat and the threat, his dropping his knife, the pressure on the floor but its hitting the table? Ethan getting out? The later confrontations about the disk, Ethan
and his magic trick, Franz and his confusion about the disk?
12. Max, the discussions, the disk? Her assistant and checking things?
13. Jim reappearing, his story, the visualising of the attack, the visualising of the reality? His deal, wanting the list, money issues?
14. The setup for the train, Luther and his blocking the transmission of the disk, Max eager to get the money, her assistant? The waiter and giving the mechanism from the table to block the transmission?
15. Claire, knowing that the money was in the baggage car, talking to Jim, Ethan taking off his mask, her being trapped?
16. Jim, getting the money, fighting with Ethan? Going onto the roof of the train, Ethan pursuing, Franz with the helicopter? Going into the tunnel? The acrobatics of the fight, Jim getting onto the helicopter, Ethan pursuing? The crash and explosion, Ethan thrown back on the train? Max and the arrest?
17. Ethan, on the plane as was Jim at the beginning, the flight attendant with the video, the message – and the possibilities for a further adventure?
