IMPOSTOR

US, 2001, 95 minutes, Colour.
Gary's Sinise, Madeleine Stowe, Vincent D 'Onofrio, Tony Shalhoub, Tim Guinee, Mekhi Pfifer, Lindsay Crouse, Elizabeth Pena.
Directed by Gary Fleder.

Impostor was originally intended to be one-third of an anthology film, The Light Years Trilogy. When the project was abandoned, this film was expanded to a longer running-time and released as a feature film.

Gary Fleder, the director of such thrillers as Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead and Don't Say a Word, creates the atmosphere of Earth at the end of the 21st century. There is war in the galaxies. There are weapons experts and security agent. However, the issue of identity is to the fore in this film (and the title). The issues are the same as in Philip K. Dick's other story, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, which was the basis for Bladerunner. The characters do not know whether they are fully human or whether they are replicants.

Gary Sinise is the central character, unsure of his identity, having difficulty in relating to his wife played by Madeleine Stowe, and his superior played by Vincent D' Onofrio. The plot is quite complex as theories are given and visuals are produced to show how replicants can take over human beings, with the result that the hero does not know really who he is. A similar use was made of replicants and clones in the Arnold Schwarzenegger thriller, The Sixth Day.

Critics were very harsh on Impostor, criticising it for not having the status of Blade Runner and Minority Report which was released at the same time. However, devotees of Philip Dick's science fiction praised the film and considered its modesty as a virtue and suggested that it remained close to the literary style, characters, themes and issues of Dick's literature.



1. The popularity of the novels, stories and film versions of Philip K. Dick?

2. Science fiction, science fantasy? The world of 2079?

3. The locations, for Earth, homes, countryside? Administration and offices? Space vehicles? The musical score?

4. The reality of Alpha Centauri, the previous invasion, the defence shields, humans never having seen the aliens from the planet? The strict government control?

5. The title, the focus on Spencer, his work designing weapons, his home life, his relationship with Maya? His arrest? Being accused of being a replicant? The code, the mission to assassinate the Chancellor?

6. The nature of replicants? The U-bomb in their chest? The scans and the igniting of the bombs? Destruction in the immediate vicinity of the replicant?

7. Hathaway, his role with the government, the interviews and interrogations? Spencer’s escape? The work with Nelson, friendship, Nelson’s death?

8. The role of Cale, stalker, helping? Surviving? His puzzle?

9. The hospital, Maya working there, Spencer going for the re-scan? The Armed Forces and the attack? Taking Spencer and may?

10. In the forest, their vehicle the crash, the location for past weekends for the couple? The discovery of the corpse of the real Maya? Further discovery of Spencer’s corpse? Hathaway
shooting Spencer?

11. The discovery by Hathaway that he was a replicant? The explosion and destruction?

12. The government announcement, covering up of the events?