U TURN

US, 1997, 125 minutes, Colour.
Sean Penn, Jennifer Lopez, Nick Nolte, Billy Bob Thornton, Powers Booth, John Voight, Joaquin Phoenix, Claire Danes, Julie Haggerty, Bo Hopkins, Laurie Metcalf, Liv Tyler.
Directed by Oliver Stone.

U Turn is Oliver Stone's latest, a modest symbolic actioner, compared with his portrayals of Presidents and the Vietnam conflict.

Again, Stone with his visceral stories of tough men and macho stances (which he mocks here) is not to everyone's taste. Stone did not write the film this time; John Ridley has adapted his novel, called (also symbolically) Stray Dogs.

In the dead-end town of Superior, Arizona, petty gambler, Sean Penn, finds both purgatory and hell. It's like a Robert Altman film as he encounters an odd Elmore Leonard collection of characters (with a top cast often in cameos) in serious, violent, amoral/moral and often funny episodes. Desperation in the desert.

1. The title, the American road, American journey? Physical journey? Moral journey?

2. The career of Oliver Stone, his perspectives on the United States, on Vietnam, on society? His perspective on comments? His strong cast here?

3. Arizona, the road, the landscapes, desert, the woods, mountains, water? The town, the streets, shops, diner? Garage? Homes and mansions? The musical score?

4. Sean Penn as Bobby Cooper, young man in debt, the Russian Mafia in pursuit, driving through Arizona, his reliance on his car, the breakdown? The town of Superior, his being
stranded? His missing fingers and symbol of his gambling and retribution? The phone calls?

5. Darrell, his appearance, tone and talking, bizarre, mechanic, spider, as a person, God and idiosyncratic, fixing the car, delaying, the price going up, his demands, his hostile attitudes, the conflict with Bobby?

6. The blind Indian, begging in the street, his comments, advice? The final donation – and whether he could see or not?

7. The sheriff, his place in the town, driving and watching, supervising? Interrogating Bobby? His reactions? His life and his family? The surprise of his relationship with Grace?

8. Toby and Jenny, young people in the town, Toby is spoilt and wealthy, his violence, love? The confrontation with Bobby, the attacks, Bobby’s reaction? Jenny and her reaction?

9. Groceries, the boy, the money and his needs? Grace, the drapes and his helping?

10. The relationship between Grace and Jake, Bobby’s encounter with each of them, the discussions, the issues of money, the hit? Bobby and his needs, his decisions? Driving with Jake, the discussion at the house, the talk, the plan, Jake’s attitude towards money, the availability?

11. Grace, the encounter with Bobby, her decision to use him, the discussions, the plan for the murder?

12. The buildup to the confrontation, Bobby and his double deals, Jake’s death, the body, throwing it over the cliff, Grace and her hostility?

13. The sheriff, his arrival, picking up Grace, together?

14. The bar, the variety of types, the men sitting round, the conversations? Flo and her service?

15. Bobby going to the bus station, trying to get away, the arrival of the Russians? The receptionist, the young girl at the station?

16. Grace, shooting Bobby, his going over the cliff, the irony of his having the keys of the car in his hand? Her going down the cliff, the fight, the injuries? Her death? His climbing
the hill? The car and his driving off – to what? No U-turn?