THE ISLAND
US, 2005, 136 minutes, Colour.
Ewan Mc Gregor, Scarlett Johansson, Djimon Hounsou, Sean Bean, Steve Buscemi, Michael Clarke Duncan.
Directed by Michael Bay.
For the first hour of this long action-drama, audiences might be wondering what has happened to director, Michael Bay. He is one of the foremost exponents of slam-bang cinema, chases, explosions and crashes. It worked best in The Rock, was tongue-in-cheek with the Bad Boys movies, went serious for Armageddon and too serious for Pearl Harbour. The Island starts with serious.
After an hour, we are reassured that this truly is a Michael Bay film. And once the chases start, they continue and continue. The protagonists have providence on their side because in ordinary circumstances they would have been killed within minutes. Memories of the old serials come back with their cliffhangers at the end of each episode. You think there is no way out of this tense trap but next week you find there was a safety net or some trick that keeps them going. Here, they fortunately escape from the most highly qualified security company that money can buy: they get on a lorry with huge metal girders that they can successively and successfully dislodge and stop the fleet of police cars in pursuit; they find a bike that flies just in the nick of time but crash and land on the huge company logo seventy storeys up, are fired on (but this is where they get a literal safety net). And so on. Plausibility is not a major factor in Bay’s films.
But, if this kind of thing appeals, he certainly takes you along for quite a ride.
It should be said that the first hour concerns genetic engineering, the creation of clones for wealthy ‘sponsors’ to have a source for organ replacements when they get ill. So, another variation on the Frankenstein theme with Sean Bean as the scientist playing God. The special effects and sets for this institute and its laboratories is impressively elaborate.
Two of the ‘products’ which are virtually human are Ewan Mc Gregor and Scarlett Johansson. It is they who have to spend so much time being chased. Djimon Hounsou, who is usually so nice in his screen roles, plays the security head – could he possible be so ruthless and heartless!?
The Island will eventually take its place amongst the list of bigger-budget films on bioethics. In the meantime, it’s on Michael Bay’s slam-bang list.
1.A successful blockbuster? Michael Bay lavish action film? Chases and action?
2.The genetic engineering theme, a more serious approach for Michael Bay? Clones and their life, humanity, individuality, rights, quality of life? Their being created, memories given to them? False personas? Their sponsors and their motivation? The desire for immortality? The institute, the scientists? Playing God, controlling science, science for science’s sake? The technicians, the workers, the security personnel?
3.A futuristic world, the development in the world, yet recognisable? The institute, the use of media? The vision of the island? The travel to Los Angeles, the city of Los Angeles, luxury homes? The real world?
4.The title, the lottery, the island providing false hope, a paradise? A euphemism for the destruction of the clones?
5.The introduction to the institute? Lincoln, his nightmares, fears? The dream of the island? The television screen? The reality of the institute, starting the day, getting up, the clones like automatons, their choices for clothes, wearing white, breakfast, Suzie’s comments? Jordan and the talk with Lincoln? The attraction, friendship? The routine details of the day, the friendships? Work, machines, boring? The other characters in the institute?
6.Doctor Merrick in charge, talking with Lincoln, smooth talk, science and technology, managing the institute, the alarm with the developments, emotionally and intellectually with the clones? Discussions with the other scientists? Testing Lincoln?
7.The range of characters who were the clones? The variety of appearances, age, ethnic backgrounds? Their talks, hopes? Starkweather and his winning the lottery? Going to the island – and the later vision of the real Starkweather, his fighting? His arrogance?
8.Lincoln and his experience of changes, seeing the insect, talking about it to people, the contamination of the world and the clones believing this? Growing suspicion? Jordan winning the lottery, Lincoln and his change, wanting to leave? The discussions with McCord?
9.The escape, using their wits? McCord? and his rashness in talking with them, their going to his home, his wife and her chatter? Discovering that they were clones, McCord? telling them, their limitations, literal language? Change of clothes? Going to the station, McCord? getting the tickets, discovered, the surveillance, issues of money? McCord? and his fears, his death? Lincoln and Jordan running?
10.Doctor Merrick and his bringing in security, Albert Laurent? His determination, his squads, the pursuit?
11.Going to Los Angeles, their being caught, surveillance, Lincoln seeing the address of his sponsor? The pursuit, the vehicle, the chase, pushing the obstacles from the vehicle? On top of the logo, the shooting, the helicopters, their fall, being saved?
12.Going to the sponsor Lincoln, his character, career, wealth, Scottish background? Talking with the clones? Phoning the institute? Giving the information? Laurent and his confronting the two men, the argument as to which was real? The death of the sponsor?
13.Lincoln and his decision to return to the institute, as the real Lincoln? Disguise? Jordan and her being captured? Her being taken to the laboratories? Their plan, the execution of the plan, confrontation of the technicians? The violence? Doctor Merrick, Lincoln fighting with him, Doctor Merrick’s hanging and death?
14.Jordan, the confrontation with Laurent? His explaining it to Merrick that he had been a slave, his decision to help Jordan? The explosions, the chaos, the clones and their rushing to freedom?
15.Issues of cloning, humanity, love and emotions, sexuality? The possibility for Lincoln and Jordan to become more human and sail away?
16.The blend of the serious and popular culture in a blockbuster?
