ENDANGERED SPECIES
US, 1982, 87 minutes, Colour.
Jo Beth Williams, Robert Urich, Paul Dooley, Hoyt Axton, Peter Coyote.
Directed by Alan Rudolph.
Endangered Species is an environmental thriller combined with military conspiracy. It echoes the renewed cold war atmosphere between the US and the Soviet Union of the early '80s, the Reagan era.
The film focuses on cattle being destroyed mysteriously in Colorado. The farmers and townspeople are concerned and look for leadership from the new sheriff, a woman, played by Jo Beth Williams?. The plot interweaves a burnt-out New York cop, wounded in action and disaffected from the force, Robert Urich. In the town, there are various factions, one led by a landowner played by Hoyt Axton, the mayor wanting something done immediately and Paul Dooley's journalist. In the background is a nerve and chemical warfare test program, outside sanctioned authority, led by Peter Coyote.
The expected ingredients are there: the handling of the situation in the town, the police investigation, various mysterious deaths, the confrontation between the paramilitary personnel and their links in the town - and an ending which highlights that this kind of experimentation is being done under covers.
The film is interesting because it was directed by Alan Rudolph, associate of Robert Altman, whose idiosyncratic films such as Welcome to LA, Remembering My Name, Trouble in Mind, Choose Me marked him as an experimental director. He also made popular movies like Roadie, Made in Heaven, Songwriter. He also made the impressive Mortal Thoughts with Demi Moore and Bruce Willis.
1. Entertaining environmental and military thriller? Cold war themes of the early '80s? The critique of government and administration? Cover-ups?
2. The Colorado locations, the town, the open land? The stunt work for the experiments? The musical score?
3. The title, the reference to the cattle - and the point made that cattle in their physiology resemble human beings? Humanity as an endangered species?
4. Colorado, the open plains and mountains, the cattle runs, the death of the cattle, the disappearance of the organs? The mystery? The cattle farmers and their reactions? The people in the town and the investigations? The importance of public opinion and Joe and his articles? The clashes with Morgan? The mayor and his angers, meetings? The sheriff and her having to deal with the investigation?
5. The sheriff, her being elected? Her work in the town? Meetings, relationship with various people? Doing her job?
6. Reuben, his background in New York, being wounded? Alcoholism? Recovering? His daughter and her running away, the reconciliation? Going to Colorado? On the road, the bonds between father and daughter? In Colorado, the car crash with the sheriff? Clashes with her? On the road, the mysterious trucks? His settling in, going to see Joe, renewing friendships? The brawl in the bar and his intervening? The resentment by Harriet? The bond between Harriet and Reuben? His drinking, coming into her house, attacking her? Her strong reaction? His trying to help with the investigation? The relationship? Joe's death, his interventions, on the road? Seeing the property, suspicions of Morgan, the helicopters? His continued investigations, the murders in the town? Helping Harriet? The growing bond with his daughter?
7. Joe, work as a journalist, reporting the mysteries? His investigations? Conclusions? Murder and the set-up? The other murders?
8. Morgan, loudmouthed, the conspiracy theory, the suspicions of communism? His deal with the paramilitary? The confrontation with Joe, the confrontation with the officials? His being poisoned - his death?
9. The townspeople, their concern, meetings, the mayor, wanting instant action?
10. The information, the sending of the cattle east for autopsy? The information about the chemicals? The build-up to the confrontation with the paramilitary? The open ending - and the suggestion that this kind of experimentation would go on?
11. The paramilitary, ruthless, Washington connections? Murders? The anti-communist fanaticism? The techniques, the science, the technology? Chemical and nerve experimentation?
12. The human story - father and daughter, clashes, the daughter having to face reality, the father and his drinking and coming to terms with himself? The relationship with the sheriff?
