RETROACTIVE
US, 1997, 97 minutes, Colour.
James Belushi, Kylie Travis, Shannon Whirry, Frank Whaley, M. Emmett Walsh, Guy Boyd.
Directed by Louis Morneau.
Retroactive is an unusual science fiction thriller, something of a car chase as well as time travel. It won a number of awards at science fiction and fantasy festivals.
The idea is interesting. A young rogue scientist is experimenting with a machine that can send people back into the past. However, his limit is twenty minutes. In the meantime, a psychologist from Chicago is travelling back home in Texas and encounters a mad redneck, dealing in drugs and money, who is accompanied by his wife. When the situation turns dangerous, the psychologist runs away and enters into the compound where the scientist is experimenting. She goes back twenty minutes in order to rectify the situation. However, this does not work and she returns quite a number of times, finally with the scientist himself. This gives the possibility of a kind of Groundhog Day for twenty minutes as the psychologist tries various tactics to prevent the death of the wife as well as a trooper and a passer-by and the endangerment of a whole family.
The film has a frantic tone, mainly because of the performance by James Belushi, very much over the top. Kylie Travis is strong as the psychologist and Shannon Whirry is good as the wife. Frank Whaley is the scientist and M. Emmett Walsh a garage owner.
The film is set in outback Texas, a strange area which becomes hellish.
The film was directed by writer Louis Morneau (Bat). It would not be surprising if Quentin Tarantino had seen this film because it has quite a number of elements in common with his feature, Death Proof, part of the Grindhouse film he made with Robert Rodriguez.
1.The impact of the film? For horror and road movie fans? For ordinary audiences?
2.The Texas settings, the open road, the desert, the compound and laboratories? The service station? Authentic – but with the touch of the surreal? The musical score?
3.The performances, James Belushi over the top? Shannon Whirry and her reticence? Kylie Travis is the strong heroine? Frank Whaley as the rather timid scientist? M. Emmett Walsh as another redneck? The effect of these performances?
4.The scientific background, Brian, his experiments, in the compound, the laboratory, the rats, the deaths? His needing chips for the computer? Relying on Frank to get them illegally? The encounter with Karen, sending her back? Her return and the various incidents of going back? Her finally getting Frank to get Brian to go back as well? The confrontation with Frank and the explosions in the laboratory?
5.Karen, the background, the flashback as she drove, the hostage situation in Chicago? The people she encountered on the road, the trooper, the family, Jesse? Her almost crashing the car? Getting the lift from Frank, the encounter with Frank, with Rayanne? Her realising Frank’s madness? Rayanne and Jesse and the relationship? The dangers, Frank and his wanting to kill Rayanne? Her escaping, going into the compound, going back the twenty minutes? This time crashing her car, being picked up by Frank, the dangers, his mad driving, the shooting, his persuading the trooper that Karen was a killer, that the car exploding was Karen’s fault? The trooper’s death? Jesse and his passing by, his death? Karen getting the car, driving to the service station? Sam and his hostility, Frank and his mad ambush? The family and Karen getting them to go? Her continued returns, her trying to be more seductive with Frank, knowing his story (which she had heard from Rayanne)? His puzzle? The continued dangers, the trooper and Jesse dying again, the family and the driving of the car, the crashing into the petrol? Her saving the boy? Her finally going to Frank again, their return, with the boy? The failure of this attempt? Frank and his continued violence? Her finally going back, not crashing the car, not getting the lift, able to save the various people, including Rayanne?
6.Frank as a character, mad, the money, the deals, suspicions of Rayanne? Extroverted insanity? The shooting of the gun, hiding, the treatment of Karen? His being involved in the travelling back, his knowing Brian? His death?
7.Rayanne, quiet, dominated by Frank, the relationship with Jesse? The various ways in which she was killed? Finally surviving?
8.Sam, collaboration with Frank, escaping being run over? The final crash and his being hit?
9.The trooper, not knowing who to believe, his death?
10.The family, the various situations and variations in which they found themselves? Dying in the blaze? The son escaping, going back in time? Their finally surviving?
11.The cumulative effect of this kind of repetition with its variations?
