ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK

US, 1981, 99 minutes, Colour.
Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes, Season Hubley, Tom Atkins, Charles Cyphers, Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau.
Directed by John Carpenter.

Escape From New York is an effective futuristic thriller by John Carpenter. As with most of his films, he not only co-wrote the screenplay and produced but also directed and wrote and played the music. The film, as with his others, shows his knowledge of the Hollywood genres, his admiration for them, his ability to use the conventions as well as to transcend them.

While this film has the overtones of prison films, it is in the vein of the pessimistic futuristic films like Soylent Green and The Planet of the Apes. While the film has many action sequences imaginatively staged, there are also
political implications with the President of the United States being a central focus. The film raises questions about the quality of life and society in the United States: that by the end of the century New York could be a maximum security prison, that technology could control the administration of such a prison while the prisoners lived a scavenging slum kind of life, that the world could be on the verge of nuclear warfare and that the President could be a callow superficial person whose life was not worth saving. The film also indicates that evil has to fight evil for some kind of good to emerge. While there are many black tones in the glimpse into the future, there is still a hope in the heroic individual.

Sets are excellent and the use of Manhattan is highly imaginative. As with the closest parallel in Carpenter's films, Assault On Precinct 13, the main action takes place during the night and into the following day. Despite so much darkness, the film is very vivid in its presentation of New York and the mission to rescue the President. Carpenter has used Kurt Russell, who was his Elvis, in an effective interpretation of the brutal hero. There is a guest role for Russell's wife Season Hubley and a feature role for Carpenter's wife Adrienne Barbeau. Donald Pleasence appeared in Carpenter's Halloween and here portrays the President. There are excellent performances from Lee Van Cleef and Ernest Borgnine. A striking addition to John Carpenter's films and an indication of his impact in the cinema of the '70s and '80s.

1. The work of John Carpenter, his knowledge of the history of Hollywood films and his use of conventions? Adaptation of these conventions to the sensibility of the '70s and '80s? Insights into the themes of his time - thews of society, law and order, world destruction? The use of a futuristic screenplay for comment on contemporary America? The importance of the visuals, the sound and the cinematic impact for response - rather than intellectual response? Reliance on the conventions of the genres? Police action, mission films, prison films, violence and horror styles? Carpenter's contribution to production, writing, music, sounds, direction?

2. The use of colour Panavision photography? The reliance on so much night photography? Light and darkness, shadow? The colours of a future world? The emphasis on technology and the visual portrayal of it? Surveillance? Lethal injections? Military hardware? The police and technology? The contrast with the decay of Manhattan, the slum way of life in the prison? The special effects for presenting New York as a prison? Editing and pace, special effects for violence? The use of songs throughout the film? Musical score and themes? The reliance on so much electronic sound?

3. The structure of the film: the documentary-like giving of information at the opening? Reliance on time and dates? The importance of time and the continually-approaching deadline? The establishing of the situation for Snake Plitskin and his going into the prison? The mission of the President? The sending of Plitskin to rescue the President? The establishing of the characters? The importance of the passing of time and its pace? The encounter with the various characters, crises, the build-up to the escape? The deadline for Snake? The deadline for the President? The international deadline? The pace and suspense because of the coming deadlines?

4. The film's picture of the future? The comment on the growth of crime in the contemporary world and the need for prisons? The implication of law and disorder in society? Society unable to manage crime and using New York as prison? A world which has to use such a large and important city as a prison? The wall and the technological surveillance? The prisoners going in and offered the possibility of death and cremation? Prisoners never coming out? The desire to escape? The basic and scavenging society in New York? Echoes of the old world with the buildings, theatre, the taxis? The continued power struggles? The questions of realism - the food supply for the prisoners and the mention of prisoners scavenging at the end of the month? The prisoners wandering through the squalor? Brutality and scavenging? Oppression? The class structure and the echoes of contemporary violence? The role of the police, the military, politics? Surveillance and weaponry?

5. Lee Van Cleef as the supervising officer? The strong type? His work and control, experience, willingness to use violence? His pressure on Snake? The nature of the deal? The injection of the poison? His contact with Snake throughout the mission? His attitude towards politicians and decisions? His getting the President and Snake out at the end? His wanting to do a deal with Snake? The rugged individual in the authoritarian system? His assistants? The police and the politicians?

6. The portrait of the President? The plane flight and the importance of his mission? The takeover and the terrorists? The crashing of the plane and the saving of the President in the capsule? His being caught by the prisoners? The removal of his finger? His being held? The Duke and his using the President? His being shot at? Kept in the train? Snake's rescuing him? His being held in the theatre - with the wig? His finally being taken by Snake with Brain and Maggie? His holding onto the tapes and the documentation? His experience of being rescued? The climbing of the wall? The President and his being used by Brain and Maggie? Being rescued by the cabbie? The final run to escape from New York? His rescuing Snake? His gleeful killing of Duke? The transition to his being got ready for television interview, his inability to say anything more than cliche, his lack of realisation of what had happened? Snake and his disgust with him? His speech, the build-up to the playing of the tape and the irony of the music coming out? The comment on the American Presidency? Political necessities? International status? Nuclear dangers - and this man with responsibility?

7. Snake as hero? Appearance, the explanation of his background, tough swagger, wartime heroism, bank robberies? The ironic comment of everyone that they thought he was dead? His story and reputation? His going in to New York? The possibility of death and cremation? The sudden reprieve with the deal? His listening, thinking? Tough style and manner? Agreement and asking for guarantees? His being victimised with the poison in his system? The police agent and the manner of speech? Surliness and confrontation? The take-off, the flight into New York, the gliding and landing? Snake and his ability to track down the President? Duke's henchman with the finger? His wandering New York and the audience seeing the squalor through his eyes? The encounter with the cabbie and his friendliness? The tour of the theatre and the stage performance? The violence and sexual abuse? The scavengers? The encounter with the girl in the old Choc Full o' Nuts shop? His being taken to the head quarters and meeting Brain, the discovery of Brain's identity and their conflict? Maggie? The Duke of New York and his sway over the city? Snake and his going to the train, his tactics to elude the guards, his taking the President? Capture? His imprisonment? The build-up to the wrestling confrontation? His brutal opponent? The violence - and Snake's shrewdness, his ultimate clubbing of his opponent? The acclamation of the audience and the threat to Duke? The build-up to the escape, the collaboration of Maggie and Brain? Cabbie and his rescuing them in the taxi? The car chase in ruined New York? The mines on the bridge? The choices and Maggie's staying? His being trapped at the
wall and the President rescuing him?

8. Snake rescuing the President's being saved, his massacre of the Duke? The irony of his having the tape? His interview of the President and being dissatisfied at his vapid answers? His refusal to do a deal with the Police Chief? His ruining the tape? Portrait of a rugged individual? An embodiment of evil yet integrity? His ability to see more clearly (even with a patch over his eye)? A hero for an ugly world?

9. The cabbie and his presence in New York, thirty years of driving, ingenuous enjoyment of life, being in touch with everyone, helping Snake, leading him to Brain, supplying information, being present at the right time, rescuing the tape, helping with the final escape, the pathos of his death?

10. Brain and his working for Duke? His betrayal of Snake? working with Maggie and her shrewdness? The double-deals with Duke? Smooth-talking? His plan of the mines on the bridge? The escape and his death? Maggie and her appearance, dress, aggressive femininity? Her loyalty to Brain? Shrewdness in summarising situations? The attempt to escape on the glider? The car chase and her decision to stay and die?

11. Duke as the boss of New York? The relationships between black and white? His effeminate henchman? His entourage of 'yes' men? Class distinctions? Echoes of gangsters and syndicates in New York? The grabbing of power, the control? Cruelty? The shooting at the President? Putting Snake in the wrestling confrontation? The desperate car chase? The pursuit and the Duke's being killed by the mocking President?

12. The symbolic characters of prison life, derelicts? The actors on the stage? The hulking wrestler? The audience at the wrestling?

13. The place of women in this futuristic prison world? The woman in the shop? Maggie? Both dying?

14. The importance of New York, visual presentation and atmosphere? An ironic symbol of the present state of New York and American society?

15. A futuristic presentation of the world situation, the precarious nature of peace? Will life be worth living?

16. The irony of the desperate situation for the world and the inept people who have to make decisions? The inept President and the efficient criminal Snake?

17. How well did the film work on the level of plot and characters and action adventure? The use of well-known and reliable conventions for a futuristic fable criticising contemporary society?