Directed by: John Carpenter
Written by: John Carpenter, Nick Castle
Starring: Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine
Sorry for the late post, been having a break for a couple days.
On paper, this film seems like it was made for me. Directed by John Carpenter, starring Kurt Russell, interesting premise, a synth soundtrack and dystopian aesthetic, this movie had a lot going for it as I sat down to watch it.
*Warning: Spoilers Ahead*
The year is 1997. The entire island of Manhattan, New York City has been turned into one massive prison as the United States has turned into a police state. The president's (Donald Pleasence) plane is hijacked, and he lands an escape pod in Manhattan before being kidnapped by some of the locals.
Snake Plissken (Russell) is a decorated soldier who is being sent to Manhattan for attempting to rob the Federal Reserve. Police Commission Bob Hauk offers him the chance to rescue the president in exchange for being acquitted. Once Snake accepts, he's forced into it anyway as a set of timed explosives are injected into his neck, set to go off if he fails to save the president.
It's a long set up, taking the entire first act to actually get Snake into Manhattan, This unfortunately throws off the early pacing of the film, because we're subjected to a lot of expositional dialogue just so that we completely understand the stakes: Snake is a badass, he's going to die if he doesn't save the president from a place so horrible the outside world pretends that it doesn't exist.
Russell is perfect as the bitter soldier fed up with a world filled with people only looking out for their own interests. While the early scenes talk about his history, once we're in Manhattan we see what that adds up to. He's ruthless in his approach, the perfect picture of an anti-hero, and he carries the film the whole way.
Like I said, the soundtrack is perfect 80s synth, changing between slow and pulsing depending on the action on screen. It's a little one note, and cliche at this point, but it's great to see a film use it in a time before it got overused.
Truly though, the biggest aspect of the film is the city itself, which is almost its own character. The set design and the side characters really build this idea of a tough and unforgiving wasteland, ruled by the self-proclaimed 'Duke of New York', who maintains control in the anarchy by way of arbitrary cruelty. The disheveled remains of the city add to the film's desolate tone and atmosphere.
The Verdict: Escape From New York is a very good movie, with a strong sense of the themes it wants to convey and a rough style that aids the bleak world it's set in. Kurt Russell is a champion as Snake, brooding and showing a lot of contempt for pretty much everyone else, like a more cynical Clint Eastwood. The film has a slow and clunky start that hinders the initial pacing of the movie, as it tries to solidify the uncaring and selfish nature of the world, but its brutal and dark tone become fully realised as we enter the heart of Manhattan. I recommend this to any fan of Carpenter's work, because while this may not be his best, it is still quintessentially his.
Rating: 7/10
Published July 22nd, 2016
No comments:
Post a Comment