I think it is completely in favour for SD that it produces strong opinions.
I've seen the film four times (showing it twice to students in a feminist
group at the university of Oslo). First time I saw it, I really enjoyed it,
after about the third time the film fades a bit like a much handled
photograph - but I still think it is outstanding.
Geoffrey -
>Fiennes's character is *not* a hero and doesn't try to be one... Bassett's
>>character comes close to being the hero of the film, but saddled between
>>idiotic lines and her character's unbelivable
>devotion to Fiennes's character, she falls short.
To me the characters were believable, they were just unusual. The setting
was not a typical action movie setting, where the central fighting scenes
are set in closed off surroundings (like Aliens or Terminator), it was a
depressively urban jungle - a much more alien area to put a strong female
character into - and (even if I am in danger of stepping into a minefield
here) - the best urban scenes (including the night club scene) aspired to
Bladerunner atmosphere.
Geoffrey -
>I thought the movie was a mess. Nice visuals, and an attempt at a
>thought-provoking storyline (something Cameron seemed to have lost after
>_The Abyss_) give the movie the worthiness of a once-over when you're
>alone on a Friday night. Other than that, go rent _Taxi
>Driver_...there's believable self-destructive behavior with no pretty,
>bow-wrapped package at the end...
I had no problems accepting the story. There is one issue in this movie
which other sf-action-horror movies scarcely dare to express, and if they
do, then they keep it inside accepted postmodern irony (like the "good
father line" in Terminator II): and that is love.
Bassett's unbelievable devotion and Fiennes unbelievable self-destructive
behaviour - aren't you just disappointed that the strong woman has
affections for a weak man - and that the man is not exactly successful at
being self-destructive ? (which is such a long-standing - and boring -
myth with modern man).
I mean SD is a pretty well told fairy tale. The end (especially the last 15
min) - are a let-down if you insist on a realistic ending. But I
occasionally enjoy a bit of sentimental sf-cinema.
Stefanie
There is more information about SD on these URLs:
gopher://ftp.std.com:70/00/periodicals/Middlesex-News/movies/Strange%20Days
http://cinenet.ch/previews/s/StrangeDays/
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu May 25 2000 - 19:07:36 PDT