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Written by Larry Clow
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Wednesday, 13 December 2006 |
Warner Bros., 1980
starring: William Hurt, Blair Brown, Bob Balaban and Charles Haid
directed by: Ken Russell
the plot: Dr. Eddie Jessup (Hurt) becomes fascinated with experiments on altered states of consciousness after spending time in a sensory deprivation tank. Jessup believes these altered states hold the key to understanding human evolution, and can provide a pathway back to primordial human memories. During his experiments, Jessup meets Emily (Brown), a Ph.D. anthropology student whom he quickly woos and marries. Years later, estranged from Emily, Jessup ramps up his quest for these early memories, using hallucinogens taken from a tribe of Indians in Mexico and a new deprivation tank. With his friends Arthur (Balaban) and Mason (Haid) helping, Jessup ventures into the tank. But the results are more than he expected—during his first trip, Jessup emerges from the tank with signs of having regressed genetically. The results frighten Mason and Emily, but only encourage Arthur and Jessup. Soon, Jessup is upping his dosage of the drug and spending longer and longer in the tank. However, he soon finds that the hallucinations aren’t ending when he’s outside the tank, and they are becoming very real.
why it’s good: “Altered States” is a heck of a head-trip, the kind of movie that will surely please two crowds: those eager to get into their own altered states, and ardent sci-fi and horror fans who like a little intelligence with the hardcore body horror. “States” delivers all that and more, with a fairly complex and thoughtful plot that doesn’t skimp on the kind of out-and-out weirdness that David Cronenberg would popularize throughout the 1980s. Everything about “States” works, from the feeling of unreality and creepiness that director Ken Russell imbues into the film to the driving score by John Corigliano. William Hurt is captivating as the driven Dr. Jessup, and his obsessions shine throughout the whole film. Hurt has lots of fun with the role—just check out the smirk he puts on when he talks about how exhilarating it was to turn into an ape-man and run rampant across the streets of Boston. And about that ape-man: the special effects in “States” are pretty creepy, from the pulsing, rippling flesh that characterizes Jessup’s transformations to the final 20 minutes of the film, during which all of Jessup’s experiences come to a horrifying climax. By the end, you’ll feel like you’ve been put through the existential wringer, too, but as Jessup says, it’s pretty exhilarating.
why you should own it: “Altered States” is definitely worth owning. Warner Bros. DVD of the film is inexpensive; however, you won’t get much in the way of extras.
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