9 February 2009
Total Recall (1990)
“If I’m not me, then who the hell am I?”
Roger Ebert pins the success of Total Recall on Schwarzenegger’s performance – and while you can revel in the science fiction base of Philip K. Dick all you want, Ebert’s right – it still doesn’t work if Schwarzenegger somehow doesn’t manage to believable as a fish-out-of-water vs. gun-toting mow-em-down action star (which, truth be told, is almost a guaranteed slight to Philip K Dick, since it presupposes that Total Recall was predestined as a run & gun Verhoeven picture vs. a more cerebral Ridley Scott affair-type adaptation). 
But the issues of identity are rooted in Dick’s work more than they are in Schwarzenegger’s ability to create a Schwarzenegger performance. And don’t get me wrong, it’s not as though Total Recall is as intelligent about the Schwarzenegger performance as Manhattan was about the Woody Allen performance, but they hinge on an audience recognition that reacts similarly. It’s striking to compare the two Schwarzeneggers in the film (the one on tape being the Other), and this difference – let alone that Schwarzenegger as able to create the air of such a difference – is what really makes the movie work. This all dissolves, naturally, when Quaid picks up a gun, but how else could it be? This serves to underscore the it-might-be-a-dream current that runs alongside everything up until the end when the volcano pops its top in a way that continually resonates – that he’s fulfilling the secret agent-cum-action-star scenario he paid extra for.
The other thing about Total Recall that I really admire are the special effects. It must be said that Blu-ray can be a pretty harsh double-edged sword when older effects-heavy movies are restored, and had they done a better job of restoring this one, it would have been a perfect case in point. Nevertheless, while you can see how thoroughly little people have been matted into the great Mars vistas, it still manages to look pretty silly. But I have fond memories of flipping through the pages of Fangoria and seeing the iron rod splintering through the Scientists skull and Ronny Cox’s eyes shooting out of his skull. This stuff was done in-scene and was built by incredibly talented people that you have to both wonder how they’re applying their skill-set to the current diorama of Hollywood, but regret that it just isn’t quite the same anymore. It’s completely awesome when the Robo-Arnold is pulling that glowing orb out of his nose, and it looks completely ridiculous. I’m reminded of Steve’s contention that all that ketchup blood at the end of Don’t Look Now was on purpose. It’s kind of a shame when your first inclination to explaining movie magic relies on computers.
But something that made me want to watch this again in the first place was a compete idiot’s contention in an Amazon.com review of Total Recall that the Blu-ray sucked because the special effects were awful and should have been redone with computers to make them look even passable. It seems that George Lucas really is in-tune with kids. Fucking idiots.
[...] googling, I actually managed to come across my post of Total Recall, somewhat randomly. And I have to admit, it is totally completely awesome that my magic Related [...]