They say that if you look at the science fiction, horror and fantasy of an era that it will tell you what that society is afraid of. If that is true, our society is concerned with being undervalued, insignificant, and we are mostly afraid of environmental pollution and big government. Basically we no longer trust each other. With the breakdown of the nuclear family, in our fantasy life we long for steadfast friends, true love, and that father figure that will always takes care of us and put us first. This may sound cerebral, but that’s what’s behind the shocks, the jumps and the scares of popular movies. A film maker must tap into our deepest fears and longings and when successful we have a cathartic moment and go away feeing a little better.
In The Crazies, there is something in the water that is making a small Iowa town sick. One of the symptoms is crazy erratic behavior. When people you’ve known all your life start attacking you, you cling to the ones you love. And when the government that is supposed to protect you, isolates you and cuts you off, then it becomes everyman for themselves. You become suspicious, paranoid and even your best friend or family member can be a threat. This film is truly a reflection of our current times.
There are so many little details that I liked in this film. We are never given any full explanations and this adds to the feeling of isolation and paranoia. We are made insignificant, told to move along, we are ignored. Common everyday things are now menacing and the people we grew up relying on are no longer trustworthy. This creates a feeling of helpless and despair, but it also triggers our survival instincts. We want to be the one that makes it. We want to be the one who survives.
The main character in this film is Timothy Olyphant who is the town sheriff. His wife, the town doctor, is played by Radha Mitchell. And his deputy is played by Joe Anderson. The three of them are at ground zero of the outbreak and like everyone else, their position in society is soon ignored and they too become collateral damage. We follow them, navigating between what is known and what is not known trying to find a way out. They are our best chance of making it, but will they? You must watch the film to find out.
Rating: First Run If you enjoy the genre, you’ll really like this film
About Me
- Melanie Wilson
- My Reviewer's Philosophy: I believe that every film has its audience. One man’s Citizen Kane is another man’s Texas Chain Saw Massacre. My purpose is to help you spend your entertainment dollars wisely. A bad review never kept me from going to a film I wanted to see, but a good review will sometimes get me to a film I never considered. As a movie lover I want you to go to the movies. When more people go to the movies, the more movies get made. But, I also believe that if you enjoy the films you see, you naturally will be inclined to go more often. So join me in supporting our film industry by going to a movie today. Hopefully I can steer you towards a good one. See you at the movies. Melanie Wilson
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