Review of A Scanner Darkly

Introduction

In the mid 1970s and taking the prescription amphetamines that he`d been using since the 1950s, Philip K. Dick wrote a novel using his state of mind and current living arrangements as the basis for the semi-autobiographical and acclaimed `A Scanner Darkly`. The paranoiacs paranoiac, Dick was convinced that he was under surveillance by either the FBI, the CIA, the KGB, or any combination of the three.

In Anaheim, California, seven years from now, Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves) is an undercover government narcotics officer, codename Fred, sent to spy on drug users to find out their sources of `Substance D`, a mysterious and dangerous drug that leads to the separation of the two hemispheres of the brain. The people that Fred is surveilling live in his house: Jim Barris, Luckman, Freck, Bob Arctor and his girlfriend Donna, who occasionally visits. However, Fred is suspected by his employers of using `D` himself and is having more and more trouble convincing them otherwise. To compound this problem, the use of `D` means that Arctor no longer recognises himself on camera and doesn`t realise that Fred and Bob Arctor are the same person.

Philip K. Dick was so confused by his drug use and paranoia that, when he found that his house had been broken in to and his documents searched, he originally blamed government agencies before later stating that he may have committed the burglary himself, then forgotten about it. This incident arguably forms the backbone of `A Scanner Darkly`, in which the line between reality and delusion is blurred.

Video

The anamorphic transfer is top notch as it should be considering the short time between theatrical and DVD releases. Richard Linklater used a technique known as `rotoscoping`, where live action footage is drawn over later on computer, which he first used on `Waking Life`. The rotoscoping works perfectly in conveying the spirit of the novel, creating an almost hallucinatory effect as if the film itself is on drugs - I can`t think of a technique that would have more accurately depicted the `scramble suits`.

Audio

The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is very clear with good use of the surrounds and features a fine score by Graham Reynolds.

Features

Before you get to the film, or even to the menu, there is promotional material to sit through. Fortunately (on my player anyway) they are skippable. However, if you so wish, you can watch trailers for `The Wicker Man`, `Final Destination 3`, `The Promise` and `Rest Stop`.

The audio commentary features Richard Linklater, Keanu Reeves, author Jonathan Lethem, producer Tommy Pallotta and Philip K. Dick`s daughter, Isa Dick Hackett. It`s a shame that the participants in the commentary spend so much time watching the film as they have much to add, especially Isa.

There are two featurettes, one focussing on filming (26 minutes) and the other on the painstaking animation process (20 minutes); both are interesting and well worth a watch.

Conclusion

Written in the aftermath of Nixon`s resignation and heavily influenced by the sense of paranoia and surveillance that existed in the US at the time, it is incredible how little the book has dated and how prophetic a text it seems. With the western world subject to increased levels of surveillance and biometrics, privacy is now a rare commodity. Although the book is thirty years old, Dick may as well have written it yesterday, under constant supervision from CCTV, phone taps in the US, the PATRIOT Act, carrying a chipped passport, with ID cards on the horizon in the UK and trust in the government plummeting. Given this, it is no wonder that Richard Linklater was able so faithfully to adapt the book without the film feeling in any way dated.

The choice to rotoscope the film has proved to be a stroke of genius, giving the finished article a dream-like quality, yet the painted look allows the actors to flourish. As for the cast, it was a brave decision of Robert Downey Jr.`s to play Jim Barris, given his own previous problems with narcotics; Keanu Reeves almost repeats his slightly stiff performance from `The Matrix` films but this suits the character who is weighed down by his secrets and confused mental state. In their supporting roles, Woody Harrelson is superb as the childlike `Luckman`, Rory Cochran plays the edgy and tripped-out `Freck` brilliantly and Winona Ryder looks great as `Donna`.

`Total Recall`, `Minority Report` and `Blade Runner` are all successful films based on Dick`s stories, yet none of them have been able to stay true enough to the source material like `A Scanner Darkly`, which captures the paranoia and brilliance of Dick perfectly. This is not to say that it`s a great film - it is better than `Minority Report` and `Total Recall` but is not as accomplished a film as `Blade Runner`, the finest film adapted from a PKD book. However, like Terry Gilliam`s unlikely triumph with the difficult material of Hunter S. Thompson`s `Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas`, this conveys the spirit of the text and author and is likely to satisfy and bemuse in equal measures.