Another tale of identity from science fiction author Philip K. Dick is given the theatrical treatment, but this time in animated form.
A Scanner Darkly is an interesting film, but it may put some off with its unique animated style of telling it. Fans of the authors other works may want to check it out, but those expecting a sci-fi adventure along the lines of Total Recall will walk away disappointed.
Our story takes place “seven years from now.” Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves) is a drug addict. He’s addicted to a new drug called Substance D (or just Death if you prefer). This new drug has a habit of screwing up your brain, effectively breaking your mind apart.
What does a scanner see?
He lives in a junked up house with his two dope-head friends, Barris (Robert Downey, Jr.) and Ernie (Woody Harrelson). The also have another pal named Freck (Rory Cochrane) who comes around occasionally.
Freck is the one suffering the most from D and at the beginning of the film is starting to see imaginary aphids crawling all over him. Arctor’s girlfriend Donna (Winona Ryder) also comes around to party with this band of misfits. What nobody knows is that Bob is also know as “Fred” and works undercover for the police department. Nobody knows who he is at the police department either because when he’s there he wears a “scramble suit.”
This is a device that shifts between thousands of different images of normal people (one of which is Philip K. Dick by the way). His supervisor “Hank” also wears one of the suits so that these deep undercover officers never see the face of the other officers. Unfortunately, Bob is starting to show signs of brain damage caused by Substance D and soon starts to wonder if he’s really Bob or is he Fred?
A Scanner Darkly is not a book that I’ve read, but from what I’ve gathered Dick had a drug addiction and some commented that this story might be his most personal. He was also known to be paranoid. Our hero (Bob/Fred) experiences both paranoia and drug addiction in the film. To a degree we, the viewer, also experience the visual effects of at least a few glasses of wine.
The movie is animated by rotoscoping. What that means is that the actors performed their scenes and then the animation was drawn over them (director Linklater also did this in 2001’s Waking Life). This can be a bit off putting since the animation seems to “jiggle” on occasion (especially when the characters are talking and moving around). This was a bit distracting to me, just a bit though.
Ernie, Barris, and Bob
Dick also had a fear/paranoia of authority (he thought both the KGB and FBI were out to get him) and Scanner also plays those themes. I don’t want to give anything away, but there’s also a bit of the “government doesn’t mind destroying one person for the greater good” in the film. I found the movie compelling and interesting, animation gimmick aside. We also see the schizophrenic nature of undercover agents/cops taken to the hilt as well.
Keanu is Keanu, but its Ryder that has to actually act since her character has a turn towards the end of the film. I don’t know about Cochrane, but Downey and Harrelson are pretty typecast since they’ve had run in with drugs in the past. All in all, the film was interesting in content and held my attention till the end. However, I did find the animation distracting and thought that the performance might’ve been stronger if they weren’t covered up by the animation.
A Scanner Darkly is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Special features start off with a commentary from screenwriter/director Richard Linklater, Keanu Reeves, Isa Dick Hackett (Philip K. Dick’s daughter), producer Tommy Pallotta, and Philip K. Dick historian Jonathan Lethem.
Next is the 26 minute “One Summer in Austin: The story of filming A Scanner Darkly.” It has interviews with Philip K. Dick (from a radio show and interview from 1977), Tommy Pallotta, Isa Dick Hackett, Richard Linklater, Robert Downey, Jr., Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder, Rory Cochrane, and Keanu Reeves.
Philip K Dick's cameo
There’s also the 20 minute “Weight of the Line: Animation Tales.” It has interviews with those from the first featurette and adds cinematographer Shane F. Kelly, lead animator Sterling Allen, lead animator Christopher S. Jennings, head of animation Paul Beck, lead animator (scramble suit) Nick Derington, head of animation Jason Archer, and lead animator Lance Myers. Finally, there’s the film’s theatrical trailer.
A Scanner Darkly is an interesting film, but it may put some off with its unique animated style of telling it. Fans of the authors other works may want to check it out, but those expecting a sci-fi adventure along the lines of Total Recall will walk away disappointed.
A Scanner Darkly is now available at Amazon . It is available for pre-order at AmazonUK for a Jan. 22nd release. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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