Total Recall (Gabe, Tara, Ali)

The Fascinating, Captivating and Otherworldly Total Recall 

Gabriel Verghese

Tara Szekely

Ali Therrien-Motamedi

Link to the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFMLGEHdIjE

Title of film: Total Recall

Year: 1990

Director: Paul Verhoeven

Screen-writers: Ronald Shusett, Dan O’Bannon, Gary Goldman

Lead Actors: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Rachel Ticotin, Michael Ironside,
Ronny Cox, Dean Norris, Mel Johnson Jr., Roy Brocksmith, Marshall Bell, Michael Campbell

Running time: 113 minutes or 1 hour, 53 minutes

(IMDB)

FIX FORMATTING

Summary
Total Recall is set in the year 2084.  The main character, Douglas Quaid has a recurring dream
where he is on Mars. This becomes very obsessive for him. He decides to visit “Rekall”, a company
that plants false memories into your brain in order for him to get the thrill of visiting Mars without actually
having to go. However, it goes terribly wrong; Quaid has lost his memory and is being chased by a
group of assassins and his wife Lori is actually an agent who claims his whole life is a fake memory
(IMDB).

Quaid then discovers he is actually Hauser, a former Mars Intelligence agent, so he goes to Mars in the hope of finding answers. He meets a woman, Melina who works for rebels and together they fight against the assassins who work for Coohagen, the colony's corrupt administrator. As Doug sets out to discover who he is and why Cohaagen is after him, Doug not only finds answers, but also begins to question reality (IMDB). 

Quaid is pushed to his limits to fight against Coohagen’s forces and many people die along
the way including Kuato, the leader of the rebel and Benny, Quaid’s “friendly” cab driver. However,
before Kuato dies, he tells Quaid to release the reactor and allow air to flow freely on Mars. So,
Quaid and Melina set on a new mission to release the reactor and together, after nearly dying,
succeed in the mission.
After they release air to Mars by starting the reactor, Melina and Quaid stand at the top of
a mound of red sand and look down at the horizon. They are watching the grey skies and bad
weather go away and blue, sunny skies come. Melina then goes on to say “I can’t believe it; it’s
like a dream.” to which Quaid replies with “I just had a terrible thought, what if this is a dream?”
and then Melina replies, “Well then kiss me quick before you wake up.” and then they go on to
kiss and the camera zooms into the brightness of the sun and the movie ends. This is a dramatic
ending since it is mentioned in the film that the blue sky is created by Rekall. Since Quaid sees
this blue sky, it means that he is still in his head. Although it may seem that the movie ends on
a happy note, the appearance of the blue sky shows that, that is not the case.

Film Techniques

low-key lighting: During the first attack in Quaid’s apartment, there is the use of low-key lighting.
Due to this, the set was in pitch black making the viewer know that Quaid is being attacked but
not be able to know by who. This made the scene a lot more suspenseful and added the element
of surprise when the lights turned on and it was discovered that the attacker was Lori. It was
definitely very effective since it added much more shock-factor to the scene. Another example of low
key lighting is when Quaid and Melina descend into the mines to reach the rebel hideout. The
darkness creates a sense of mystery and suspense, especially when the rebels emerge from behind the
skeletons -the viewer is initially not sure whether these heavily armed individuals surrounding the
protagonists are friend or foe, which is enhanced by the darkness somewhat obscuring their faces.

Props (Guns & Johnny Cab): In sci-fi films, props are quintessential in helping to suspend the disbelief of audience members regarding the major plot elements of a story by introducing futuristic technology. In Total Recall, all the main characters are seen wielding futuristic guns. This gives the viewers a sense of the stakes of the film, but also shows that technology is far more advanced than it is in real life, especially at the time of the film's release. Another futuristic prop is JohnnyCab - a self driving car and artificially intelligent robot. The concept of self driving cars is only beginning to receive mainstream media coverage within the last decade, so it would certainly be a futuristic concept for viewers in the early 1990s.

Filter/set: There is the technique of a red filter used whenever the movie is being set on Mars.
This adds to the stereotype that Mars is red and also helps the viewer know where the scene is
set. The fact that the setting of Mars was filtered in red added more detail to the movie and made
it stick in your head that much more. Also, the colour red usually symbolizes either love or war.
In the movie, on Mars, there is the love relationship between Melina and Quaid but there is also
alot of internal conflict, so the use of the red filter could also have been used to symbolize this.
It was definitely very effective and it fit right into the whole “look” of the film. Another important
set element is the rocky ground on Mars. In the mutant neighbourhood, the road is unpaved despite
the area being very urban, suggesting that this population is struggling financially.

Special effect: Towards the beginning of the film, in the subway station, there is the special
effect of people’s skeletons shown during the X-Ray scan. This scene was very cool and
showed how futuristic and advanced the world is in this film. It added a “woah” effect to the
movie. This special effect was very effective in setting the tone and setting for the rest of the
movie by exhibiting to the viewer that the movie is taking place far into the future. It was also a
very impressive special effect when the movie came out so by adding this x-ray scan scene,
it made the movie seem better. Another special effect is what happens to people's faces when
exposed to Mars' lack of atmosphere - their eyes swell and their features stretch in a grotesque
way that is horrifying yet captivating. The fact that this effect is used in the first scene sets the
tone for the entire film as one that's going to be highly gory and suspenseful.

Editing: There is a long-take when the reactor, a device that contains all the air
and oxygen on Mars, is being released/activated. This made the scene much more dramatic
and showed the movie was coming to the end. This long-shot on the reactor was also never
seen before in the film and was definitely an impressive moment due to the special effects
of the scene. The use of a long-take during this scene was definitely effective and making it
as dramatic and important as it was. On the flip side, short takes are used during action sequences,
such as when Melina is fighting Lori, in order to heighten the pace of the action, and make it seem
like these women are remarkable athletes and skilled fighters. We think this because our eyes
struggle to follow their movements, but this is because the camera is cutting very quickly and not
because the actors themselves are moving at imperceptible speeds.

Themes

Memory, in general, is not a reliable source to base our identity on. However, when you think about it,
memory is crucial to our existence. Without our memories, we would have no identity of ourselves and
no past experiences. We would simply be a living being with no purpose. If we didn’t have memory,
we would wake up every single day as a different person. We would have no sense of self. This related
to Quaid’s situation in Total Recall. In this case, Quaid did have some sort of memory, however, it wasn’t
trust-worthy. He believed himself to be a construction worker and married to his wife Lori for 8 years but
it was a made-up, implanted memory. How do we know we aren’t in the same situation as Quaid? There
is literally no way of knowing how real our memories truly are. We perceive things differently and this
causes alterations in the event that you believe to remember correctly, but you don’t. Quaid believedhis life to be real, but it wasn’t. The relationship we have with memory is so important creating our sense of self, however, it is incredibly unreliable. This is a huge question raised by the film which made us question our own memories and ponder on how real they are.

The colonization of Mars by humans is an on-going debate. Some people want to colonize Mars
and some don’t. There is proof that there is some sort of water on Mars so why not colonize right?
Earth is already overpopulated so what’s stopping us? The answer is that we don’t know how well
colonizing an entirely different planet will go. How will air be circulated evenly? Where will we get our
food from? And so on and so forth. After watching Total Recall, it becomes clear that colonizing Mars
can lead to civil wars and the mistreatment of civilians by people of higher-order. We didn’t just come
to Earth, we came to be on Earth after billions of years of it existing. We only exist because Earth’s
conditions favored animals to exist which lead to the evolution of humans. So, if Mars was truly
habitable, there would probably be some sort of life bigger than a little bacteria already existing on it,
but there isn’t. That goes to show that colonizing Mars is not a good idea and we think that it wouldn’t
lead to anything good. However, it still remains a serious debate in today’s society. 

Technology seems to be advancing quicker and quicker. We have gone from flip phones to
smartphones in a matter of years. We basically hold mini-computers with access to all the knowledge
in the world in our pockets. Technology never ends, there is always a better version or a better model
and there’s always something new to be invented. It’s become a sort of race to see who can come up
with the coolest new form of technology. Technology can be useful, when done right, but if it goes too
far, it can have very negative consequences, like it did with Quaid. In Total Recall, the advancement
of technology was useful for things such as x-ray scans, but it became dangerous when it came to
memory implants. The new technology of memory implants ended up ruining Quaid’s life. Who says
that, in the future, technology won’t go too far and ruin us too? Who says technology hasn’t already
ruined us? Technology has become so integrated with our everyday lives that some people literally
can’t be separated from their phones without feeling anxious. Technology is the new craze of today,
but it can also be every negative and we have to be careful about how far we choose to go with it. 

[1445 words]

Growing up in the 2000s will teach you 2 things about cinema. The first is that if you’re not
sure whether or not Disney had a hand in the making of a film, they probably did (although surprsingly,
for this film they didn't). The second is that if you see that a film starring Arnold Schwazenegger,
it’s probably not going to be an artistic masterpiece.
Total Recall is like a cat. It drew incredible amounts of attention when it was first conceived, but
after more than a decade, all it really does is sit on our shelf all day and you can nearly forget
it’s there. In its kitten stage, it’s understandable why the world went crazy for this flick. It was
somewhat of a pioneer from a technological standpoint - it won the Special Achievement Award for
Visual Effects at the 1991 Academy Awards (IMDb) - laying the groundwork for some of the
CGI that we see in all our films today. That’s about the only reason to see Total Recall over any
other action movies because you’re certainly not in it for the plot, which introduces far too many
unnecessary elements to make a point (mutants? really?) or the acting.

Schwarzenegger is about as easy to relate to as a potted plant. His deadpan delivery removes

the emotional attachment and breaks the immersion of every scene he’s in. Seriously. Quaid

murders the woman he remembers as his wife of eight years with no emotional repercussions.

Schwarzenegger’s performance ultimately makes the entire quest feel deeply impersonal.

This is an absurd film, but honestly, that’s what most people are here for. If you like unnecessary violence, unnecessary plot elements, and hate it when characters have romantic chemistry, this is the film for you. All things considered, Total Recall embodies an undeniably pure form of fiction. It is about as dissimilar from real life as you can get, and to an extent, that’s what we all want when we watch a movie - especially a sci-fi action movie. It would be an injustice to say this film isn’t enjoyable. It is, it’s just not MORE enjoyable than many other films, and certainly shouldn’t be your first choice for a thought-provoking film. It really does have a bit of everything. So, if you’re the kind of person who always takes their pizza all dressed, then you may well have a great time watching Total Recall. Just make sure you bring some friends along. You’ll regret eating that entire pizza by yourself.

Rating: 3/5 

       A connection between the film and our course concept would be how Dr. Edgemar questions Quaid on what is his understanding of reality when he is in his hotel room on Mars and tells him that everything around him and the world he thinks to be real actually isn’t. This connects to the concept of metaphysics. Metaphysics is “the study of reality in the broadest sense, an inquiry into the elemental nature of the universe and the things in it”, which means that questions such as “is the world we are in and that our senses give us information about real?” (McKinney, 19). In the movie, Dr. Edgemar says to Quaid “you’ve got to want to return to reality” trying to trap him into thinking that the world he’s in is just a dream and that he’s back at Rekall, for him to take the pill so that The Agency can capture him. This questions Quaid’s understanding of what reality is and if he actually not physically where he is but all of it is just in his mind. This is similar to how in the movie The Matrix, humans are not physically in the world they think they are but instead, they are in pods and the lives they are living are all simply happening in their minds. This scene makes the viewer ask themselves metaphysical questions such as “is the world around me just happening in my mind like a dream” or “is the physical world I am in the real world or part of another realm that exists beyond this universe”.

A connection between the film and the concept of axiology is how Quaid and Cohaagen
have different views on whether giving air and a breathable atmosphere to the entire planet is morally good. Axiology is the “study of value, including both aesthetic value and moral value”. It raises questions about what actions are right or wrong or what are virtues (McKinney, 21). For example, Cohaagen knows that keeping air to himself and not revealing the existence of the reactor gives him power and control over the planet and he says it himself to Richter that “I can do whatever I want”. Hence, he is taking control over the entire population of the planet because he is the only one that can provide air which is necessary for everyone's survival. He sees this as a good action hence the reason behind him doing it. This adds to his character being selfish and greedy, but to him being selfish isn’t immoral. On the other hand, Quaid fights against him to activate the reactor to give air to the entire population of Mars because he believes that using everyone’s need for air to one’s personal gain of power is wrong. He believes that the right action would be to activate the reactor, which is why he fights so hard and perseveres to accomplish it, nearly giving his life in the process. Therefore there is a contrast between Quaid and Cohaagen’s moral’s; an example of axiology. This difference causes their feud in the movie.

        In addition, there is also a connection between the movie and the concept of capitalism, because Cohaagen is able to devalue the population of Mars for his own gain by keeping the control of air to himself. The concept of capitalism allows him to be a villain in the story and to act this way. Capitalism is centered around self-gain and self-enrichment, and Cohaagen is a good example of this because, by having power over Mars, he says it himself: he can do whatever he wants (Merriam-Webster). 

A connection between the movie and the concept of epistemology would be when Quaid
questions what he knows from his memories. The movie is quite centered around the idea of memories, more precisely artificially implanted memories, and so since epistemology is “the study
of knowledge”, questions such as “are memories from past experiences a source of knowledge”
can arise (McKinney, 21). After Quaid fights Lori, she tells him that she isn’t his wife and that she is only playing as his wife. He responds with confusion with “we’ve been married for 8 years”. This demonstrates that since Quaid had memories implanted in his mind about him being married to Lori for the past 8 years, this is what he knows as what is true to him. So, this makes the viewer reflect on questions such as “how do I know that my memories are events that actually happened”. This scene is a lot about Quaid questioning how memories (or experience) are sources of knowledge about the past. Also, when Quaid has dreams about Mars and Melina, those are caused by actual memories of him being on Mars. In all, the movie explores two possible answers to the epistemological question “are memories sources of knowledge about the past?”.

Links:

1. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-44111476 This is an online article about memory transplants done on snails. It elaborates on how genetic information was transferred in lab from one snail to another. This trained the snail to have a better defence system, because of the new memories received. This relates to the movie because memory transplants is one of its big themes.
2. https://science.howstuffworks.com/hologram.htm This is a web page that explains how holograms work. It describes how holograms can be made using lasers in dark rooms and also it gives a few examples of them. It also explains how some of the technology used to make holograms is in everyday life devices such as CD and DVD players. This relates to the movie because it explains Quaid’s hologram watch that he used to make a hologram of himself.

Questions:

1. Was the entire film a simulation by Rekall?
2. If you saw a video of yourself giving instructions intended for you (that may involve risking your life) but had no memory of recording the video, would you follow the instructions?
3. In the face of unmanageable overpopulation, would you leave your home to start a new life in a different country/on a different planet? 

Works Cited

"Capitalism." Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capitalism.
Accessed 26 Nov. 2019.

"How Holograms Work." howstuffworks, https://science.howstuffworks.com/hologram.htm. Accessed 12 Nov. 2019.

John Golden, “Cinematic Techniques”, Knowing the Inner Self by Kelly McKinney, 9-17

McKinney, Kelly, “Study Guide on Consciousness”, Knowing the Inner Self by Kelly McKinney, p. 3-21

"'Memory transplant' achieved in snails." BBC News, https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-44111476. Accessed 12 Nov. 2019.

“Philosophical Terrain”, Knowing the Inner Self by Kelly McKinney, 19-21

“Total Recall.” IMDb, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100802/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2019.

Total Recall. Directed by Paul Verhoeven, Carloco Pictures, 1 Jun. 1990.