THE GAME
US, 1997, 128 minutes, Colour.
Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Deborah Kara Unger, Carroll Baker, Armin Muehler Stuhl, Peter Donat.
Directed by David Fincher.
With Aliens 3 and the impressive Seven behind him, director David Fincher has a reputation for thrillers (often visually dark) that explore the shadow experience of life. And again here, although most of the action is in the affluent business world of San Francisco. Sean Penn gives his tycoon brother, Michael Douglas, a birthday gift of a voucher for an elaborate game that is tailored to the needs and desires of the individual player. What seems an exotic recreation soon manifests itself as a deadly game calling on the wits of the player to survive. It becomes something of a purgatorial journey as the player confronts his life and a web of deception. While the game is on, the audience is as bewildered as Michael Douglas playing it. While the aftermath may inevitably seem something of an anti-climax, the intricacies of the game are often intriguing.
1. The films of David Fincher and his exploration of the shadow side of human nature?
2. The San Francisco settings, the city, the affluent world, the company, banks, commercial buildings, homes? The contrast with the poorer sections of San Francisco, Mexico? The musical score and its atmosphere?
3. The visual style of the flashbacks, the credits sequences and the home movies? The grainy style, the age of the photos and the films? The revelation about Nicholas and his brother? The visualising of the father's suicide?
4. The title and its evocations? A psychological and personal game designed for each individual playing? Games of life, games of death? The reality of the game - yet its all being a performance? The effect of the game on the performers as well as the client? The game as a type of Purgatory, or even Hell, in this life? The irony of the rich having the money to be able to afford to play the game?
5. The introduction to Nicholas van Orten? Michael Douglas and his screen persona? The van Orten family, the father's death, the wealth, Conrad and his drugs? Nicholas and his divorce from Elizabeth? Living alone, keeping busy, his power, board meetings and demands, ruthlessness with clients? Yet going home alone, watching the television with the finance news? His dependence on Ilsa and her place in the family? The many invitations to social events and his rejection of them? A self-contained money man?
6. Sean Penn as Conrad? The contrast between the two brothers? The tension of relationships, the joke message, the dinner, the memories of the past and the evocations of past relationship? Nicholas's birthday? The talk, angers flaring, the staff of the restaurant and Conrad's treatment? The gift for the game? The office staff and Nicholas's birthday, Ilsa and her dinner for him?
7. Nicholas at work, the board meetings, the clients? Sam and the legal advice? His visit to his father's friend, threatening him about the company? His inability to open his case? His harshness, wanting to dismiss him? The case and the new lease of life for his father's friend?
8. The accident of being in the building with the company? His decision to go for the interview - the actor and his genial style and persuasiveness for Nicholas to undergo the tests? The tests, questionnaires, interviews, the physical? Nicholas's curiosity? Further motivation? The message of rejection and his reaction?
9. His gradual involvement in the game? At home, the clown and his taking it inside? The television and the surveillance, the television interviewer speaking directly to him? The camera in the eye of the clown? At the airport, the men talking about the game and his having a drink with them? The various messages at the airport? His inability to open his briefcase? The variety of keys and what they could open? The elements of the puzzle? His going to the restaurant, Christine spilling things on him, his anger? The note to follow her? His discussions with her, the confrontation, the dangers and the violence, the elevator and their being trapped, his getting out of the elevator with her? His taking her to the office, after their jumping into the garbage? The cat-and-mouse chase? His getting the taxi for her to go home? The company and the laying of the clues, his having to remind himself that this was a game? The financial deals, his suspicions of people? In the taxi, talking, the taxi driver refusing to listen, driving him into San Francisco Bay, trying to get out of the car, remembering the tool and getting out, surviving? The police investigation? The company moving and his not being able to find it? His own ingenuity yet a sense of being persecuted? The chance meeting with Conrad, the confrontation, his accusing him of being on drugs again?
10. The decision to seek out Christine, getting the information, going to the apartment, listening to her story, seeing that he was being watched, the empty fridge and his suspicion? The guns, on the run, the escape? Going to the holiday house? The revelation of the loss of all his money, her explaining the company and their techniques of getting information, transferring $600,000,000, the phone call to Sam? His growing suspicions? His being drugged - waking up in the Mexican cemetery, derelict, hungry, his having to cope? Going to the embassy, their lack of co-operation, selling his watch, getting the lift back to the United States, going to the diner and offering the small amount of money for a lift? His being down on his luck, seeing how the other half lived, trying to survive - and his ability to survive?
11. The return to the house, its being emptied (and the previous difficulty of the house being completely covered in graffiti)? His getting the gun, the money? Going to Elizabeth and apologising to her? Seeing the advertisement with the actor, ringing the agencies, finding him at the zoo with his children? The gun, going to the company? Finding the cafeteria filled with all the people from the game encounters? Taking Christine to the roof? Her trying to explain things, saying that Conrad was behind the door with the birthday cake? His shooting through the door, opening it, Conrad dead? His desperation, wondering whether he was like his father, jumping from the roof of the building to kill himself?
12. The irony of his not dying? The invitation to the party, the end of the game? Everybody present, whether they knew about the game or not? All the participants from the company? The completion of the game and all the participants, especially the actor and Christine, talking to him? The review of his life?
13. The portrait of Christine, the waitress, the escape, her offhand manner, the shower, his seeking her out, her pretence, her stories about the company, giving information about the loss of the money, drugging him, in the cafeteria, on the roof, her confession? The finale and her going to the airport on the next job?
14. Sam, his advice? Suspected of being within the game?
15. Ilsa, at home, memories of the family, the constant support for him?
16. Conrad, the bonds of the past, the differences, drugs? The gift of the game, his reappearances - especially his being shot? The finale and the bond between the two brothers?
17. The audience sharing the game, its details, suspense, dangers, uncertainty? Sharing the effect on Nicholas?
18. The ending, Nicholas's calm, the people at the birthday party, relating to all of them? Christine and her going to the airport - the possibility of his going or not? The game as a purgation and catharsis and handling of his life crises?
