MURDER AT 1600

US, 1997, 107 minutes. Colour.
Wesley Snipes, Diane Lane, Daniel Benzali, Dennis Miller, Alan Alda, Ronny Cox, Diane Baker, Tate Donovan, Harris Yulin, Tom Wright, Nicholas Pryor.
Directed by Dwight H. Little.

1600 is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC, the White House.

This is a whodunit, a murder mystery of an intern in the White House. However, the local police and detectives become involved, discover a cover-up with suppression of evidence. The head investigator, played well by Wesley Snipes, is able to persuade a Secret Service agent, played by Diane Lane, to help him uncover what has happened. He encounters Daniel Benzali as Spikings, the man in charge of security – and who seems to be the villain, but is not. Alan Alda plays the hawkish adviser to the president (Ronny Cox) and emerges as so right-wing, full of conspiracy theories and willingness to start World War Three, that the ending defies some kind of credibility. (However, the film was made before the presidency of George W. Bush.)

Quite a number of character actors portray people in the Secret Service, in the White House, in the investigating police.

The film was directed by Dwight H. Little, a director of popular entertainments as varies as Free Willy to Rapid Fire and Steven Seagal’s Marked for Death.

1. Audience interest in this kind of murder mystery? The political background? The Secret Service? Defence advice to the president? A film of the 1990s – made during the Clinton Years?

2. The Washington DC settings, the White House itself and the interiors, the tunnels under the White House? Police precincts? The city streets? The countryside? The musical score?

3. The plausibility of the plot, the murder, the conspiracies, the stances of the hawks, the advice given to the president? The finale and its violence? Unmasking the villains?

4. The introduction to the Washington police, Detective Regis, Wesley Snipes’ style, the case, the man threatening with the gun, Regis’s intervention, bold, talking the man down? The introduction to Regis, in himself, his work with his partner, the attitude of the authorities and their criticism of him?

5. The murder of the intern? Kyle Neil and the accusations? The surveillance cameras? The evidence? The personality of Neil, the time factor? The role of the Secret Service? Kyle as the president’s son? His seeming immunity?

6. Regis and his work, the interviews, the interrogations, his authority? The encounters with Spikings, Spikings’ role in the Secret Service, long years, dedication to his job? His sinister look? The contrast with Jordan, his cooperation? Alan Alda and his genial presence?

7. The picture of the White House, security and surveillance, the lies, the facts, the evidence? The motivations for the different actions of the range of people?

8. Nina, her work, her skills, the Olympics, sharp-shooting? Her role as an agent? The encounters with Regis, the clash? The searching for documentation, for the evidence? Her growing suspicions? The alleged cooperation of Spikings? The dangers, eluding pursuit?

9. Spikings and his role, his speech, his helping Regis, the house, the shooting? Nina and the escape?

10. The president, considered a weak character, his second term? The crisis in North Korea? The general and his advice, hawkish? The range of advisers? The cabinet meetings, the discussions? Jordan and his influence?

11. Regis and his infiltrating the White House, his skills, the secret tunnels, his disguise, the suspense? His being caught, his plea to the president?

12. Jordan and the president, their long friendship, Jordan and his advice? His turning against the president, the tapes? The truth about the setting up of Kyle? Provoking the president? Blackmailing him, framing Kyle? Demanding the president’s resignation? His being able to take over?

13. The final setup, Regis and the truth, the president’s reaction, his strong stance? The turning against Jordan, the solution with violence and death?

14. The American theme of government, conspiracies, hawks and doves? Ruthlessness and suppression of evidence, cover-ups? Yet the American individual triumphing against the establishment?