Posted: 08/01/2006

A Scanner Darkly

(2006)

by Tony Liccardello

A Scanner Darkly is a surreal trip into the mind of Philip K. Dick. Inspired by Dick’s own experience with drugs and the numerous deaths of his own friends, the book has been brought to the big screen in excellent fashion. Using the rotoscope technique, the filmed actors have been digitally transformed into a visually stunning water-colored palette of tripped out imagery. For those not familiar, rotoscoping is where animators trace an entire movie, frame by frame, giving it an animated silhouette-like feel. The result is an entrancing film filled with paranoia and fear.

The story is genuinely complex in narrative and theme. The story is set in the future, taking place seven years from now in Orange County, California. A new drug, Substance D, has nearly taken over drug addicts and enslaved much of the population. Armed police officers guard every corner. Screeners monitor every phone conversation and watch every satellite feed to battle the war on drugs. Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves) is an undercover narcotics officer who has become secretly addicted to Substance D. It is so addictive that after trying it once, you are hooked. Undercover officers (Scanners) of the future have special uniforms called “scramble suits.” They are bio-electric camouflage suits that hide the identity of the wearer by generating over a million possible faces, ears, eyes, hands, etc. The suit also provides alternate voices. It gives the wearer a different identity every second, which makes distinguishing someone impossible. His name to the undercover agency is Fred, and they assign him to spy on Bob Arctor—himself. His deep cover prevents the agency from knowing his true identity (since he is in a scramble suit), but they inform him through process of elimination, they will find out eventually who he is.

His insanely crazy friends, James Barris (Robert Downey Jr.), Ernie Luckman (Woody Harrelson), and Charles Freck (Rory Cochrane), are all addicts. Barris and Luckman both live with Arctor in a shitty house that has been transformed into a drug den. The story begins with Freck, in a severely uncomfortable scene where hundreds of tiny insects infest his apartment. He does everything from shower to spray himself down with bug killer, but to no avail they reappear. Only later we learn that his is a side effect of Substance D. Then there is Donna (Winona Ryder), a miserable junkie whose grip on reality seems to be slipping away ever so slowly. She been proclaimed as Arctor’s girlfriend, yet they are not intimate. The banter between Barris and Luckman is brilliantly written and hilarious. Barris is truly a unique character who should have been given more screen time. He’s a huge addict who enjoys scaring addicts worse off than himself.

As the story progresses, problems arise with Arctor, who seems to be seeing and experiencing things he shouldn’t be. Whenever Fred/Arctor sheds the scramble suit, he is monitored by the agency via satellite. After being assigned to spy in on his own house, depression sets in. He must knowingly be recorded in order to throw the agency off about his own identity. The resulting climax is gripping and unpredictable, with an ending that will resonate with you long after you leave the theater.

The acting performances were outstanding all around. Yes, that does include Keanu Reeves, who gives his best one to date. Robert Downey, Jr., is incredible as James Barris, and if the Academy has any balls, it will give him a nomination. Woody Harrelson is superb in this, with great comedic timing, an absolutely hilarious character. Rory Cochrane is also phenomenal, with an eye-catching opening scene that will leave most viewers very uncomfortable, especially if they have ever taken any type of hallucinating drug. Not sure where Winona Ryder went, but she is back and does a great job. And I could go on forever about the visuals of the film. You almost need to see this twice to let everything soak in. From the bizarre design of the scramble suits, to the visions the characters have, the animation really gives this film a key sense of visual depth that really wouldn’t be there without the rotoscoping. I can’t imagine this being a live-action film. My only question is, can this film be nominated for best animated flick come Oscar time, because it is hands down the best animated movie of the year.

A great aspect of this story is that it promotes discussion. Although it is not totally open-ended, where it could invoke endless interpretations, it is possible for people to decipher this in numerous ways. It is a harrowing story about drug addiction that should leave its mark on every viewer that watches. However, if you don’t like dialogue-driven films that challenge the brain, there is always The Ant Bully.

Grade: 4.5 stars out of 5

Tony Liccardello is a film critic living in the Midwest.

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