The 1980s were a great decade for new and great science fiction movies. There was a sense of unending potential for new technologies and devices that prompted a great turnout in stories and films being made. This was an era of filmmaking that brought many cherished classics and helped develop the special effects that we have today.
In 1987, director Paul Michael Glaser brought us the big screen adaptation of Stephen King's The Running Man. The film takes place in a dystopian 2019, where America is a totalitarian state, due to a massive economic collapse and food shortages. In the country's favorite television program, prisoners are placed in a gladiatorial race for their freedom, in which they must avoid mercenaries plotting brutal deaths. Ben Richards, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, was a police helicopter pilot, until he is framed for an airborne missile strike that massacred innocent civilians. The charismatic host of the game show, played by Richard Dawson, coerces Richards to run the race in exchange for a full pardon. While Richards runs for his freedom, Amber Mendez, played by Maria Conchita Alonso, realizes that the media isn't telling the whole story about Richards, and investigates, while avoiding any unwanted attention.
Good Script Adaptation
The novel the film is based on was released in 1982 under Stephen King's pseudonym Richard Bachman. It was later added to The Bachman Books collection with other works, penned under the same name. The story follows the same character; however, rather than the contestant being chased down by mercenaries, they are chased down by the public. The population of viewers is offered rewards for giving any information on the contestants whereabouts.
While there are significant differences between the novel and the film, they are understandable changes. Changing the 30-day survival time to a specified distance race fits a film's pace and run time. The viewer's participation in the game is also condensed in the film. While this does affect the story's aesthetic and feel, the film was able to put an extreme emphasis on the influence of the majority. While there were many drafts of the script, the end product was a great, and a well put together story that still paid homage to the original novel.
Great Talent
Everyone in the film did a good job, right down to the extras in the crowd. The cast's performances are one of the reasons the movie works so well. Arnold Schwarzenegger, at the time, had just starred in successful action movies like Conan the Barbarian and The Terminator. He was known for his strong, silent, and violent characters. Predator and The Running Man, both released in the same year, were good roles for Schwarzenegger to begin deviating from his typecast, with more depth and range.
Richard Dawson has a short list of acting jobs that were not playing himself, such as playing Corporal Peter Newkirk on Hogan's Heroes. He was mainly known for his comedic appearances on game shows and hosting Family Feud. This made him a perfect choice for playing Damon Killian, the manipulative television host. Even if critics were harsh in their judgment of the film, none could fault Dawson's performance. Critic Roger Ebert even said Dawson was born to play the role.
Great Effects for the Time
The style of the film was a prime example of the futuristic looks the '80s is known for. Lots of metallic textures, multicolored lights, and making the impossible seem possible in the distant 2019. The film put together very dark settings with colorful, moving lights and added smoke machines to bring to life a dystopian future that weighed heavily on the people it was home to. It also had to show the difference between the harsh reality of the average person in the midst of a severe economic collapse, and an ignorant world hidden behind the mass media's lies. All of this is garnished with the predictions of technological advances like streamlined telephones that still need a corded connection.
Before computer-generated graphics and good visual effects were common practices, practical effects had the capability of being either really good, or really cheesy. The effects mostly had to be practical and on-camera. Graphic prosthetics were popular for showing wounds and were great for exaggerated damage like eyes popping out. While it doesn't look completely realistic, the prosthetics were used in such a way that it blended into the futuristic visual style. Then, the electrically charged mercenary Dynamo, played by Erland van Lidth, had the post-added lightening effect. The effect looks cheesy by today's standard of CGI; however, it was a solid effort to look as realistic as possible for the time.
Cautionary Lesson
The film serves as a cautionary tale about what can happen to society during a chaotic and unstable time. Not only did it put societal changes under scrutiny, but then it brought to light how power and manipulation is key to controlling a mass population. In the beginning scenes, the film shows the damage done to the country by an extreme economic collapse and a rise in governmental control. The populace of large areas without enough food causes trouble for the one in power, and needs to be taken care of, so they open fire on the innocent. Then they manipulated the rest of the people to believe it was the work of one man to keep them under control. Not only is the media being used as a manipulation technique, but it is also used as a distraction to keep viewers placated and reinforce that anyone deemed unfavorable is worse than dirt.
This film was an example of what could happen during a time of mass censoring and how scared populations can be kept under control. While this theme is extremely dark, the film also shows a ray of hope. It shows what can happen when the masses see through the lies. While Richards and Mendez are champions in the fight, the government's control began to crumble once the people stood up and no longer stood divided against each other.
While The Running Man is a bloody and violent science fiction film, it is an underrated classic. The film took its liberties and deviated from the source material while still hinting at its literary roots. The effects, while not the best from a current perspective, were something to blend into the visual style and still felt realistic. With great cast performances in a key lesson meant for all, The Running Man is still one of the best sci-fi films of the '80s.