Altered States

[Foxbat]

Directed by Ken Russell

Starring William Hurt, Blair Brown, Bob Balaban, Charles Haid

Region 1 DVD

Made in 1980

William Hurt plays research scientist Eddie Jessup who believes that other states of consciousness can be as real as our normal reality. Both driven and haunted by the revelatory words from his father at the moment of his death, Jessup delves deeper and deeper into the unknown. Mixing sensory deprivation with a powerful hallucinogenic drug, he endures hours of isolation floating in a saline solution. Against the wishes of his wife (Blair Brown) and fellow research scientists, he continues to up the ante – convinced that he can take himself back to that one terrifying moment of consciousness at the beginning of Life. But, as his quest to find the ultimate truth moves ever deeper into the unknown, he begins to realise that he has released a force more powerful than even he could have imagined.

Ken Russell guides us through a cinematic experienced filled with pyrotechnic displays and horror as we follow Jessup's journey into the unknown. Cleverly shot and scripted, it has just the right amount of directorial restraint (which just stops it disappearing up its own rear end). The acting is fairly good throughout and sound and picture quality are acceptable.

It does have its faults however – there’s a lot of technobabble and philosophical musings from most of the main characters – and when things get too complicated for the viewer, Russell resorts to having the actors shout each other down with their own version of events. An untidy and yet necessary way to get out of the hole into which this movie sometimes slips. The effects are a tad dated but, in their day, weren’t bad at all.

A small anecdote: I remember seeing this at the Cinema when it first came out. I was the worse for wear after a night on the tiles and more than a little tired – but this movie kept me awake!

So, all in all, a very entertaining and yet highly flawed movie. Definitely worth a watch (more than once - and especially if you are interested in searching out that ‘inner self’). 7 out of 10

[littlemissattitude]

This was a good movie. I thought the casting was interesting. If you haven't read the book, I'd recommend it as well. It was written by Paddy Chayefsky, who also wrote the screenplay. Interestingly, he disowned the film. This was William Hurt's first film, and also the first film Drew Barrymore was in.

[Foxbat]

I actually haven't read the book but re-watching this has given me the impetus to go and track a copy down

[stellarexplorer]

I loved this movie, not as a work of art, but for two things: William Hurt was masterful as the relentless scientist in search of truth. (One memorable scene has him in a college bar with his professor friends, slightly inebriated, insisting something like, "There is a true self, a deep self, an ultimate self... AND I'M GONNA FIND THE F..KER!"

And secondly, the isolation tanks, the shamanistic hallucinogens (a lot taken out of the work of John Lilly) appealed to my fascination with these topics.

And the final scene, in which the naked Blair Brown embraces Hurt, and love is the only answer to the emptiness of the universe -- that hit a note that worked for me.

I should read the book though.

[steve12553]

I saw it when it first came out and thoroughly enjoyed it. Having seen parts of it again recently, some of the facination was gone. I may have to rewatch the whole thing over again to get a fair gauge on it.

[judge_mel]

I consider this as one of the best science fiction films ever made. It is practically alone amongst SF in which brilliant scientists engage in the kind of dialog that they *would* speak, and it is perfectly understandable.

I rank Charles Heard's endocrinologist rant to be one of my favorite scenes in movie history.

This is a film that needs to be seen on the big screen. When I picked up the DVD and watched it on a TV, I enjoyed it, but it didn't have much of an effect. After watching it later on my new 65" screen, I felt like *I'd* taken drugs.

Definite must see!

[stellarexplorer]

Maybe a 65" screen is the safe way to ecstasy.

[j. d. worthington]

I had the good fortune to see this on the big screen when it first came out. Oh, yes, this one should definitely be seen on the big screen. Visually stunning, and I'll agree, Charles Haid's rant is superb! Flawed, but a very, very interesting film....