Robocop (d. Paul Verhoefen, 1987)
Science fiction film set in Detroit, in the near future.
Plot lines --
Murphy's disfigurement and transformation as Robocop.
Agenda of the evil capitalists to take over law enforcement - and crime - in old Detroit.
Larger environment of industrial decline, union busting, cynical consumerism, and media saturation.
The film was made during the Reagan years --
1980-1988
Military buildup, smart weapons, Star Wars.
Recovery of national pride after Vietnam.
Privatization of government services.
Union busting.
War on drugs and militarization of law enforcement.
Economic globalization and domestic industrial decline.
Misconduct in foreign affairs.
New mass technologies of the 1980s -- vhs recorder, microwave oven, cordless phone, personal computer, compact disc.
Reading film as a formal system --
Film content - characters, story, plot
Materials - scenes, settings, actions, props, costumes, music
Filmic techniques - lighting, camera position, camera angle, sound effects, editing
Genre conventions - setting, mood, format, style.
Film Clip -- #3, 13:57 to 14:48 sec.
We meet Murphy and his partner Lewis, on an old Detroit street.
Look for - urban background, natural light, familiar cross-cut editing between Murphy and Lewis.
Meanwhile, Murphy and Lewis chase the bad guys --
Murphy gets shot up and transformed into Robocop.
He gets sent back to the police station.
He goes out to fight street crime.
He fulfills his programming.
Film Clip -- #7, 39:58 to 41:31 sec
Mock local news footage of Robo's escapades stopping crime in old Detroit.
Look for - conventions of the local news, split screens, hand-held location footage, interviews, commercials.
- Larger themes of media hypocrisy and saturation, labor politics, privatization of policing.
Film Clip -- #8, 44:42 to 47:58 sec
Robo has a dream - a nightmare/flashback to Murphy's murder - and recalls his identity.
Look for - low angles on Robo, high angles on technicians, harsh lighting, Murphy's POV, camera movements
- Lots of technical equipment, peeling paint, dirty walls of the police station.
- Multiple iterations of identity, human emotion mediated by technology.
Meanwhile, as Murphy becomes human again --
He remembers his wife and son.
He uses a computer to find out his identity
And goes to his former home.
He finds his killers and gets all shot up.
He heads for OCP headquarters to get the evil capitalist.
Film Clip -- #15, 1:33:15 to 1:36:26 sec
Final scene of the movie, where things get set right.
Here a shot-up Robo smiles after dispatching the chief bad guy.
Other Robo Stills
