Split (1989)

Masterful Movie

The movie is wildly uneven but lively and timely - in its own surreal way

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Sleek, fired up and mad as cheese, Split is exactly the sort of science fiction that I can really dig. A paranoid streak of a film, its hero is a rambling paranoid derelict by the name of Starker pursued by sinister forces as he careens through a run down cityscape of sad, buttoned up and lonely people, it basks in low budget grit, arch dialogue and offbeat humour. Some scenes blaze with energy, some are low key, all are propelled by actors acting as hard as they can. The writing and acting is reminiscent of films like Liquid Sky albeit not as crazy, naturalism is avoided in favour of manic expressions and a kind of forced but honest speechifying, it works well here where otherwise it might be noting more than a mark of ineptitude because in this film every character is moving, thinking, living as fast as they can, even extras delivering scant lines have a barely contained force to them and its a joy to behold. Timothy Dwight is a hoot as Starker, convincingly unhinged and compelling, while as a waitress drawn into his lunacy Joan Bechtel is rather fine, a sympathetic figure cowed by fear and doubt but basically decent, repelled by Starker's madness but not against helping him when push comes to shove. Amusement is provided for a spell by John Flynn as a goofball artist who becomes privy to Starker's scheme (and confronts a rather ace bit of throwaway weirdness), while the main villain is played by the films writer/director/visuals designer Chris Shaw. He doesn't come off quite as well as the aforementioned stars, bringing a performance of more straightforward over the top villainy, but he still capably entertains in the role. His direction is raw and speedy, perfectly suited to the material, while the writing works well, often amusing and insightful too as it skewers variously soulless modern living, individuality, artistic pretension and the surveillance society. Effects work in the film is primitive, a fair amount of basic computer generated imagery is used, visualisations of surveillance technology and some mathematical stuff, fractals and the like, with one rather fun practical set up for the villains lair. I can't really recommend this one to most, as its bound to be offputting and even for folk like me it has some flaws, at times the editing is overcooked and though sly and a lot of fun it never reaches the heights of twisted profundity or just plain bracing madness that lurk in its potential. But for folk who irresistibly groove to this sort of no budget weirdness its well worth looking up. 8/10 from me.

I went to this film having no idea what to expect. I actually took a date to it in the theaters when it first came out. We both thoroughly enjoyed it and it helped to have someone to discuss it with after seeing it.I only recommend seeing this film if you appreciate non-mainstream movies. It's not as disjointed as Liquid Sky or as fanciful as Forbidden Zone. The original plot is very easy to follow. There's A LOT of subtle humor.Here's a quick summary of the plot if you are completely lost: A big-brother type government keeps tabs on everyone in society. Suddenly a new person appears and there's no data on him (he appears insane). He may or may not be the second-coming of Christ. The over-cautious government goes into a frenzy to find him and discover his true motives. The ruler is also obsessed with immortality.Some scenes are frantic while others are completely low-key. We follow the lead character as he encounters all different kinds of people in society.I didn't need my consciousness altered to enjoy the film, but I know that some of my friends felt that helped.Split was also filmed around Santa Cruz and San Francisco.

When I first started watching this movie I thought it was a student film. It certainly has a raw quality to it in the camera work, the filmstock, and the acting/directing. But as I continued to watch I was intrigued by the story. Its basically The Matrix idea done on a students budget. But don't dismiss it! The computer work in the movie is particularly inventive. Keeping in mind that this movie was shot in 1988/89, the use of computers is intelligent yet trippy. The acting takes some getting used to. It's not slick and natural. It's more forced, but it ends up adding to the plot of the film. I have to say that the ideas used in this film are quite clever and would recommend a viewing to anyone intertested in 1984-esque themes.

In a very-near-future world, a corrupt government monitors everyone constantly with computers and surveillance. One man has managed to evade assimilation, and operates outside the system, fighting to preserve his freedom. An engaging and imaginative story and some very interesting editing and camera work. There are some confusing and slow parts, but all in all, an excellent example of what a small crew with brains and talent can do on a shoestring budget.