The Thing (1982)
Director: John Carpenter
Starring: Kurt Russell, Keith David, A. Wilford Brimley, T. K. Carter
Primary genre: Science fiction
Secondary genre: Horror
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John Carpenter’s “The Thing” (1982) is by far the director’s most complete output cinematic wise. At his creative peak and backed by a string of critically and commercial successes (“Assault on Precinct 13” (1976), “Halloween” (1978), “The Fog” (1980), “Escape from New York” (1981)), he attached himself to the re-adaptation of John W. Campbell Jr’s 1938 novella “Who Goes There?”. Its initial reception was mind-boggling receiving scathing reviews (e.g., “cold and sterile”, “bereft, despairing and nihilistic“) and an abysmal box office (really!).
However, things were different in the 80s. Hollywood flicks oozed unnecessary optimism; the moral hero had to triumph over villains of any caliber unaffected of tragic (or peculiar) circumstances much to the pleasure of an audience who sought out basic entertainment (hence the prevalence of mindless slashers, lame high school sex comedies and feel good dramas). The same year “Poltergeist’ was released and while relying heavily on appropriately dark visuals, it ended in a predetermined high note that undermined everything that came before.
“The Thing” on the other hand capitalizes on its isolated setting and small cast scenario, directly inspired by the writings of Lovecraft, to play on the most desolate sentiments of human nature: despair, paranoia, mistrust and fear. A sense of nihilism indeed is looming over a group of seasoned scientists in the frozen landscape of Antarctica and their “survival” journey so to speak which might be not the most ideal story trope to witness, particularly if it is supported by exceptionably macabre effects (more on these later). Yet the script does not depend on the film’s technical finesse and opts instead to make a serious case of endurance in the most extreme of scenarios: that of an alien which could be hiding inside (!) your best friend or impersonating them. Casting actors who do not overwhelm the picture with star power contributes to maintain a consistent, serious and wholly believable tone for a few “holy s**t“ moments. Russel’s underlying charisma and the ensemble’s mental vulnerability lends the plot much needed working class shades as opposed to overblown heroic efforts that have no connection to reality.
Despite the phenomenally disgusting transformations courtesy of effect wizard Rob Bottin (who worked overtime), the script nonetheless characterizes the alien if you pay close attention to. Does it want to infect everyone and ultimately take over the world or is it a frightened creature that wants to survive and return to where it came from? These are multi-layered questions requiring their own fair share of repeated viewings to interpret the horrifying sequences of reveal causing simultaneously the death and fiery carnage of the unfortunate scientists. In parallel, cine-afficionados might want to examine the identify of the “Thing” enquiring about when did the assimilation happened and how. Each time-eclipsed scene bears its own ambiguous meaning and thus guaranteeing discussion among genre enthusiasts and (why not?) film scholars on how to craft an intellectually engaging (let’s call it) whodunit tale with a spin.
Carpenter makes fantastic use of his snow covered research facility with believable production design (the set had minus temperatures), his direction favoring strongly otherworldly atmosphere to a great extent in the most basic human made objects and surroundings; a short trip to the origins of the not so friendly ET capitalizes on this sentiment making your skin crawl under Ennio Morricone’s (and obviously Carpenter inspired) score. The Italian symphonic maestro uses low bass synths to create an unsettling aura of despair accompanied by the simple sound of subtle string orchestration that dresses the environment with a more desolate feeling than its visual representation. “The Thing” really is the closest film we get to a cinematic adaptation of Lovecraft’s 1931 tale “At the Mountains of Madness”.
Despite favoring gruesome and grisly effects, “The Thing” does not look it has aged a day. Rob Botin’s work, easily a landmark on innovative special effect design and animatronics, demonstrates scarcely used and ingenuine metamorphoses that remain highly effective 43 years (e.g., blood test scene!!) later while Dean Cundey’s black and almost white cinematography dresses the locations bleak and inhospitable. A now all time great film after significant re-evaluation and a beacon in science fiction horror (a genre in which relevant outputs can look goofy and parodical even at the time of their release), “The Thing” is a masterclass in setting up an engrossing and suspenseful story with unmatched atmosphere.
A masterful Lovecraftian tale of paranoia
+Fantastic atmosphere
+Who-dunnit-it with several twists
+Spectacular and grotesque make up effects
+Kurt Russell!
+Slow, methodological and multi-layered
+Ennio’s doom ridden score