Dr. Robert Verne, an inner-city physician and humanitarian, has dedicated his life to helping others. He is approached by the EPA to mediate a dispute between Native American tribes and a corporate paper mill in an isolated stretch of Maine. Accompanied by his wife Maggie, who is pregnant unbeknownst to him, they journey deep into the woods where they meet with both a representative of the mill, Mr. Isley, and John Hawks, the leader of the native american tribe. While in the midst of his negotiations, Robert discovers that the paper mill is poisoning the local water supply with mercury, causing illness and mutations. John Frankenheimer's Prophecy is a relic of the time period, a half-creature feature, half social commentary which works far better as the former than the later. This is a very strange, very uneven film, with over half of its running time being completely drenched in important social issues, beating the viewer over the head with its message about evil money hungry corporations and the importance of being a good humanitarian. It isn't until about the 70 minute mark that we are introduced to the creature-feature aspect of the film, a giant, mutated bear. Frankenheimer really does a good job with the horror aspect of the story, giving the film a great amount of tension and overall schlock. He uses juxtaposition to great effect, trying his best to make this film a relevant experience, with a few memorable aesthetic decisions, particularly the scene on the foggy lake towards the end of the film. Unfortunately, the film's biggest problem is that it takes itself far too seriously for far too long, spending too much energy on its message instead of simply supplying a self-aware, schlocky good time.
1 Comment
david fullam
8/9/2019 07:25:44 am
Mommy and daddy know you play with computers baby boy?
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June 2023
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