“Escape from New York” The blandness of John Carpenter, who created the science fiction action masterpiece

Plain protagonist and plain action

Snake infiltrates New York, which has been turned into a prison, and wanders around the city in order to rescue the president, but his behavior and actions are a little bland and unsatisfactory for an action movie. If you watch carefully, you will notice that Snake in the movie is basically running away, and in the end he is easily captured by the enemy, and he is not the one who defeats the final boss (a wire mesh death match with a big man and a nail bat). The biggest action is to fight with

However, ``Escape from New York'' is so interesting that such things don't bother me at all. In fact, Carpenter's works, not just this one, are always bland and understated. Carpenter's philosophy is to suppress excessive production and focus on delivering the essence of the story to the audience in the shortest possible way. It is precisely because of his ``plain production'' that his films continue to attract people.

"Escape from New York" © 1981 STUDIOCANAL SAS - All Rights Reserved.

Modern moviegoers have become accustomed to flashy explosions, camera work, gimmicks, and heart-pounding music. However, isn't the true form of film, as Carpenter points out, one whose primary purpose is to tell the story smoothly and accurately? That's why Carpenter has continued to make films in accordance with his own values, regardless of the trends of the world, the wishes of film companies, or even the audience.

``I'm someone who obediently does whatever I'm asked to do. I'm willing to change the scene, even cut a scene. But when I'm ordered, I don't even use a lever. I can't stand being forced.''*

His attitude is exactly like that of the snake in the movie, who refuses to bow to any authority.

It's not uncommon for the author's way of life to possess the protagonist, but Snake Plissken must have been able to become such a fascinating character precisely because he was infused with the rebellious spirit of film director John Carpenter. ``Escape from New York'' could have been a masterpiece because of the encounter between Carpenter's film philosophy and the protagonist who embodies that philosophy.

*: Comments in the text are quoted from "The Director's John Carpenter" (distributor: Tohokushinsha)

Text: Tetsuya Inagaki

TV director. My personal goal is to realize a documentary project that depicts the obsessions of manga and movie creators. Programs he has directed in the past include ``The Godfather : The Man Who Revolutionized Manga'' (WOWOW), ``Takeshi's Birth: Master and Asakusa'' (NHK), ``Master and Disciple Story: The Encounter That Changed My Life'' [Masahiro Tanaka x Katsuya Nomura ] (NHK BS Premium).

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“John Carpenter Retrospective 2022”

1/7 (Friday) - 1/27 (Thursday) Human Trust Cinema Yurakucho, Shinjuku Musashinokan, Uplink Kichijoji and other locations nationwide

© 1981 STUDIOCANAL SAS - All Rights Reserved.