Russell’s talents ideally suited in ‘States’

Press, 2 November 1981, Page 11

Russell’s talents ideally suited in ‘States’

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hans petrovic

ALTERED STATES Directed by Ken Russell Screenplay by Sidney Aaron (a.k.a. Paddy Chayefsky) For an interesting evening’s trip, join Ken Russell on a spectacular journey to the inner, unknown recesses of the mind in “Altered States” (Avon). After his earlier forays into the psychedelic (“Tommy”) and the spectacularly silly, kinky and sick lives of composers, Russell, of course, proves to be the ideal choice as the tour guide on this venture. Loosely based oh the work on sensory deprivation and tank therapy by the behavioural scientist, Dr John Lilly, we are presented with the fictitious Eddie Jessup (William Hurt), a medical school professor who uses the same tank system — floating a person in blood-warm, salt water, in total darkness and silence — but pushing the results to their utmost limits. Dr Lilly actually experimented with L.S.D. under these conditions and reported some strange and unsettling effects. However, Jessup goes one step further by discovering, somewhere in out-back Mexico, another psychedelic mushroom drug which also seems to cause “genetic regression.” This means that not only does the mind manage to regress through man’s stages ' of evolution, but the body appears to do the same. Can this really happen or is it all in the mind, and if a person regresses so far, will he ever be able to come back? With these dubious premises and problems, posed by that crazy commentator, Paddy Chayefsky, who can make the improbable seem possible (“Network"), Russell was given a field day

to put on one of his best light shows ever. (Movie trivia time: Russell succeeded Arthur Penn as director of the film but C hayesky also was not tod happy with Russell’s intensity and pace, and took his own name off as writer, replacing it with his actual given name, Sydney Aaron.) Russell obviously has done his homework on a Carl Jung primer on symbology, and presents a . sometimes staggering kaleidoscope of images ranging from the basic snakes and phalluses to the more esoteric religious arcana — and obviously had a lot of fun in presenting us with splendid visual effects reflecting the limitlessness of inner space and the mind. Russel] also has a good go at out-doing Kubrick’s Rubic in “2001: A Space Odyssey.” However, the mad scientists physical shell also seems to be going through some changes, reverting to the primeval scream, and reviving my happy memories or earlier Wolf Men and Messrs Hyde, with great iycanthropic transformation effects. The basic premise, for the story .is interesting but its projections are downright silly. So, it may be wise to remember that this is a science fantasy movie next time you have a quiet soak in a darkened bathroom. Casting such quibbles aside, this is definitely Ken Russell’s film and well worth watching, although it may be for your eyes only.