Review Summary and Plot Commentary about A Scanner Darly
Based on a novel writtern by Philip K. Dick, A Scanner Darkly talks about Bob Arctor, whose part of a group of drug-users, and Fred, an undercover cop who has to spy on them. Arctor and Fred are the same person who, as police officer, must keep his true identity secert. This is to avoid scandal and corruptions of any form. Arctor becomes addicted to a new drug, Subtance D, or Death as it's called. After getting the drug, Arctor has to go to a clinc when he starts having trouble separting his job as a police officer and a drug user.
During his stay at a rehabilitation clinc known as 'New Path', Arctor suffered a serious withdrawn from Substance D, which resulted in having his two hemispheres in his brain to fight for control. Arctor, also, tries to understand more about what's around, this leads him to finds the source of Substance D. Arctor is left with the question on how to deal with source of the drug and about his future.
The film is different from the novel is many ways, but both of them deal with the same theme, the war on drugs. While the novel is set in the 1990s, the moive is set later on in the 21st century. The novel also contain a lot of hippie slang when it come to print; the movie didn't have this anywhere in the movie. The form of animation the film was done in is called 'Rotoscoping', which almost make the movie seems lifelike. Both the film and novel are still among best work of the late Philip K. Dick.
--Margaret, Resident Scholar
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Analysis of A Scanner Darly
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie Actual chase scenes or violence - 20% Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzle - 40% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
**Fantasy or Science Fiction?**
- science fiction story
Spying - Investigations
Yes
Inner Struggle
Yes
Plotlet:
- fighting a personal illness/handicap
If a cartoon...
- animated cartoon
If the enemy is a group...
- drug dealers
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Age:
- 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- brunette (Black)
Hair type
- (man) short/medium straight
Body type
- average (man)
Events of movie makes character more...
- introspective
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Hair style
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn wavy
Body type
- average (female)
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- general circumstances
Setting
Earth setting:
- near future (later in 21st century)
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Misc settings
- prison
- mental hospital
- bar/restaurant
- lab
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Any profanity?
- Occasional swearing
Is this movie based on a
- book
