Total Recall: Witty Yet Unremarkable by Team 4

Total Recall: Witty Yet Unremarkable

Team 4 Final Blog: Megan Bajohr, George Fam, Fiona Murray & Alexandre Turmaine.

Knowing the Inner Self

Dr. Kelly McKinney

April 30,2019

Total Recall was released in 1990 and was directed by Paul Verhoeven. The screenplay was written by Ronald Shusett, by Dan O’Bannon, and by Gary Goldman. Its lead actors are Arnold Schwarzenegger as Quaid, Rachel Ticotin as Melina, Sharon Stone as Lori, Michael Ironside as Richter and Ronny Cox as Cohaagen. This movie is 113 minutes long. (Verhoeven “Total Recall”).

Trailer:

(“Total Recall (1990) Trailer [HD] - Arnold Schwarzenegger.”)

Film Review:

What is reality? How can we ever be sure that Quaid's world is as it appears to be? Who is actually telling the truth? The movie plays with all the possibilities and always keeps us guessing; neither Quaid nor the viewer can be quite sure. A specific moment where Quaid's reality becomes questionable is when a convincing doctor from Rekall enters Quaid's mind explaining to him that Quaid is stuck in a “dream state” and that by taking a pill Quaid will be able to return to reality. This brings up the ethical question of is it better to know the truth, or live a life of illusions? If the doctor was telling the truth, which we are never fully sure of, should Quaid take the pill? On Earth, it was apparent that Quaid dreamed of this life on Mars, and that he was fascinated in being a secret agent. Now that he is living that life (even if it is a false memory), why would he want to go back? Is it ethically wrong to have false memories implanted? Quaid's refusal in taking the pill just goes to show, even if he wasn’t sure if the doctor was telling the truth, that sometimes a false reality is more appealing than.

As the plot unfolds, we get a better understanding on the terrible living conditions on Mars. Cohaagen, the main antagonist of the movie, has control over Mars’ air supply, and its population. He doesn’t want the give access to an unlimited source of air on Mars because it will cause him to lose complete control over Mars. In doing so, he is causing the habitants to suffer which shows how cruel man can be to man. Another conflict is between machine and man. This conflict shows us the theme that man can’t rely on technology. An example would be when Quaid simply wraps a wet towel over his head to disrupt the connection of his tracking device. This shows how we can’t always depend on technology, just as man cannot depend on man. Along with the themes, many filming techniques were used to add layers to the film.

An important technique used in the film is the choice of lighting. Cohaagen is in his office as he gives Richter, one of the antagonists bent on killing Quaid, the order to kill Quaid (Verhoeven "Total Recall" 91:00). Lowkey lighting is used to light the room and the entire city behind him, visible through the window. The shadows are more pronounced and the light has a red tint. This makes for a sinister and dark mood which makes us understand that we are in the scene is happening in the movie villain's headquarter. The fact that the city has the same lighting means that it is under his reign. The city is shown with (Verhoeven "Total Recall" 54:00) the same kind of lighting(low-key), with red and dark tones which gives the impression of a rundown, Martian city with an appalling quality of life. The red tones are also used to show that they are on Mars, the red planet.


Framing was also an important technique used in the film. An example of framing was at the end of the film, when Quaid and Melina successfully give access to free breathable air to the entire population. A long-shot was also used in framing the vast valley with both protagonists in the mid-ground overlooking the landscape. It is used to show the magnitude of their accomplishment to free the people of the tyranny under which they were living. They succeeded and the long-shot is there to let us sink it in. Another example is seen when Cohaagen kicks over his aquarium with his fish, which breaks on impact leaving the fish on the floor without water to keep them alive (Verhoeven "Total Recall" 92:00). A close-up shot is used to show the struggling fish on the floor descending into a slow painful death. That shot is to put emphasis on the cruelty of the main antagonist who is controlling the air supply of the population. Definitely a sociopath. At this moment, the fish are used to represent the population of Mars, as Cohaagen has the ability to control their air supply.


Costume choice was also an important feature used in the film. At “The Last Resort”, all the girls have very colorful and minimal clothing. It makes them look approachable, amicable, sexy and gives us good insight on what they do for a living. Quaid arrives in the poor part of town where he is asked by a young mutant if he wants to know his future (54:00). The girl is dressed in this clothing that looks like the rags a poor person would wear in medieval times. The costume choice is thus comparing the mutants' living conditions to that of medieval poor people to show the severity of this situation in the context of the technological advancement of planetary travel and colonization.


The use of props were also an important feature in the film. Quaid receives a suitcase in which many futuristic gadgets are provided for him such as a holographic watch that allows him to multiply into many decoys of himself. It gives a good indication that the movie is taking place in the future, as well as the type of life he is leading. Only someone like a secret agent might have access to this kind of technology. Another prop used in the film was the wet towel Quaid used to disrupt the signal from his tracker. The wet towel was used to show how easy it is to overcome technology. Something so simple was able to disrupt something so complex which shows the viewer that we can’t rely on technology; it was also used as comic relief having Quaid run around with a towel on his head!

. Another important feature was the choice of sets. Quaid’s home on Earth. We see Quaid’s home and he is watching the new on what appears to be a large display embedded in his wall (06:00). When Lori changes the channel to a scenic view of the forest and a lake, the display is now taking up three times the size of the initial one, showing us that the entire wall is made of those screens. We can only imagine that kind of tech to be present in a futuristic world. It's a very graphic and evident way of showing it to us. At the end of the film, when Quaid gets free oxygen to everyone, and the sky turns blue over the valley, all the colors are more vibrant and saturated. The entire scene looks peaceful and happy. This scene clearly shows that all the problems were fixed in contrast with the previous red color of the scenery when Cohaagen was still in power. It is a perfect way to finish the story with an “ All is well that end well” vibe.

Word count: 1178 words

Strengths & Weaknesses:

        When talking about the quality of Total Recall directed by Paul Verhoeven, we must take into consideration the year in which the film was released. Total Recall was made in 1990 when technology was not as advanced as it is now. This is noticeable in movies from the 90’s compared to newer films, but these outdated special effects somewhat add to the charm of this movie. It is filled with juicy exaggerations, cheesy lines and intense action scenes to create a memorable sci-fi/action film. Depending on the viewers tastes and expectations, this film can be perceived as humorous. Though cheesy at times, there’s no denying the films captivating charm that keeps the viewers entertained throughout. In the end, all that can be said about Total Recall is that it is witty yet unremarkable.

Rating: 3/5:⭐⭐⭐⚝⚝

Connections to KTIS:

“Personhood [is defined] as the status of being a person[,] a legal or social category that [varies] across cultures and across history”(McKinney 2). Personhood is an emphasized concept in in Total Recall. The “mutants” who became mutants due to the exploitation from mining have slim to no rights on Mars. Their deformed faces have them living in Venus Hill where they barely have access to air. The humans have zero problem taking that away from them. The humans seem to believe that the mutants have no sentience and are not equal with humans. This is a concept which is acknowledged in our course.

This is how Uncanny valley is described in National Geographic: “Up to a point, we respond positively to robots with a human appearance and motion, but when they get too close to lifelike without attaining it, what was endearing becomes repellent, fast.” (Carroll 46). In the movie, the robotic taxi driver, Johnny Cab, brings forward an unsettling feeling as his human like appearance is not very convincing, behavior and level of intelligence are not similar to that of a human’s. No matter how much, one tries to suppress those feelings and emotions, there comes a point where they must be portrayed even if it’s a violent or uncivilized way.

For example, when Rekall discovers Quaid’s true identity and send him back in a cab without his memories, he asks Johnny Cab “What am I doing here? How did I get in this taxi”. Johnny answers the questions as a superficially intelligent being would, it answered it literally without trying to exam the questions’ deeper meaning and its purpose to Quaid(Verhoeven “Total Recall” 21:20). Quaid’s true feelings for this superficially lifelike being are revealed when he rips it off the driver’s seat to run away from agents pursuing him since Johnny Cab could not comprehend that Quaid wanted him to “just drive” and kept asking for directions(37:50)

Epistemology: What is real? You never know from the start to finish of the movie who is telling the truth; whether Quaid is actually a secret agent, or in fact the Rekall procedure malfunctioned.  Even at the end, when Quaid and Melina are together, they question their life to be a dream. How do we know if any memory is real if there is the possibility to manipulate our minds? For all we know, Quaid could be a secret agent, but on the other hand, how do we not know he isn’t completely brainwashed? As Descartes “[began] his quest for knowledge” he quickly fell into skepticism. “He sees that a great many things he thought he knew appear now to be false” (23).

Questions for Audience:

1. Can false implanted memories substitute for actual memories?
2. Should Quaid have taken the pill from Dr Edgemar?
3. How do we know if any memory is real if there is the possibility to manipulate our minds?

Themes & Content of Total Recall:

• Total Recall (1990): What really happened

• This Reddit post analyzes the movie in order to uncover "what really happened". It is relevant in this case because of the mysterious and almost deceptive nature of the movie  since the writers left room for interpretation on what actually happened. Did Quaid ever visit Mars or was it all just the making of his lucid dream he paid for at Rekall? As Queen sang in Bohemian Rhapsody, "Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?"(Queen) This site provides and discusses evidence from the movie to help us figure it out.  
• Memory Implants
• This is an article on the implant of long-term memory. This is relevant because the whole premise of the movie is based on memories that may or may not be real. In this article, neuroscientist Theodore Berger explains how more than 20 years of dedication to the matter has brought him to design silicon chips able to mimic real memories. However, we are still a long way from Recall!   

Works Cited

Carroll, Chris. "Us. And them." Knowing the Inner Self, edited by Kelly McKinney, John Abbott  College, pp. 45-48. Originally published in National Geographic, 2011.

Chapter 6 of Philosophy: The Quest for Understanding "Philosophy and You' Knowing the Inner Self, edited by Kelly McKinney, John Abbott College, pp. 19-24.

Golden, John. "Introducing Cinematic and Theatrical Elements in Film" Knowing the Inner Self, edited by Kelly McKinney, John Abbott College, pp. 9-17. Originally published in TeachWithMovies.com

McKinney, Kelly. “Study Guide on Consciousness”. 345-101-MQ: Knowing the Inner Self, John Abbott College, (n.d.)

Queen. Bohemian Rhapsody, Roy Thomas Baker, 1975, www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9rUzIMcZQ.

“Total Recall (1990) Trailer [HD] - Arnold Schwarzenegger.” YouTube, uploaded by Titan Sea, YouTube, 12 Nov. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DwNb-ZGVjE

Verhoeven, Paul, director. Total Recall. Performance by Arnold Schwarzenegger, TriStar Pictures, 1990.