Cult Film Review – "Escape from New York" (1981)
Snake Plissken Steals into a Prison City Controlled by Criminals
Sep 1, 2008
Escape from New York is perhaps one of the most well-known and acclaimed science fiction action films in recent memory. Fansites across the internet still exist hallowing the name of renegade gunslinger and criminal Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) as the gravelly voiced antihero with a distinct look and deadly promise.
Dark, Shadowy, Lethal Atmosphere
John Carpenter has a lofty reputation for creating ambience and atmosphere – and this film is no exception. A techno-synth score crafted by Carpenter himself scores the film excellently, adding a cyberpunk edge to the pacing of the film, a dystopic future depicted by rotting, filthy buildings and faded facades, torn awnings, and garbage fires. Gangs roam the streets, anarchy is the rule of law, and the entire film takes place under the cover of night.
Call me Snake
Kurt Russell's portrayal of Snake Plissken is extremely memorable, spawning such interest among fans to create a limited series comic book run as well as a few high-quality action figures. With an eye patch, a voice/whisper lifted from the westerns of yesterday, and a tonne of leather and weaponry – Snake Plissken is a masculine, anti-establishment hero. Snake is violent but merciful, collected, driven, and simply “bad”. The success of this film after it's release prompted a sequal, Escape from L.A – which introduced a comedic edge as well as a more cynical incarnation of Plissken. Quick witted and even quicker with a gun, Snake Plissken is a centerpiece of the film and is cast and written wonderfully.
Quirky, Campy, and Memorable
Escape from New York is extremely unique, adding quirky but visceral scenes into the film such as a street-fighting deathmatch within a wrestling ring between Plissken and a hulking Russian grappler – and a closing car chase over a bridge loaded with hidden landmines. The supporting cast is also well-presented, filling their rather eccentric roles with vigour. Adrienne Barbeau, Ernest Borgnine, and the late Isaac Hayes all make appearances and do a spectacular job. There is a great deal of tongue in cheek satire included in the film as well, the President embodies a bumbling system, slightly fascistic in nature. Plissken shows complete disregard and resistance towards the system itself, both fulfilling his own objectives and humiliating the President and exposing corruption – a theme which is carried forward into the sequel.
Escape from New York is an unforgettable classic that is still interesting nearly three decades since it's release, and is one of John Carpenter's – and Kurt Russell's – best.
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