Enemy Mine

Dir: Wolfgang Petersen/USA/1985/108 mins/Dolby stereo 

Lps: Dennis Quaid, Louis Gosset Jr, Bumper Robinson


It is the 21st century. Mankind is travelling and colonising space, and has come into contact, and predictably conflict, with an alien life-form, the hermaphrodite reptiles from the planet Dracon. As a consequence of an aerial battle over Fyrine IV, a human and a Drac find themselves marooned on this wild and inhospitable planet. Traditionally enemies, they realise that their only hope of survival is to overcome their inbred hostility and help each other.

The original concept of filming on a natural earthly barren waste was abandoned because of production difficulties, and transferred to a German studio under Wolfgang Petersen, who made his name as director of The Neverending Story. His artistry becomes apparent right from the opening sequence, and the film is full of spectacular and extremely realistic special effects - none of the Star Trek cardboard cutouts here! All of this trickery does not swamp matters on a personal level however, and it is here where the film really scores. It clearly demonstrates man's persistent inhumanity towards others, contrasting starkly with the Drac's philosophy of life which is best illustrated when the Drac rescues the injured human, whose only intention is to kill his enemy. 

DSz

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