Themes: Fighting the System, Out For Revenge, Death of a Child
Main Cast: George C. Scott, Richard Basehart, Martin Sheen, Barnard Hughes, Nicolas Beauvy
Release Year: 1972
Country: US
Run Time: 99 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
The second of actor George C. Scott's rare directorial efforts (his first being the 1970 television film The Andersonville Trial), this drama, produced at the height of the Vietnam War, was critical of the military's weapons testing. Scott stars as Dan Logan, a single father living with his teenage son Chris (Nicolas Beauvy) in Wyoming. On a camping trip, the Logans are sprayed with an experimental chemical by an Army helicopter. The biological weapon kills every animal in sight and puts Chris into a coma. Seeking medical attention, Dan is instead used as a guinea pig by an Army doctor, Major Holliford (Martin Sheen), who wants to observe the effects of the chemical agent on him. Separated from Chris, Dan realizes that his son has died and escapes from the facility where he's been held. Purchasing some dynamite, the dying father goes on a campaign of bitter, bloody revenge against the Army and lab that made the dangerous substance. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Review
George C. Scott's second film as a director is an unusual piece of work that takes lots of chances. Rage takes an unorthodox approach to its conspiracy premise: instead of focusing on plot twists and slowly unveiling the conspiracy, it reveals the conspiracy early on and allows the audience to focus on how victims in the middle of the situation react when they discover what is going on. Rage is often criticized for its refusal to play by the rules and fulfill the thriller genre's requirements but a close look reveals that it does so by design: the story is told in a style designed to reinforce the hopelessness the main character feels Scott's direction is economical, treating the story and characters with a clinical detachment that puts the ugly details of the crimes committed (both by the military and, later on, by its hero) into harsh focus. Scott doubles as lead actor and does an intense, convincing job as he quietly conveys the character's journey from normality to homicidal fury. There are also effective performances by Martin Sheen as an army officer who treats civilians like lab animals and Barnard Hughes as public health officer whose ability to coolly manipulate others is put to the test by Scott. The end result isn't so much a message movie as it is a cinematic howl of rage over how bureaucracies handle and conceal errors with little thought to their effect on the public. Rage is likely to confound many viewers with its cold style and refusal to cater to audience expectations but the cinematically adventurous are likely to appreciate the film's edgy, thought-provoking stance. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
F. Paul Sylos - Art Director, Frank Sylos - Art Director, Donald D. Dawson - Costume Designer, Peter R. Scoppa - First Assistant Director, George C. Scott - Director, Michael Kahn - Editor, J. Ronald Getty - Executive Producer, Lalo Schifrin - Composer (Music Score), Del Acevedo - Makeup, Fred Koenekamp - Cinematographer, Leon Fromkess - Producer, Fred Weintraub - Producer, Leonard A. Mazzola - Set Designer, Paul Lombardi - Special Effects, Joe Lombardi - Special Effects, Dennis L. Maitland - Sound/Sound Designer, Dick Weaver - Sound/Sound Designer, Philip Friedman - Screenwriter, Dan Kleinman - Screenwriter
While on a camping trip, Wyoming rancher Dan Logan (George C. Scott) and his son are inadvertently exposed to a secret Armynerve gas. Both of them end up the hospital and are lied to about their condition by a mysterious doctor (Martin Sheen) who looks at the incident as an opportunity to study the effectiveness of the nerve gas on humans. When Logan tries to hold the military accountable for their actions, he's lied to and stone-walled from every angle by the bureaucrats who want a cover up -- with those responsible already well insulated by their positions of power.
After he discovers that his son died, Logan goes on a terrorism spree against the company responsible for manufacturing the poison before he dies.
