突變第三型

突變第三型
(The Thing)

John Carpenter
1982|Color|USA|109 min

播映時間與地點
10/20 (二) 20:30
蘇格貓底二手書咖啡屋

---

本片是約翰卡本特(John Carpenter)和寇特羅素(Kurt Russell)合作的電影裡最具代表性的作品。上世紀70、80年代是卡本特最風光的時候，那時好萊塢電影工業尚未如此倚賴電腦特效技術，因此許多知名恐怖片多半利用低成本模型打造即可，《突變第三型》(The Thing)就是這麼一部經典的科幻恐怖B級片。

他以雷利史考特(Ridley Scott)的《異形》(Alien)為尊，用大約一千萬美元的成本拍攝此片。以現今的角度來看，《突變第三型》的特效實在很假，但是該流汁流血的、該肚破腸流的場面，電影依然毫不馬虎。整部電影之所以精彩乃因卡本特抓住恐怖電影的要素：一群人被困在冰天雪地的荒原裡孤立無援，卻又彼此猜忌、不曉得誰才是要命的外星異種。

由於《突變第三型》師法雷利史考特的《異形》，因此二者確實具備某些雷同的客觀條件：密閉空間（探險屋／太空船）、孤立無援（南極／外太空）、外星異種（擬化繁殖／異形），但這不代表約翰卡本特走不出自己的電影味道。

卡本特不玩弄無謂的恐嚇或驚悚，他高明之處在於一直幫觀眾打預防針、你以為你已經自信滿滿有所準備絕對不會被嚇到時，他卻又給你一記駭人的回馬槍。你以為不是怪物的人下一秒卻成為異形、你以為是反派份子的角色最後卻可能拉了主角一把。

雖然卡本特的《突變第三型》成為異形類電影的代表之一，他也在1978年推出《月光光心慌慌》(Halloween)，成就了面具殺人魔的螢幕典範，電影公司亦在2007年推出翻拍的新版。但有趣的是卡本特本人在上世紀拍了如此多的恐怖電影，但他本人卻不相信現實生活中的靈異或恐怖現象，他認為「電影銀幕」才是最恐怖也最能締造恐怖的地方。

（撰文：章聿珩）

In the desolate, barren, and sparsely populated Antarctica, a group of American scientists go on a scientific expedition there, but their activities are interrupted by a group of Norwegians who are hunting down a dog maniacally. The dog finally escapes into the American scientists' research station. Two Norwegians suddenly die in a plane crash, and the matter becomes an unresolved case with no way to find any explanations. That night, the dog begins to mutate and starts to attack the other dogs and the team of scientists, some of which have unidentified objects on them. The scientists soon realize that the dog is a kind of extraterrestrial life and it can control other biological bodies. The problem now is that they have no idea who is already being controlled...

The film is a remake of the same-titled 1951 movie. As this is a remake three decades after the original version, the visual effects have come a long way. What is more worth mentioning about the film is that it contains hints of the Cold War, of fear of Communist infiltration and the metaphor of McCarthy-style white terror. The dark side of people mistrusting each other is portrayed effectively.

The protagonist, film star Kurt Russell used to be a popular American action movie hero. In "The Thing", he creates the image of a justice defender beyond the social, legal, and moral constraints. His performance in the film is perfectly mingled with the dark and offbeat aura of the movie. He, along with the other actors, enhances the feeling of fear and chaos but also brings out the hopes and trusts of human nature amid great sufferings.

（撰文：彭中嬿）

影片片段：