All_About_The_Thing

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standing behind Mac. Although it is unlikely this was done on purpose it has a subtle effect. It lets us know at a level which is under the radar that the film is willing to be flexible with time. When combined with the very careful precision of the film making it creates a slightly unusual, odd tone. Uncanny and ever so slightly weird. The film is carefully designed and yet there are gaps. Of course, these thoughts only occur if one looks closely and gives careful reflection. Since this doesn’t generally happen the effect is subconscious. It enhances the feelings of paranoia. Later in the film when there is a similar cut we will, at some level, feel that something might have happened. We will wonder, “What did we miss?” If such a stylistic were announced it would feel experimental and pull us away from the story. When Copper suggested going to the Norwegian camp: Garry: In this weather? Bennings: Winds are going to let up a tad in the next couple of hours. Garry: A tad!? Garry is reluctant to risk it. But in the next scene he is suddenly confident they should go (“MacReady. Mac, get your gear on.”) Mac’s response is to say nothing but quietly look up at the sky. There is a time ellipse, covered by a ‘white-out,’ and a ‘white- in,’ and the same conversation continues later. Few films make use of different scene transitions for the good reason that they stand out too much. They have a disturbing effect (like the red fades in Cries and Whispers). The white-outs in The Thing are so beautifully timed and work so well we 19
hardly even notice them. They carry less weight than a fade-to-black and are closer to dissolves in terms of time passing but they add a certain unique feel. The snowy setting allows the film to do something different without distracting us. It is all part of its internal rhythm, its heartbeat. In this scene Garry appears to be amused, almost as if he is trying not to smile. As if he knows Mac’s character and was expecting the grumpy response, a contrast to Mac’s frame of mind in the previous scene where he was involved and at the centre of the group going through the helicopter. Mac is reluctant to go but all business and moving quick, partly in anger. Although he has no opportunity or even the desire to display his leadership skills he still has a natural authority. Does Garry sense this and is therefore trying to demonstrate his own force? Is he trying to put on something of a show in front of Copper (and by extension the others) because there is already an unacknowledged feeling about MacReady? Perhaps, but the look of gentle amusement on Garry’s face hints that he isn’t being sadistic or jealous. It is more complex. Garry is now justifying himself confidentially with an argument that he was reluctant to be convinced by. He knows that Mac is reacting as he himself did just a moment ago and that Copper will be aware of this, so there is some amusement there, as well. Irony, but between the characters, not between the characters and the audience. Characteristically, Copper says that if Mac doesn’t want to fly then they won’t, and Garry doesn’t argue. Garry is in charge but there is a respect when it comes to decisions that require expert knowledge, they are delegated to those best placed to take them. 20
Page 1 and 2: Bennings Blair Childs Clark Copper
Page 3 and 4: Dedicated to Pam Morris & Marcia Ki
Page 5 and 6: Introduction The Thing is a terrifi
Page 7 and 8: What it does describe is the person
Page 9 and 10: All About THE THING The credits app
Page 11 and 12: these blanks are arranged that make
Page 13 and 14: MacReady is by himself, alone in hi
Page 15 and 16: someone. It would, of course, have
Page 17 and 18: and was still idealistic, he was re
Page 19 and 20: Windows by contrast is excitable. H
Page 21: With the exception of Fuchs none of
Page 25 and 26: And then comes one of the great sho
Page 27 and 28: a fascinating image, a snapshot of
Page 29 and 30: times when he isn’t thinking that
Page 31 and 32: We don’t get a clear view of the
Page 33 and 34: To have had Blair talk about what h
Page 35 and 36: trying not to go to pieces. Althoug
Page 37 and 38: not attack immediately. On this occ
Page 39 and 40: decision later. In this situation M
Page 41 and 42: normally it would call attention to
Page 43 and 44: and biological. When the Thing assi
Page 45 and 46: at the same pace. We cut to a shot
Page 47 and 48: It is the first time we have seen M
Page 49 and 50: Blair quietly looks at Childs and w
Page 51 and 52: characters’s heads. The irony is
Page 53 and 54: If we do remember at some point tha
Page 55 and 56: formed these as we saw nothing of t
Page 57 and 58: Windows seems to think that Benning
Page 59 and 60: Mac strides in going straight for t
Page 61 and 62: movie-audience luxury of a comforta
Page 63 and 64: confirm our suspicions it adds to o
Page 65 and 66: have been a discussion of potential
Page 67 and 68: feeling of control even during thes
Page 69 and 70: Blair emphasises that Clark should
Page 71 and 72: accompanied. It’s risky but at th
Page 73 and 74:
is enough to tell us he is perfectl
Page 75 and 76:
time. His own natural suspect is Co
Page 77 and 78:
When the argument dies down Garry h
Page 79 and 80:
character’s exact location. It al
Page 81 and 82:
In the next shot it is night again,
Page 83 and 84:
to take the syringe himself, Childs
Page 85 and 86:
progress is in keeping with his cha
Page 87 and 88:
scenes feel even more observational
Page 89 and 90:
the white snow at night and the bla
Page 91 and 92:
the biggest immediate threat to the
Page 93 and 94:
The shots of them nailing the doors
Page 95 and 96:
expression and position reflect how
Page 97 and 98:
There is something moving about the
Page 99 and 100:
a type rarely seen. It understands
Page 101 and 102:
longer to sway the mind. In some wa
Page 103 and 104:
appearance. It is rather like a puf
Page 105 and 106:
102 We move in on MacReady. The cam
Page 107 and 108:
mind. The possibility that in his q
Page 109 and 110:
106 As Mac describes what he intend
Page 111 and 112:
108 Whereas Windows was afraid of t
Page 113 and 114:
to land in front of him, looking se
Page 115 and 116:
performs the test and it proves Gar
Page 117 and 118:
movement but Childs doesn’t sudde
Page 119 and 120:
the beginning of the film and is us
Page 121 and 122:
unaccompanied by music). We leave t
Page 123 and 124:
the Thing out into the open so they
Page 125 and 126:
122 When Garry goes to inspect the
Page 127 and 128:
same direction it removes the repet
Page 129 and 130:
126 Even the explosions seem to mat
Page 131 and 132:
128 At the same time, because of th
Page 133 and 134:
except we can’t because he has si
Page 135:
memory works. Rooms were a differen
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