 |
|
|
|
Instinct |
 |
After years of living with gorillas in the
mountains of Rwanda, professor Ethan
Powell considers these primates to be his
family. So when poachers begin killing his
hairy friends, Dr. Powell comes to their
defense, killing two men and wounding
several others in the process. As a result,
Powell is convicted for murder and is
imprisoned in Africa for a year. Eventually
extradited to the U.S., a now mute (by choice)
Powell overcomes his guards in the Miami
airport. When quickly recaptured, he is sent to
a prison for the criminally insane. Enter Theo
Caulder. Looking ahead to how this case
might advance his career, the ambitious
psychiatric resident approaches his
professional mentor, Ben Hillard, about
working with this professor-turned-murderer.
Caulder wants to get into his head, find the
roots of his violence, get him to speak again
and lead him on a road to rehabilitation. But
there's a twist. Who's helping whom? As it
turns out, Powell is the teacher, Caulder the
student. What Caulder discovers (according to
the filmmaker) is that man is destroying the
planet by being the dominant specie and that
mankind can return to a more peaceful
existence by spending time with relatives of
his evolutionary past (gorillas).
Positive Elements: Although
Caulder knows he stands to benefit from a
book deal down the road, he genuinely cares
about his patients. And not just Powell. In an
early scene, Caulder counsels a woman who
believes the Pope has been kidnapped. He
also fights injustice throughout the prison
system. At one point, he risks professional
sanction when he battles to overturn a
guard-allowed practice that permits the prison
bully to steal outdoor privileges from his
weaker inmates. Caulder also arranges a
tearful reunion between Powell and his
daughter.
Spiritual Content: There is an
underlying message that man is a product of
macro- evolution, that taking dominion of the
earth (civilization) is evil and that man would
be better off attempting a return to ancient
tribal living.
Sexual Content: None.
Violent Content: Although not
glamorized, the violence is graphic and
frequent. In one session, Powell, who has a
very short fuse, overpowers Caulder and, with
arm tightly around his neck, threatens to
strangle him if he does not "correctly" answer
a philosophical question. Gorillas are shot
and poachers are beaten, two killed. Powell
nearly strangles a prison bully with a chain
and violently reacts to a guard's abuse.
Prisoners are beaten by guards. One grisly
scene features a prisoner dying after
repeatedly smashing his own bloodied and
beaten head against a wall.
Crude or Profane Language: One
blasphemous use of the Lord's name
("Christ"), a couple of f-words, s-words, and
several other crudities punctuate the film's
dialogue.
Drug and Alcohol Content:
Caulder, on more than one occasion,
frequents a bar for drinks. But
drunkenness is never seen or
suggested.
Other Negative Elements: A
tearful reuniting of father and daughter is
quickly forgotten when, as the film ends, Dr.
Powell returns to the Rwandan jungle to
search for his gorilla "family." In addition to
offensive material, the film is at many points
simply unbelievable. Overbearing guards in
one scene are docile in another. Prison
authorities allow Powell to go to a zoo to
further his rehabilitation. Caulder is given
almost unlimited and eventually private
access to the excessively violent Powell.
Summary: Tone down the
violence and drop the handful of obscenities
and this film could have received a PG rating.
But even then, it wouldn't be worth the price of
admission. Particularly because of its
full-fledged endorsement of evolution. As one
reviewer for CNN Interactive wrote,
"Hopkins' appearance in this film is the
greatest waste of a natural resource since the
oil spill from the Exxon Valdez."
|
|
