Minority Report

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Minority Report is a 2002 science fiction (cyberpunk sub-genre) film by Director Steven Spielberg, and starring Tom Cruise. The movie deals with issues of government control of individuals, and whether individuals have choice in how their futures turn out.

Contents

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Characters

  • John Anderton - the protagonist who lost his young son to kidnapping and probable murder and now serves as the main pre-crime detective. Becomes embroiled in a suspected murder and scandal of his own.
  • Lamar Burgess - older gentleman who is in charge of the Pre-Crime program. Nearing retirement, Burgess thinks a lot about his legacy.
  • Danny Witwer - Justice Department representative newly appointed as an overseer to the department of Pre-Crime.
  • Pre-Cog: Agatha (as in, Christie) - due to pre-natal exposure to the designer drug "neuroin", pre-cogs were born with the ability to see the future. They are used by the Department of Pre-Crime to foresee murders.
  • Pre-Cog: Dashiell (as in, Hammett)
  • Pre-Cog: Arthur (as in, Conan Doyle)
  • Iris Hineman - "inventor" of Pre-Crime. Now lives alone in a secluded country house where she tends exotic plants.
  • Lara Anderton - John's estranged wife. She left John after the kidnapping/death of their son.
  • Gideon - overseer of the prison chamber where "haloed" prisoners (Pre-Criminal murderers) are kept.
  • Jad - John Anderton's assistant detective in the department of Pre-Crime
  • Leo Crow - the man John supposedly will murder
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Themes, Symbols, Motifs

  • drugs and escapism - John (and many other citizens) use drugs as a means of escape. The world seems separated into the haves and the have nots. John, though he is clearly in a "have" position, uses drugs and video imagery of his estranged family in his "double life".
  • parallel realities, double lives, future reality - the notion of a double life is a very important theme in Minority Report. Just as there are multiple ways that the pre-cogs can see the future, there are also multiple lives that a person can lead. John Anderton leads such a double life.
  • choice, vs. fate - the notion that the future can really have two outcomes is central to the story. The Department of Pre-Crime is built around the notion that a murder foretold will indeed happen - more often than not. However, the central storyline in the movie, John's search for Leo Crow and his eventual choice between murder and reconciliation indicates that despite the best intentions of the Department of Pre-Crime, individuals always have a choice in behavior.
  • eyesight - eyes, glasses, eyesight, optical scanning are all used as visual motifs throughout the movie to remind the viewer of the familiar aphorisms: seeing is believing, Big Brother is watching you, no one can see the future, etc.
  • pervasive advertising, marketing - These images help the viewer sympathize with life in a society controlled by corporations and government.
  • elements of film noir - elements of film noir abound in Minority Report: lots of rain, dark sets with shadows and low-key lighting, a "detective with a past" storyline. One aspect of film noir that Minority Report does not have is the fatalistic storyline. The film actually has a rather happy ending, and the message of "choice over fate" is uplifting.
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Questions for Discussion

  • Are we really free to choose our own destinies, or is there such a thing as fate?
  • How could America become "the type of society" that would allow something like the Department of Pre-Crime to exist in the first place?
  • What rationale was given in the movie for why people liked the Department of Pre-Crime and were willing to give it a try?
  • Are there any parallels in our current political climate that are reminiscent of this debate? Privacy advocates are quoting Benjamin Franklin a lot recently: "They who would give up essential liberty for temporary security deserve neither liberty nor security."
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Related Links

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