The Hound Salutes: The Science Fiction of John Sayles Movie Review
Like many filmmakers, John Sayles got his start in fiction. His first books were Pride of the Bimbos (about cross-dressing baseball players) and the well-received Union Dues. Then he decided to try his hand at Hollywood, working primarily as a writer but also as a director and actor.
And like many a young filmmaker, he hired on with Roger Corman, and made a name for himself as a writer who could turn out a solid script in a short time. But unlike most, he didn't give in to the pressures and temptations of big money and big studio projects. Such films as Eight Men Out, Matewan, City of Hope, and Return of the Secaucus Seven may vary in scope, but each is built on believably human characters. Sayles has also been attracted to political themes – the corrupting aspects of capitalism, honest lesbian relationships, racism – and he has treated them with an unapologetically liberal bias. That political awareness can be seen in the rock videos he has directed for Bruce Springsteen, and also in his science fiction.
Sure, Sayles’ early work for Corman was cut to fit the limitations of genre and budget, but over the years, those films have developed strong followings on video. Both Piranha and Alligator are Jaws-style monster movies marked by their strong humor. The Howling is a first-rate werewolf tale that has spawned a seemingly endless series of sequels. Perhaps Sayles’ best work for Corman is Battle Beyond the Stars, a cheerful retelling of The Seven Samurai/Magnificent Seven plot set in outer space.
Sayles also wrote scripts for the bigger-budgeted The Clan of the Cave Bear and Wild Thing, both of which might tangentially be labeled as sf. He also had a supporting role in Joe Dante's wonderful sf appreciation Matinee. His most recent film, The Secret of Roan Inish deals with Irish magic and mysticism, and he's reported to have written a script for a remake of The Mummy.
Perhaps Sayles’ most successful work in true science fiction is the ambitious The Brother from Another Planet. As the title character, Joe Morton is a mute alien on the run who's retracing the underground railroad used as an escape route by Southern slaves heading north. The story is told with a minimum of special effects and a strong emphasis on social issues and character. Note the scene in a bar where two regulars argue with each other. It's a beautifully observed moment that could grace virtually any film. Like the rest of Sayles’ work, it shows how little conventional definitions or expectations of a genre can mean. Good science-fiction films are simply good films.