The Machinist is a psychological thriller, released in 2004, starring Christian Bale as sleep deprived Industrial Machinist Trevor Reznik. The film basically follows Trev on a long and confusing journey through his own mind, where his paranoia creates the mythical character Ivan (who is in fact Trevor), whom he blames for the crimes and mistakes he commits.
Throughout the film there are recurring themes, which seem irrelevant at the time, but as the film climaxes we realise their importance, and the questions that are formed in the viewers mind are answered. Examples of this the Hangman on the fridge door, the use of the question “who are you?” and, most subtly, but arguably most importantly, Trev’s reluctance to use the cigarette lighter in his pick up. We later discover that a year previously, Trev was involved in a hit and run, where he motored a boy identical to Nicholas whilst lighting a cigarette, before reporting his car totalled.
Trevor’s strange behaviour at work means his colleagues stay clear of him, and his reputation is hardly helped when he inadvertently switches on a machine Miller is working on, resulting in his left arm parting company with his torso. After another near accident, Trev’s paranoia reaches a new level, and he lashes out at his co workers, resulting in him being fired. He thinks that the occurrences in his life are an effort to drive him insane. The only comfort he finds is in prostitute Stevie, who develops genuine affection for him, and in Maria, the waitress in the Airport café, and mother to Nicholas, who we find out Trevor hits. From thereon in, the film basically focuses the viewers mind on trying to find out who Ivan is, and, to some extent, who Trev is. Of course, everything becomes alarmingly clear as mud at the end when we discover Ivan is actually Trevor, all be it his bad half.
The film was well received by reviewers, with website Rotten Tomatoes (clearly a serious and trustworthy sounding organisation) claiming that 73% of critics’ reviews were deemed positive.
Some reviews claim that the film “grips you like a vice”, others saying "Anderson's gloomy aesthetic may exert a sour but lingering pull", which I’m sure probably means something, and one even reads that the climax is “predictable to anyone who’s read Miss Marple.”
The opening of the film establishes it as a thriller by meeting the common criteria by which most thrillers comply. The character complexity is clear for all to see; we feel sorry for Trev, despite that fact we later find him to be a hit and run driver. The repetition of the phrase “who are you?” also raises questions in the viewers mind, and builds the suspense and uncertainty in what will happen next that is apparent throughout the film. We also see that Trev is a chronic insomniac, who by day works with heavy and potentially deadly machinery – we can see something will go wrong, which inevitably it does. Other common thriller traits that feature in the film are low key lighting, slow, suspense building music, and the use of dialogue.
Throughout the film there are recurring themes, which seem irrelevant at the time, but as the film climaxes we realise their importance, and the questions that are formed in the viewers mind are answered. Examples of this the Hangman on the fridge door, the use of the question “who are you?” and, most subtly, but arguably most importantly, Trev’s reluctance to use the cigarette lighter in his pick up. We later discover that a year previously, Trev was involved in a hit and run, where he motored a boy identical to Nicholas whilst lighting a cigarette, before reporting his car totalled.
Trevor’s strange behaviour at work means his colleagues stay clear of him, and his reputation is hardly helped when he inadvertently switches on a machine Miller is working on, resulting in his left arm parting company with his torso. After another near accident, Trev’s paranoia reaches a new level, and he lashes out at his co workers, resulting in him being fired. He thinks that the occurrences in his life are an effort to drive him insane. The only comfort he finds is in prostitute Stevie, who develops genuine affection for him, and in Maria, the waitress in the Airport café, and mother to Nicholas, who we find out Trevor hits. From thereon in, the film basically focuses the viewers mind on trying to find out who Ivan is, and, to some extent, who Trev is. Of course, everything becomes alarmingly clear as mud at the end when we discover Ivan is actually Trevor, all be it his bad half.
The film was well received by reviewers, with website Rotten Tomatoes (clearly a serious and trustworthy sounding organisation) claiming that 73% of critics’ reviews were deemed positive.
Some reviews claim that the film “grips you like a vice”, others saying "Anderson's gloomy aesthetic may exert a sour but lingering pull", which I’m sure probably means something, and one even reads that the climax is “predictable to anyone who’s read Miss Marple.”
The opening of the film establishes it as a thriller by meeting the common criteria by which most thrillers comply. The character complexity is clear for all to see; we feel sorry for Trev, despite that fact we later find him to be a hit and run driver. The repetition of the phrase “who are you?” also raises questions in the viewers mind, and builds the suspense and uncertainty in what will happen next that is apparent throughout the film. We also see that Trev is a chronic insomniac, who by day works with heavy and potentially deadly machinery – we can see something will go wrong, which inevitably it does. Other common thriller traits that feature in the film are low key lighting, slow, suspense building music, and the use of dialogue.
Other Points of Relative Interest:
- The film is set in a West Coast American city, despite being shot entirely in Barcelona, Spain.
- Also, Brad Anderson hurt his back during filming, and directed much of the film while lying on a medical trolley. If that’s not dedication, then I don’t know what is. Congratulations to the man.
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