Analysis and Review of Source Code Movie

Source Code with it’s unique twist on the classic time-loop scenario, brings mystery, action and a refreshing sci-fi structure for the audiences amazement. This film, like many sci-fi thrillers of the past, plays on societal issues with technology and it’s potentially dangerous implications to the world. The plot, although minimalistic at a glance, unfolds with twists and turns that carry this sci-fi thriller to places never before seen by the sci-fi genre. As film reviewer, Peter Bradshaw, put it, “with twists and turns, and at breathtaking speed, this film runs on rails. [1] Science Fiction is a genre that is almost entirely based upon societies complicated relationship with technology and it’s potential implications on society. In the film, the main technology presented is a program unsurprisingly called “Source Code. ” The program allows our lead character, Colter Stevens’, brain to access the body of a man who is already dead. The technology works by accessing the last eight minutes of person’s memory and turning it into an alternate reality. It is described by its creator, Dr. Rutledge, as a tool for revisiting rather than revising time.
Through source code, Colter Stevens becomes Sean, a victim of a train-bombing outside Chicago. Although the train-bombing has already occurred, other acts of terror are imminent in downtown Chicago. If Stevens is to use source code as expected he is to find out who is responsible for the train bombing and relay his findings to the people of the present so they may prevent further incidents. Each time his eight minutes are up, Stevens finds himself within a pod wired with a video screen. This screen is his only link Dr. Rutledge’s unit and Stevens’ commanding officer, Colleen Goodwin.
The pod is a metaphysical set created to explain Stevens’ thoughts and feelings. The room is essentially his mind and all that is going within it. The environment of the pod changes as Stevens’ comprehension of the situation increases. The metaphysical nature of this set seems extremely intentional as there are essentially only three different sets used throughout the films entirety. The use of this “pod like” set is very similar in nature to that of the sets from 2001: A Space Odyssey in the sense that they are combining wholly human elements nto technological environments. [2] Each time Stevens returns to the train, he gathers more information about the bomb, the bomber, and the other people on the train, including Christina, the love interest. Once Stevens returns with the name of the bomber his mission is over. At this point in the film, Stevens learns that he died in the helicopter over Afghanistan and now only exists within the source code. After learning this, he convinces Goodwin to allow him back in one more time to save everyone on the train and die knowing they were all saved.

However, once everyone has been saved, he does not die and will live as Sean for the rest of his life. Source Code is similar to many movies from the 1950s and ’60s because of its use of relevant political issues to strike fear within the viewer. Much like how the Cold War paranoia permeated science fiction through features like War of the Worlds (1954) and The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), the current fear of terrorism trickles through Source Code’s plot. [3] An obvious manifestation of this fear is the bomber himself.
Derek Frost appears to be a young, white, suburban male and because his appearance is not that of a stereotypical terrorist, Stevens overlooks him as a suspect initially. By using the least likely suspect as the antagonist, Source Code is challenging our current beliefs on terrorism that only non-American’s can be classified as terrorists. By creating this unlikely villain, source code creates relevance to the disaster, and realism to the situation. The unlikely villain shows that through technology anyone can really become a threat to society.
The introduction of this average citizen villain prompts us to question our responsibility with technology. Here technology’s power is illustrated because it transforms our “average” Derek into a super-villain capable of catastrophic events. On the other hand, we are also confronted with the potential life saving ability of the source code. Dr. Rutledge believed source code was only capable of saving lives that had not been already lost. However, the program enabled Stevens to not only save lives on the train, but also his own. Stevens doesn’t just jump through action-flick hoops, he also confronts some Big Questions — Are we alone? Are we free? Do we have free will? — the importance of which become clear as the outlines of Stevens’s true circumstances are revealed. ”[4] The implication of this notion is very apparent as Stevens becomes more aware of his situation. His initial experiences within source code are consumed by selfish tasks such as trying to locate his father and find out what has happened to him.
However, as he begins to understand source code and believes that his life no longer exists, his motives quickly change. Once Stevens begins to use source code for the greater good, he himself is also freed. This is a direct commentary on our usage of technology itself in that we need to use technology for the greater good and not for selfish means. It is this notion that we the audience is left to ponder. Will technology bring humanity to a never before seen existence or destroy our being entirely?
Bibliography
Cook, David A. A History of Narrative Film. New York: W.W. Norton. 498-499, 925-927.
Bradshaw, Peter. “Source Code Review.“ The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/mar/31/source-code-review (accessed April 12, 2011).
Dargis, Manohla. “Don’t Know Who You Are, but Don’t Know Who I Am.” The New York Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/2011/04/01/movies/jake-gyllenhaal-in-source-code-review.html (accessed April 12, 2011).