Subject: Retrospective: Stand, The (1994)

From: [email-masked] (Chad Polenz)
Date: 7 Jul 1997 04:32:41 GMT

The Stand (originally television mini-series)
Chad'z rating: ***1/2 (out of 4 = very good)
1994, not rated, 366 minutes [6 hours, 6 minutes]
[drama/horror]
starring: Gary Sinise (Stu Redman), Molly Ringwald (Fran Goldsmith), Jamey
Sheridan (Randal Flag), Adam Storke (Larry Underwood), Laura San Giacomo
(Nadine Cross), Ruby Dee (Mother Abigail), produced by Mitchell Galin,
written by Stephen King (based on his novel), directed by Mick Garris.

	The horror genre seems to be dying a slow death in Hollywood. Even Stephen
King's film are learning more towards surrealistic drama than straight horror
and "The Stand" is a perfect example of this. The story is a long and
complicated one, but it has much plausibility to it and it becomes more
frightening on a metaphysical level than any horror flick could ever be,
period.

	The story starts off simple enough about a virus manufactured by the
government, but something goes wrong and all the scientists who manufactured
it die immediately. Only one man and his family manage to escape the base,
but do not escape the virus. By the time their car crashes halfway across the
country in east Texas, they have inadvertently spread the disease because it
is so communicable. The military attempts to quarantine the town, and perform
experiments on those who have become sick, but it does no good. 

	We then meet many different characters throughout the U.S. who are somehow
immune to the virus while the rest of the planet dies off within a week. The
supernatural villain here is not the typical horror movie monster, but just
invisible germs, and this is what makes the film so scary because it's an
original, realistic nemesis. To think invisible, one-cell organisms could
destroy the entire planet's population so quickly is disturbing indeed. 

	Many of these characters have dreams about a farmhouse in Nebraska. They
meet an old black woman named Mother Abigail (Dee), who warns them of the
coming apocalypse and to beware of the "Dark Man." It's obvious she and her
words are symbolic of the ultimate powers of good versus evil. The moody
lighting, the music, and the sudden camera movements combined with Abigail's
dialogue warning them of the devil, all adds up to an atmosphere that is both
fantasy and brutal reality at the same time and is quite sensational.

	Because the film is over six hours long, the story is slowly paced, but is
always interesting to watch. Every character here is chizzled with detail
(although some can be annoying and cliche), just watching them going through
the motions, learning about their destiny, and their interaction is great.

	The story is so epic and detailed I won't attempt to summarize the plot any
further. Basically it is a modern mythological tale of the final showdown
between good and evil with the characters representing the greater forces in
the universe. The only problem is they don't necessarily know who or what
they are working for, nor really care. 

	Sometimes just hinting at elements of greater beings and/or powers makes for
great mystery, suspense, and philosophy (i.e. "2001"), but here it's a bit
too commercial to see it as the grand story it puts itself forward as. The
film has the potential to be a "Star Wars" of modern-day Earth, but because
it was made for television, it downplays its supernaturalism into a story of
good guys vs. bad guys.

	Perhaps "The Stand" tries a too hard to be a fantastic odyssey, but it's
certainly entertaining and moving for what it is. 

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