In a nut shell, 'Split Image' from 1982 provides a look at being brought into a fanatical cult and becoming programmed by a master manipulator. That being said, the film addresses our vulnerability and questions our sense of purpose.
Our protagonist Danny, played by Michael O' Keefe, is at an impressionable age where his hormones are raging and he's trying to grab the reins of life. All the while, he's a part of an upper middle class family that comfortably lives up to their tier on the social ladder. After he's lured into the cult by Nancy Allen's character, "Rebecca," he begins to submit himself to the verbal persuasions of the cult's leader, Neil, played by the late Peter Fonda.
James Woods' character, Charles, is somewhat of a professional deprogrammer of people who have become brainwashed by the cult. Woods is very entertaining in the role, but his character's demeanor is so unrealistically sensational that he's a borderline caricature of a "spell breaker."
During the "breaking" process, where Charles is trying to bring Danny back to his senses, he tells the parents that he'll need to find a purpose in life after it's all over. It's at that time that Charles asks Danny's little brother about what he'd like out of life. The boy's response is essentially wrapped in the same affliction as his older brother; he's been proverbially brainwashed by his parents and their view of class and middle class life, and says that he'd like to live in clean air and in a high rise away from everyone, after which he gets up and runs out of the room. That moment essentially sums up one of the main themes of the film: conditioning takes away choice.
Ultimately, both Danny and "Rebecca" manage to see through Neil's manipulation and defy the odds of conversion. The romantic notion lies in the message that love conquers all, and no opposing views, money or religion can get in the way of that. This, however, leaves us with a bit of a cliche which was not foreign for films of the time. Regardless, worth taking a look.
Our protagonist Danny, played by Michael O' Keefe, is at an impressionable age where his hormones are raging and he's trying to grab the reins of life. All the while, he's a part of an upper middle class family that comfortably lives up to their tier on the social ladder. After he's lured into the cult by Nancy Allen's character, "Rebecca," he begins to submit himself to the verbal persuasions of the cult's leader, Neil, played by the late Peter Fonda.
James Woods' character, Charles, is somewhat of a professional deprogrammer of people who have become brainwashed by the cult. Woods is very entertaining in the role, but his character's demeanor is so unrealistically sensational that he's a borderline caricature of a "spell breaker."
During the "breaking" process, where Charles is trying to bring Danny back to his senses, he tells the parents that he'll need to find a purpose in life after it's all over. It's at that time that Charles asks Danny's little brother about what he'd like out of life. The boy's response is essentially wrapped in the same affliction as his older brother; he's been proverbially brainwashed by his parents and their view of class and middle class life, and says that he'd like to live in clean air and in a high rise away from everyone, after which he gets up and runs out of the room. That moment essentially sums up one of the main themes of the film: conditioning takes away choice.
Ultimately, both Danny and "Rebecca" manage to see through Neil's manipulation and defy the odds of conversion. The romantic notion lies in the message that love conquers all, and no opposing views, money or religion can get in the way of that. This, however, leaves us with a bit of a cliche which was not foreign for films of the time. Regardless, worth taking a look.