The cultural reputation of Point Break might characterise it as a silly film, with gunplay resting alongside homoeroticism, and some new age, hippy-dippy mumbo-jumbo bound up with surfing (Hot Fuzz has a lot to answer for). If one looks closely at the film itself however, Kathryn Bigelow’s action heist/buddy flick is certainly wild and features some far-fetched moments, but also possesses an intriguing plot, engaging character dynamics and gripping action – as well as some interesting exploration of homosocial relationships and dualism.
Directed by Bigelow and written by W. Peter Iliff and Rick King, Point Break tells the story of newly graduated FBI agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves), whose first assignment is the Los Angeles Bank Robbery Division. Led by prime bastard Special Agent in Charge Ben Harp (John C. McGinley), and partnered with senior agent Angelo Pappas (Gary Busey), they’re tasked with bringing down a crew of bank robbers called The Ex-Presidents. Johnny follows up a lead by infiltrating the surfing community, where he encounters Tyler (Lori Petty), and Bodhi (Patrick Swayze), and goes on to discover as much about himself as he does about surfing.
Point Break exists in a curious sub-genre of crime thrillers in which undercover police infiltrate extreme sports subcultures, other entries in this category including Drop Zone and (the original) The Fast and the Furious. As in those, Special Agent Utah encounters a community held together by shared passion (and even philosophy), that exists in opposition to more socially accepted forms of unity and ‘family’. This highlights Point Break‘s concern with dualism, which in turn informs the narrative, characters, and even the visual style of the film
Point Break exists in a curious sub-genre of crime thrillers in which undercover police infiltrate extreme sports subcultures.
Dualism appears from the opening credits, as the two words of the title and the names of the two leads draw together, intersect and separate, over a backdrop of waves that surge, rise and crash. There’s overt dualism between the character of Johnny (representing law and order), and the philosophy espoused by Bodhi – to be free, oppose the ‘system’, and maintain the human spirit. Adherence and freedom are juxtaposed with the wider order of the FBI, and the chaos of the bank robbers who encapsulate anarchy through their actions, but present authority through their gimmick of wearing masks of ex-presidents (which are evenly balanced between Republicans Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, and Democrats Lyndon B. Johnson and Jimmy Carter). There’s also a dualistic form of love that binds people together yet causes destruction, and even dualism between elements as the waves from the sea collide with the land and “occupy” it, but land-based humans also skydive and sometimes draw uncomfortably close to fire – including gunfire.
Just in case you’re wondering if this critic watched the wrong film, Point Break’s exploration of dualism is all subtextual as the film is far from being a meditative Terrence Malick-esque visual poem. Bigelow is a visceral, “muscular” director who’s famed for “tough” movies such as Blue Steel, Strange Days and the Oscar-winning The Hurt Locker. Point Break’s introspective character moments are interspersed with intense action sequences that include a nail-biting close-quarters shoot-out (between FBI agents and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, because reasons), a fantastic chase through streets, alleys, gardens and houses that culminates in a storm drain, and two additional shootouts that carry emotional weight because of the time spent with the characters. During these sequences the surroundings are often captured in close-up, while the bodies of the participants are framed heading towards the camera. A partial point-of-view shot during a bank heist thrusts the viewer into the action, feeling the rush as well as the fear of the characters involved. The (often literally), close quarters of the camera creates a sense of claustrophobia that Bigelow would create again in K-19: The Widowmaker, Zero Dark Thirty and Detroit.
The claustrophobic scenes are clear and prominent in this 4K edition, the digital transfer shining in the rich tones of Keanu Reeves’ face and the lustrous eyes of the late, great Patrick Swayze. It’s even more overt with the land and waterscapes, as director of photography Donald Peterman bathes gorgeous vistas with golden sunlight. The ocean itself is both tempting and mysterious, shimmering in a myriad of blues, blacks, greens, and the startling whites of cresting waves. The surfing sequences are as exhilarating as the gun fights, communicating something of the allure of surfing through wide-angles, judicious use of slow-motion, and several shots of “tube riding” where the surfer is seen inside the curve of a wave. Once again, dualism rides the waves as surely as the surfer, the majesty and beauty of the ocean being apparent in these moments as the danger, reaching its crest in the film’s final moments that express dual forms of release.
Having only directed ten features in a career of early forty years, Bigelow’s filmography may be limited, but her historic significance as the first woman to win the Oscar for Directing makes each of her films fascinating in their own right. Point Break remains a key entry in her oeuvre, combining established stars with diverse themes and generic tropes. The result is a film that, while clearly of its time, has become iconic to the point of parody (hello again, Hot Fuzz), yet still delivers a deep and enervating rush that one might even call … 100% pure adrenaline.
The 4K UHD and Blu-ray come with the accompanying special features of additional scenes, and the featurettes “It’s Make or Break”, “Ride the Wave”, “Adrenaline Junkies” and “On Location: Malibu”, as well as a stills gallery and the original trailer.
