The Island (2005)
Directed by Michael Bay
Cloning; Dystopia; Genetic memory; Organ harvesting; Thriller
Two clones in an isolated colony rebel against their fate as “spare parts” for wealthy clients.
LLincoln Six-Echo and Jordan Two-Delta have one hope in life: to be selected for transport to The Island, supposedly the last pathogen-free region on the planet. Rescued from contamination which has made the planet uninhabitable, Lincoln and Jordan live and work in a sterile, underground compound housing the survivors. Lincoln has become increasing dissatisfied with the routine of their existence, questioning the restrictions placed upon their menus, clothing, exercise and physical contact. His natural curiosity leads to a horrifying discovery: those selected for the Island are actually transported to a laboratory where their organs are removed. Lincoln immediately locates Jordan, who has been scheduled to go to the Island the next morning, and together they flee from pursuing guards who would kill to keep them from leaving the compound. Once they escape, they realize that the world has not been contaminated, nor has the rest of humanity been destroyed. They contact McCord, an engineer working in the compound, who informs them that they are “insurance policies” – clones – of wealthy individuals living in the outside world, and that their memories are implants. After determining that publicity alone will prevent their recapture and execution, Lincoln and Jordan travel to Los Angeles to appeal to their originators. Jordan has been summoned because her “owner” is in a coma and requires an immediate multiple-organ transplant, so they hunt down Lincoln’s owner even as their pursuers close in on them. Tom Lincoln, the rich boat manufacturer dying of cirrhosis, would rather take Lincoln’s liver, so Jordan and Lincoln must work alone to save themselves and the remaining clones.
Like many of Michael Bay’s films, the focus shifts regularly between intricate plot and heavy action sequences. Although the premise of the cloned society hidden in an abandoned military bunker is fascinating, the science is often lost in the quick pursuits and explosive special effects. Still, Bay’s film suggests the ethical quandaries of cloning humans for “spare parts,” as well as the unpredictability of the cloning process. Dr. Merrick, the scientist who creates the clones, sells his “insurance policies” with the understanding that the clones will be raised in artificial wombs and kept unconscious until they are needed. Although raising the clones from unconsciousness breaks the Eugenics Law of 2015 – one which ensures that clones never achieve “humanity” – trial and error has taught Merrick that without actual thoughts and experiences, the clones will expire. Merrick attempts to control the clones through his regulations, as well as genetic modifications that suppress sexual desires. He cannot explain why Lincoln knows Latin phrases or has demonstrated accelerated neural activity; it seems that Lincoln is expressing experiences and knowledge originally possessed by Tom Lincoln. This Lamarckian touch suggests that genetic material contains memory of lived experiences, and that memory carries forward into future generations. When latent genetic imprints activate in critical moments, the movie degenerates into a stereotypical action flick: Lincoln quickly masters driving and sex, and can adopt his owner’s accent when impersonating him. Lincoln’s personality seems determined by his progenitor’s experiences as much as his own.
Evaluation: While the movie begins by establishing the clones’ intriguing origins, it quickly becomes focused on a series of explosive stunts. The human aspects of the plot, specifically those in which the clones are struggling with their identities, are interesting but do not mesh well with the action scenes.
– Natalie Champ