MFT: They Live - Roddy Piper vs Keith David Overlong Alley Fight Out of Context is like Harmony Korine's Fight Harm

You all know this film. "They Live" needs no introduction. It is classic 1988 action-packed speculative science fiction consumerist satire directed by one and only John Carpenter and starring Roddy Piper with Keith David as blue collars who accidentally uncover alien invasion conspiracy and attempt to expose it with ensuing rampage. Its broad stroke tongue-in-cheek critique of Reagan-era "maximum consumerism" is packaged with charismatic leads, memorable one liners and inventive action scenes. It is much-loved without another raving and drooling write-up. But i'm here for a different reason.

There is one scene in "They Live" that is always pointed out. It is five minute brawl between two leads. It is purposefully drawn out to the extreme and it serves as a turning point in the narrative. In the context of the film - it is a showcase of a breaking away from conditioning and slowly and painfully realizing the reality of the situation. Keith David's character Frank is on the same side as Roddy Piper's Nada but he's not ready to stand against the system, he wants to stay out of trouble. He doesn't want to accept rather lunatic claim that the aliens are in charge and this must be stopped. But since Frank is Nada's only friend and the only man he can trust - there are no two ways about it. Nada insists and that's why he tries to force Frank to put on the glasses, wake up from conditioning and see the real picture for himself. It's the movie's message in a nutshell.

But what if we take this scene out of context - as it is. What this scene will turn into?

Without context - it is just very long and winding street fight without much of a point. It starts on a false pretense of putting the sunglasses on. Decline ignites the conflict. Characters pummel each other excessively. They let their steam off. It is raw and sloppy. The scene intentionally avoids action film cliches - there are no theatrics, no editing magick. Camera just captures what is going on. It is a gag gone too far. It surpasses its breaking point and transcends into absurd story of vain struggle for the null and void. It starts out as a funny whoop, then turns into slightly uncomfortable mess, then it becomes tedious because of length and then disengages completely and becomes even funnier - as a gag in a silent films of Keaton and Lloyd. It starts and stops all the time, it never gains the momentum, you think it is over but then it goes another round. Ribcages are pounded, groins are kicked, heads are busted. But you catch the guys smiling on few occasions. It was a much needed relief of sorts.

This reminds me of one of the Harmony Korine's unfinished projects - "Fight Harm". And what a project it was! Back in the late 90's Harmony Korine hit an overdrive. He broke through in 1995 with the screenplay for Larry Clarke's seminal "Kids" (script for "Ken Park" was written around the same time but it got produced a little bit later - in 2002). In 1997 he released his first full-length directorial effort "Gummo" and then in 1999 he released "Julien Donkey Boy" (co-starring Werner Herzog) which was part of Dogma 95 project. Every Harmony Korine's project up to that point was tour de force - in formal and narrative ways - Korine was all about going as far as it takes just to see what will happen. But his follow-up for "Julien Donkey Boy" was envisioned to push artistry to the logical extremes.

In its core - "Fight Harm" was about Harmony Korine getting himself into the fights and getting legitimately beaten badly - because reasons. Something like "Jackass". His friend - street magician David Blaine served as a cinematographer. The idea was to blur the line between fiction and reality - reappropriate the gist of real confrontations for sake of warped comedy. Conceptually "Fight Harm" strayed from the silent film gag stunts of Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton and its genuine feel of danger. "Fight Harm" took that and ingested a bit of reality in it. Harmony Korine made a set of "rules": 1. the provoked assailant must be physically bigger; 2. the provoked must strike first; 3. cameraman don't interrupt the fight unless there's life endangering situation for the lead. 

Needless to say - it ended up badly rather fast. It turned out that real fight are no athletic contests and are visually unimpressive. In addition to that - Harmony Korine got roughen up by the bouncer. With a legit concussion and broken ankle Korine abandoned the project and started to get his life together. Now "Fight Harm" is nothing more than a fun footnote in his body work. One hell of a stupid idea that served as a nadir and the starting point of his reinvention.

But the fact of non-existence makes "Fight Harm" even more fascinating. It is a fun concept to think about. Nature of its appropriation welcomes creativity. You can make your own "Fight Harm" out of anything. For example - other films. The fight scene from "They Live" can be reapproapriated. From the top of my head - short and sloppy fight scene between Brian and Roman in "2 fast 2 furious" also fits the bill.


But there can be more. Much more...