Movie Moments: #78

12 Monkeys (1995)

Comment:

Despite the problem of  what is known as the Grandfather Paradox - that if a person travelled back in time and killed his own grandfather  before the time traveller’s father had been conceived, thereby making it impossible to have been born and also to travel back in time – I like time travel movies.  This is one of the better ones with solid performances by Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt.  If you like better than average sci fi, this is worth a look.

Synopsis:

As a result of a lethal virus, most of the world’s population has been wiped out.  Those who survive live underground.  James Cole, a convict, is sent back in time to gather information on the release of the virus by The Army of the 12 Monkeys and before it mutates to develop a means of preventing it happening.

Quote:

Jeffrey Goines: You know what crazy is? Crazy is majority rules. Take germs, for example.

James Cole: Germs?

Jeffrey Goines: Uh-huh. In the eighteenth century, no such thing, nada, nothing. No one ever imagined such a thing. No sane person, anyway. Ah! Ah! Along comes this doctor, uh, uh, uh, Semmelweis, Semmelweis. Semmelweis comes along. He's trying to convince people, well, other doctors mainly, that's there's these teeny tiny invisible bad things called germs that get into your body and make you sick. Ah? He's trying to get doctors to wash their hands. What is this guy? Crazy? Teeny, tiny, invisible? What do you call it? Uh-uh, germs? Huh? What? Now, cut to the 20th century. Last week, as a matter of fact, before I got dragged into this hellhole. I go in to order a burger in this fast food joint, and the guy drops it on the floor. Jim, he picks it up, he wipes it off, he hands it to me like it's all OK. "What about the germs?" I say. He says, "I don't believe in germs. Germs is just a plot they made up so they can sell you disinfectants and soaps." Now he's crazy, right? See?

Link:

Movie trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBNMEwNx9x4

Trivia:

In recognition of the time travel paradox, Cole says that the future can’t be changed.  However, Cole’s trips back to the past set in motion the events that create the future that Cole came from.  Hence he cannot stop the virus being released, but his interaction with Dr Kathryn Railly leads to her making the call about the Army of the 12 Monkeys, the recording of such call being the cause of his being sent back in time.  Confused?  Watch the movie, it makes sense there.

Right after Dr. Leland Goines gets off the phone with Dr. Railly, Dr. Peters can be seen handling a tray of seven vials filled with a golden liquid. Twice in the movie, a passage of The Book of the Revelation is quoted referring to seven golden vials filled with God's wrath.

The Army of the Twelve Monkeys is inspired by a passage in L Frank Baum’s novel, "The Magic of Oz", in which the Nome King and Kiki Aru convince twelve monkeys they will have an endless supply of food if they become human soldiers for them.