Jay R
Instructor Donna Reis
Hum 105
14 July 1998

1.  I am writing about the short story "Johnny Mnemonic" by William Gibson and the film _Johnny Mnemonic_, starring Keanu Reeves and directed by Robert Longo.

2.  I think the main theme of Gibson's short story is to create a striking world, a shocking future where the line between man and machine is blurred yet where man's basic instincts for survival continue to exist.  In this future, the wealthy and powerful Yakuza will do anything to keep their influence over society, just as Johnny and the Lo Teks will stop at nothing to rise above their own situation and use the knowledge possessed (by Johnny) for their own benefit.

3.   I think that one message of the movie is to show the never-ending conflict that exists between good and evil.  Technology here seems to be used more as a backdrop for the hero-villain battle that we are used to seeing on the big screen.  Keanu Reeves is the "hero" who overcomes his fear of death and loss of memory (not to mention a crazed, technologically enhanced maniac Dolph Lundren) and saves the world from a deadly epidemic.

4. Professor Harris comments that the film is a "formulaic Hollywood action-adventure story" targeting young, single males ("Hollywood's most loyal customer").  As such, the story and plot are thus manipulated and modified to make it marketable to a specific audience.  Her comment has strong implications of the power of the medium to influence the story and explains why the movie and short story plots are not identical.  The movie director must paint a very clear picture of what is happening while a writer may leave much to the reader's imagination.

5.  Johnny Mnemonic smuggles stolen information in his mind, a laser whip is used to cut and kill people quickly and efficiently, and in the film the dolphin even kills Dolph Lundren with his own sonar technology.  Why is technology used negatively by both the bad and "good" characters?  Is technology Gibson's true villain, or is it mankind?

Jay R