Enemy Mine

Enemy Mine – As the war between humans and the Dracs rages on, human pilot, Willis E. Davidge, becomes stranded on a strange alien planet and discovers a Drac pilot called Jeriba in the same situation. Initially, their mutual hatred and prejudice abounds but realising that their only chance of survival is to become allies, they begin to form a flourishing friendship .But is friendship enough to survive the planet’s deadly terrain?

Enemy Mine (1985) – Director: Wolfgang Petersen

Rating: 12

Running Length: 108 mins

Starring: Dennis Quaid, Louis Gossett Jr., Bumper Robinson

Genre: Science Fiction

REVIEW: ‘ENEMY MINE’

Based on Barry B. Longyear’s Novella of the same name, ‘Enemy Mine’ follows a very relatable story and well trodden story. Two characters who hate each other due to prejudice meet in extreme circumstances and find common ground, only to realise that there is little that actually separates them. While ‘Enemy Mine’ sets the story in the future with humans and an alien race, it could easily be set in today’s world with two feuding factions. While the special effects date the movie to a sometimes cringeworthy degree, the excellent and intricately detailed make up of the Dracs stands the test of time and it is a testament to Louis Gossett Jr.’s acting that even though he is completely covered in make-up, he excellently portrays an alien with strange and yet familiar mannerisms.

What ‘Enemy Mine’ is great at is showcasing the friendship between Davidge and Jeriba, which builds at a realistic pace from pure hatred to the point of genuine affection with plenty of banter in between. The relationship could easily become either too sincere or too silly but the chemistry between the leads (the aforementioned Gossett Jr. and Dennis Quaid) shines through. What also adds an extra element to it is the shadow of each other’s prejudice which still bubbles under the surface. A lot of the insults (particularly from Davidge) may be said in jest but still display the dislike each of them has had with the others’ species.

The cheap-looking effects may betray its age but at its core, ‘Enemy Mine’ is a timeless tale of racism, humanity and the power of forgiveness and its balance of fun and thought-provoking drama is something that can’t help but entertain.

CONTENT: IS ‘ENEMY MINE’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

The movie opens with a close-up shot of a dead astronaut floating in space whose visor has been blown out, the interior of the helmet is ragged and entirely black.

Two pilots talk in a spacecraft and one tells the other that he is looking forward to going on a date with a girl, the other mocks him saying that they used to call her ‘the white balloon’, implying that she was ridiculed for being very overweight. The other man defends her saying, ‘come on, she’s lost 20lbs!’

After the spacecraft crash lands on a planet, one man lies on the ground with some blood on his face. The other tries to help and reassure him but when he looks up then down a second later, the injured man has died with his eyes wide open.

On the alien planet, we see a huge bug with a hard shell fall into a pit. The ground beneath it begins to shift and a long tentacle slowly emerges, grabs the creature and drags it underground. The shell is then thrown out of the pit and has some blood and gore on it. This predator is shown a couple of times in other scenes, in one Davidge is almost killed by it but Jeriba manages to shoot at the tentacle. Although the tentacle retracts, the creature’s huge head suddenly appears, roaring with a large mouth. Jeriba shoots it again, making it retreat back into its lair.

When Davidge first sees that a Drac has also landed on the planet, his hatred causes him to try to kill it. As it swims in a small lake, Davidge pours fuel into the water and sets it on fire. This doesn’t harm the Drac though and when leaving the lake, he shoots Davidge with electricity making him convulse (although he is not seriously harmed by this).

Davidge discovers that scavengers have been visiting the planet. He does not think well of them and his narration explains that they ‘hunted Dracs for slave labour so we (humans) tolerated them’. These scavengers are seen several times, whipping their Drac slaves and treating them terribly.

A character becomes ill and tells another that they need to open his stomach. The other is devastated and terrified of losing his friend but reluctantly does as he is bid. This is quite an emotional scene.

A child is captured by the scavengers and is shoved around, the child manages to scratch one of his captors and three large bloody gashes are shown in close-up as the man screams in pain. One of these scavengers is killed when he is shot by an arrow.

There is a close-up of a partially decomposed Drac that has its mouth open. An established character is discovered near the body and initially appears dead, however he moves and is still alive but unconscious.

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘ENEMY MINE’ OK FOR KIDS?

Cheesy effects aside, ‘Enemy Mine’ is a powerful tale of what it means to be human. We feel this movie is appropriate for kids aged 6 and over.

• Violence: 2/5 (the final act of the movie becomes a little intense with Davidge fighting against the scavengers. He is punched and put into a metal container which is due to be filled with large rocks which will kill him)
• Emotional Distress: 2/5 (when events cause an established character to die, their companion is distraught, crying and asking them not to leave them all alone. The dying character is calm and accepts their fate)
• Fear Factor: 2/5 (the scavengers could be a little scary. The leader often stares with manic, wide eyes and is very aggressive)
• Sexual Content: 1/5 (some talk of dating)
• Bad Language: 2/5 (some mild cursing and moderate blasphemy. Davidge often calls Jeriba ‘Toadface’)
• Dialogue: 2/5 (talk of hatred, slavery and the desire to kill an enemy)
• Other Notes: Deals with themes of xenophobia, racism, prejudice, friendship, dependency, teamwork, parenthood, the importance of ancestry, slavery, love and forgiveness.

Words by Laura Record

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