The Cell (film)
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The Cell is a 2000 psychological thriller film directed by Tarsem Singh and starring Jennifer Lopez.
Plot
Child psychologist Catherine Deane (Lopez) is an expert in an experimental treatment for coma patients: a virtual reality device that allows her to enter into the minds of her patients and attempt to coax them into consciousness. When serial killer Carl Rudolph Stargher (Vincent D'Onofrio) falls into a coma before the FBI can locate his final victim, Agent Novak (Vince Vaughn) persuades Deane to enter Stargher's mind and discover the victim's location. Stargher's victim is imprisoned in a cell in the form of a glass enclosure that is slowly filling with water by means of an automatic timer.
Deane enters Stargher's twisted mind, where she is confronted by both the violent and innocent parts of the killer's psyche. The innocent half shows her the abuse he suffered at his father's hands, and the drowning of an injured bird as a mercy killing. Deane attempts to nurture the innocent side of Stargher's mind, but his murderous half thwarts her at every turn.
Despite Deane's best efforts, she becomes trapped in Stargher's dark dreamscape. Novak volunteers to enter Stargher's mind and attempts to rescue her. He breaks Deane from Stargher's hold and discovers clues to the whereabouts of his victim, Novak relates his revelations to his team and they are able to track down the location of Stargher's victim (Stargher had been entrusted by a company to take care of an advanced water pump, which he used to fill the cell with water). Novak discovers Stargher's secret underground room and saves Stargher's victim just in time. Meanwhile, Deane decides to reverse the process and pull Stargher's mind into her own. She presents Stargher's innocent side with a paradise, but his murderous side is always present, and manifests as a serpent. This time, however, Deane has all the power; she attacks the serpent-Stargher, but discovers that she cannot destroy one half without killing the other. Stargher's innocent side reminds her of the bird he drowned, and she kills him out of mercy. She adopts Stargher's dog, and successfully uses her new technique on her other coma patient.
Artistic influences
Some of the scenes in The Cell are inspired by works of art. A scene in which a horse is split into sections by falling glass panels was inspired by the works of British artist Damien Hirst. The film also includes scenes based on the work of other late 20th century artists, including Odd Nerdrum, H. R. Giger, and the Brothers Quay. Tarsem — who began his career directing music videos such as En Vogue's "Hold On" and R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion" — drew upon such imagery for Stargher's dream sequences. In particular, he was influenced by videos directed by Mark Romanek, such as "Closer" and "The Perfect Drug" by Nine Inch Nails, "Bedtime Story" by Madonna, and the many videos that Floria Sigismondi directed for Marilyn Manson. During a scene, Jennifer Lopez falls asleep watching a film, the film is Fantastic Planet.
