the ideology of total recall

Rating: Null/10 (10 December 2003)

this is of course, one of arnold's best typical kind of films, contains lots of violence, lots of good one liners, beautiful women, and arnold saves the day.
at another level, it presents an interesting hollywood narrative that is rare as most hollywood films simply go on to say the system works or that the system is fine but individuals mess it up. the film presents rebels who are of course labelled as 'terrorists' by the media and the state (reminds me slightly of the situation in Chechnya and Central America in the 80's). However, through the course of the film we learn that the corporate presumably american interests are corrupt and evil and that the rebels are actually fighting for something meaningful. Bringing the atmosphere of Mars back so that the people can have freedom from Coohagen. In the end, the rebels suffer some defeat but achieve their victory, uncomprimised.
This narrative is quite radical for hollywood and I found it to be quite impressive. Much more than the conclusion of the Matrix Trilogy which basically concluded that social forces cannot achieve ultimate victory, and that the system eventually remains in place and that comprimise can only be achieved. This film is perhaps saying that dissent and rebellion can achieve something and make the world better. Something that is rarely a meaning in Hollywood films.
However, on another level, as someone else commented earlier, this could be all a dream as small hints were dropped throughout the film. In the end such ideas are just fantasies and unattainable, perhaps some recuperation could be existing there. Meaning that the film remains fail-safe in that the status-quo is maintained. In that case, quite sad.
Even in that case, it presents an interesting point of view that is not always present in Hollywood films. Perhaps critical thought can occur from watching these films, about, say corporate power? I'm definitely looking for the next film by Paul Verhoeven to see what social commentary is contained.