TRON (1982)

Director: Steven Lisberger | 96 minutes | action, adventure, science fiction | Actors: Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, David Warner, Cindy Morgan, Barnard Hughes, Dan Shor, Peter Jurasik, Tony Stephano, Craig Chudy, Vince Deadrick Jr., Sam Schatz, Jackson Bostwick, David S. Cass Sr., Gerald Berns, Bob Neill

Oh, those wonderful eighties. When the general public had no idea about the internal workings of a computer and you could therefore create wonderful fables about the possibilities of the invention that now (in 2011) dominates almost every household. Breaking into the Pentagon via a dial-up connection (‘WarGames’, 1983), transforming a polygon woman into a babe of flesh and blood (‘Weird Science’, 1985) – it was all possible. It was a beautiful time, which should definitely be remembered for its exuberant fantasies. Anyone who can switch off their sense of reality for a few hours will find brilliant entertainment in such productions.

This is also the case in ‘TRON’, the Disney film that was supposed to bring about a small revolution in 1982. It never got that far, but it remains a brave attempt, which is still worthwhile three decades later. The kind of courage it took to make not just a movie about arcade games, but specifically one set in a game world, is all too often sorely missed at major film studios. The story of games developer Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) who ends up in one of his own creations has gained such a cult status that it has even spawned a sequel deemed impossible – ‘TRON: Legacy’ (2010). A film, by the way, that, like its predecessor, is more about appearance than about content. Then again, yes.

The story is simple enough to summarize. Flynn tries to break into his former employer’s computer system to find evidence that current director Ed Dillinger (David Warner) stole his designs. During one of his attempts, he is, as it were, sucked into the computer system by the comprehensive Master Control Program (actually via a fancy laser) and he has to survive in the virtual world as a ‘Program’ called Clu. A world that literally consists mainly of straight lines and in which belief in Users for the Programs is strictly prohibited, under penalty of deresolution (in itself a completely absurd term, but hey – the eighties eh… The idea should be clear.) .

Flynn/Clu soon makes friends with Tron, who, not coincidentally, bears a striking resemblance to its programmer Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner). Just like Sark, the big bad in the virtual world (who serves the Master Control Program), has the same appearance as Director Dillinger. These parallels are very nicely implemented in the kinds of functions that the Programs have, making the virtual world a kind of mirror world. It is therefore a shame that relatively little is done with the big questions of life. The film could have been a lot more stimulating at that point. Plenty of opportunities.

But as mentioned, it’s all about the pictures. And although they obviously look dated, ‘TRON’ remains particularly beautiful to watch, certainly from a film historical point of view. The groundbreaking use of special effects as a means of telling a story was so new that the Academy ‘forgot’ to nominate the film out of fright. (‘TRON’ did receive a nomination for costume design and sound.) The editing leaves something to be desired here and there, but due to the infectious acting of Jeff Bridges in particular and to a slightly lesser extent Bruce Boxleitner, the story remains fun to follow. The viewer will have to accept that the soundtrack mainly consists of midi bleeps and bleeps. But hey, the eighties…