After pandemic, global economic catastrophe and increased threat of nuclear annihilation it looks very likely that 2019 will be remembered as the last good year, at least for majority of world’s population in many years to come. It is, therefore, quite ironic that the same year was used as title and setting for post-apocalyptic film that described the world which is (still) in shape far worse than our own. It is 2019: After the Fall of New York, 1983 Italian science fiction film directed by Sergio Martino.
The plot takes twenty years after apocalyptic war between Euro-Afro-Asian Monarchy (EURAC) and Panamerican Confederacy. EURAC has won, but that victory was quite Pyrrhic, considering that nuclear bombs made most of the world into unlivable desert, while radiation turned many survivors into mutants and all women infertile. Protagonist is Parsifal (played by Michael Sopkiw), former Confederacy soldier who entertains dwindling number of people in Nevada desert by fighting to death in gladiatorial demolition derbies. He gets forcefully recruited by remnants of Confederacy whose President (played by Edmund Purdom) sends him to important mission in the heart of EURAC-occupied New York City. His task is to find last remaining fertile woman who is rumoured to be in the city and bring her to Confederate main base where she would be put in spaceship destined for Alpha Centauri and her eggs used to make new humans on another world. Parsifal is accompanied by one-armed guide Bronx (played by Paolo Maria Scalondro) and bodyguard Ratchet (played by Romano Puppo). Among the mutants and half-crazed survivors they discover healthy-looking Giara (played by Valentine Monnier) with which Parsifal immediately falls in love. While she turns out not to be the target of his mission, she joins his band, together with dwarf Shorty (played by Luigi D’Ecclesia) and Big Ape (played by George Eastman), leader of ape-like mutants. They try to find the woman while being pursued by EURAC forces, which are led by relentless commander Anya (played by Anna Kanakis).
Made by veterans of Italian exploitation cinema, 2019 is clearly inspired by John Carpenter’s Escape from New York and represents the attempt to cash in on that film’s success. However, it isn’t the shameless ripoff, because scriptwriters also used elements of other popular films, most notably Mad Max 2 and, to a lesser degree, Planet of the Apes. Comparisons with those classics are, however, predictably against 2019. This film was made with very low budget, which is most visible in laughable special effects. Many scenes are rough around the edges, and the effect is made worse by uninspired musical score by Oliver Onions. On the other hand, Sergio Martino (credited under pseudonym “Martin Dolman” in English version) directs film confidently, maintains quick pace and delivers plenty of dynamic action scenes which feature a lot of graphic violence and gore, presented in often inventive manner. There is very little nudity, except near the end in scenes that might be questionable for some sensitive viewers. Acting is solid, with American fashion model Michael Sopkiw doing a decent job in his film debut. The rest of cast does good job too, with possible exception of George Eastman whose charismatic presence is ruined by bad make up. Former Italian beauty queen Anna Karakis also does good job in the role of ocassionally depraved villainess, but her character is underdeveloped and subplot featuring her unresolved. While delivering an interesting story, film’s excesses at times put it in “it’s so bad it’s good” territory, which isn’t that unusual for some cheap exploitation films. 2019 had decent commercial results for films of this type, but it relatively quickly sank into oblivion. Later it became interesting, because its premise was similar to the one used by British writer P.D. James in her famed dystopian novel Children of Men. While it is debatable whether she was influenced by film or not, such debates don’t exist in case of Alfonso Cuaron 2006 screen adaptation, which borrows some visual and story details from this film. For less curious and less demanding viewers, 2019 could provide some fun, but probably not when its fiction is compared with trends in real world.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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