A few thoughts on Source Code:
First off, congrats to Duncan Jones on avoiding sophomore slump. Moon was excellent, and while Source Code is far less artsy, it’s no less engaging. Also, seems like he’s got a thing for scruffy guys being used heartlessly by larger entities via super-advanced technological means.
Secondly, I love me some Dunkin’ Donuts, but the product placement was obnoxious.
Thirdly, and most importantly, we now have another film to add to the Gaming Narrative Film Fest we may someday have if we get enough movies together. See, a while back, Will Wright gave this seminal lecture on film narratives vs. game narratives which basically boiled down to: Film narratives are linear whereas game narratives explore a game space.
As an example of a film that closely resembles a game narrative, he offered up Groundhog Day. Bill Murray explores the game space of Punxsutawney before returning back to square one and doing it all over again, learning as he goes.
Other films touch on this—Run Lola Run, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World—but Source Code is the first film since Groundhog Day that most closely follows a gaming narrative. Here, our hero has 8 minutes instead of 24 hours, but the impact is the same.
As games become more pervasive, I’m curious to see if more films adopt this narrative structure, or if it becomes more of a gimmick that only gets used every few years.
Dunkin’ Donuts product placement? Or Duncan Donuts product placement!
Maybe that’s his way of forging his own identity, outside the shadow of his father (David Bowie). That’s one of the only reasons I can think of why “Space Oddity” wasn’t anywhere in Moon (though I guess royalties would be another reason).