Seconds

Adapted from a David Ely novel, the final chapter in Frankenheimer’s “Paranoia Trilogy” shapes up to be a clear-eyed, merciless study in social science fiction, hinging on a savage critique of the utilitarian and depersonalizing logistics of the capitalistic world. The dissatisfaction caused by a frenzied daily life dominated by technology but increasingly devoid of meaning is reminiscent of Edmund Husserl’s philosophy, which in the well-known “The Crisis of European Sciences and Transcendental Phenomenology” (1936), underscores how the natural sciences, despite progressively increasing humanity’s output, have brought about a “distancing from issues that are crucial for an authentic human nature”.

With that in mind, the film brings to the forefront certain pet concepts of existentialism (a heterogeneous line of thought heavily influenced by Husserl’s phenomenology), such as the isolation of the Ego, a sense of failure and pointlessness, and the inexorable passing of time (thus the title “Seconds“). And this is where the operation really turns “diabolical” (the movie’s Italian title is “Diabolical Operation”) in that contemporary man’s weaknesses become fertile ground for exploitation by the very same system that caused the weaknesses in the first place. In this case, the “system” is represented by a kind of mysterious, underground “Company” specializing in selling supposed happiness.

Unbelievably cynical (among other things, the Company doesn’t shrink from blackmail, “just a kind of insurance“) and aware of the structural nature of modern malaise, it further exploits the dissatisfied clients it’s already ripped off when they show up again asking for a second chance at a new life – they end up in a morgue, their specially-prepared bodies ready to be used to stage the deaths of future clients. A potentially endless process marked by near-total efficiency.

Even more disturbing is the revelation that the Company was launched with philanthropic motivations (“I wasn’t aiming to make a lot of money, helping others… helping them to find a little happiness”); however, the Company’s rapid growth and increasing complexity ended up putting the profit motive ahead of every other consideration (“The organization was pretty big by then […] You’ve no idea what a financial responsibility it turned into“).

The overall picture is really quite depressing, and Frankenheimer’s alienating direction only adds to the discomfort, with his use of distorting and wide-angle lenses accentuating the symbolism and dreamlike quality of certain extremely evocative sequences (kudos to James Wong Howe’s Academy Award-nominated black-and-white cinematography).

It’s interesting to note how the film is characterized by the presence of profound psychoanalytic influences which emerge both in the terminology used (“expressional infrastructure” are mentioned along with defense mechanisms that hold the libido in check such as “regression” and “sublimation”), as well as in the relational dynamics between characters (the employee’s slip of the tongue, mixing up “client” with “cadaver”, represents a brilliant example of dark irony).

Absolute masterpiece.