John Carpenter’s Christine: A Descent Into Mechanophilia
John Carpenter’s Christine (1983), based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, showcases Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon)’s slow descent into madness, as he buys himself a used car named “Christine” and becomes, progressively, obsessed with it. The car, however, has a mind of its own and starts killing everyone who dares talk ill of the car and/or Arnie, making him more recluse than he was when the film began, alone, in a quasi-relationship with an inanimate object. When My Strange Addiction (2010–2015, TLC) introduced Nathaniel, a man deeply in love with his car, in an almost erotic way, some people could think he is faking it, for the sake of TV. However, it’s a strange (but real) fetish called mechanophilia, which, according to Wikipedia, is a “is a paraphilia involving a sexual attraction to machines such as bicycles, motor vehicles, helicopters, ships, and aeroplanes.” Carpenter’s Christine isn’t a “random car kills people lmao” movie, but a profound study on how one man’s perverse sexual impulses drives him away from the people he loves — slowly corrupting his soul in the process.
Christine presents Cunningham as an outcast — wearing nerdy glasses, not caring a damn about his appearance and/or who his parents think of him. He wants to be more responsible — yet believes his parents don’t allow him the independence and responsibility he so desires. Thankfully, he confides in his best (and only) friend, Dennis Guilder (John Stockwell). He’s the only one that actively listens and sticks up to him when he is attacked by the school bullies. Cunningham is an easy target, because he doesn’t defend himself. Aside from Guilder, he’s completely alone. He resents his parents by never listening to their advice, thinking they’re preventing his emancipation in the world, so they won’t think about their own ageism. After a horrible day at school, he sees “her” (whose name is Christine) for the first time, and fireworks already clicks in his eyes. Guilder is baffled at Arnie — the car is decrepit, in horrible shape, and completely useless. Amidst all of Dennis’ protests, hoping he won’t buy the car, he does it anyway, because he saw her hidden beauty. As soon as he “brings her home”, his fetish starts to develop, and his social distancing more apparent. His parents doesn’t want him to have this “car” in their driveway, so he rents a place at Darnell (Robert Prosky)’s garage, hoping he’ll fix her up. As his relationship towards Christine blossoms harder than the quasi-hope of a relationship he has with Leigh (Alexandra Paul), whom Christine grows jealous of. As soon as he brings her to the “drive-in” and they make out in the car, Leigh has a bad feeling about Christine. She gives light slaps to the seat; which Christine doesn’t appreciate. IT hatches a plot to choke her, by making Arnie get out of the car, and make sure he can’t open any doors. Once Leigh is rescued by a bystander, it’s apparent that he doesn’t care about her — he gives more affection and care to his car than anyone else in the world. This is the first sign of a mechanophilic relationship.
Christine’s ultra-slow pace allows Carpenter to craft interesting and earnest characters whom we become insanely attached to. Seeing Cunningham’s slow descent into madness and mecanophilic eroticism is only welcomed if we allow its natural transformation to happen slowly. Christine is smarter than most average humans — this is why she progressively turns Arnie against “the world” (if you will) by the smallest of actions. The Car could’ve easily repaired itself (as it did) after being viciously totaled by the school bullies, but she wanted Arnie to see her, damaged, broken, alone, so he could blame everything on Leigh that she was responsible for this, because she wanted Arnie to get rid of IT. The Car has no friends; she’s an outcast, exactly like Arnie. This is why they’re meant to be together. This is why he sees so much of him in her. The dialogue Guilder builds into describing Christine also describes Cunningham’s loneliness. It’s brilliant writing from Bill Phillips (and Stephen King!)
Once you come to terms that Christine isn’t the vicious John Carpenter horror movie you could want and appreciate the littlest of details that transpire during Arnie Cunningham’s descent into mechanophilia, you will find extreme appreciation in it. It’s beautifully shot by Donald M. Morgan who captures aesthetically pleasing kills, that go hand-in-hand with its slow, almost melancholic pace. For the “kills” to work, you need to develop some form of personality with The Car. That’s exactly how Cunningham’s relationship with Christine works — it isn’t one of true love, but it permits Carpenter (and Phillips) to show that The Car is, indeed, human and has a mind of its own, slowly controlling Arnie’s mind in the process, and won’t be afraid of killing him. When he dies, however, he dies by her side. This is the most poignant visual moment of Christine — when her headlights turn off, it’s to pay her respects to Arnie, the only human who truly loved and appreciated her for what (yes, what) she was. Once the carnage starts happening (with a brilliant score from John Carpenter), it slaps hard, but the real star of Christine is Keith Gordon’s terrifying performance as Arnie Cunningham and how he socially distances himself from society by falling in love with a motored object. Sometimes, its ultra-slow pace falters, but it’s essential to our understanding of Cunningham’s corrupted psyche. Give a little bit of time to enjoy its slow cigar burn to progressively transport yourself in its, dark, twisted, and mechanically erotic world. A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.
