The Human Condom and Other Signs of Loneliness
This chapter cites human interaction in Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys which suggests that closeness is virtually impossible, whether in the 'future' or in the 'past'. It talks about the setting in 12 Monkeys, where there is a constant need to guard against infection that forces future humanity into protective shells called human condoms. It also describes the 12 Monkeys's many mythical characters, cross-over characters, look-alikes, half-remembered faces, misremembered faces, and disembodied voices. The chapter examines why communication, even about rather important things like the end of the world, so often ends in total misunderstanding, as it does in the scene with Cole and Goines. The chapter explores how identity is presented as uncertain, unsettled, and conflicted in the film.