MovieChat Forums > A Scanner Darkly (2006) Discussion > The scramble suits, editing the surveill...

The scramble suits, editing the surveillance footage...

posted 14 years ago by BouncyCastle
2 replies | jump to latest

I think I understand this movie for the most part, but I'm confused about a couple things:

1) Why exactly do the agents wear their scramble suits all the time at the station, including around each other?

Obviously, this has to be done so that Hank/Audrey/Donna and the other agents can pull off their plan of getting Arctor addicted to D, and have him (unknowingly) infiltrate New Path. If Arctor knew "Donna" was in fact an agent, their plan wouldn't work.

I also get that agents would always wear their scramble suit at the station because suspects are frequently being questioned at the station- they don't want to give away their agents' identities to suspects and criminals.

I feel like there has to be another reason, but I'm not sure what it is. So the problem I have is, it seems odd that these agents who work together have no idea who their co-workers are, because of the scramble suits. From Arctor's point of view, wouldn't it be odd that there's a policy that you are never allowed to show your identity to a fellow agent? Again, the other agents who knew of the bigger scheme need this policy to carry it out, but it seems like an agent like Arctor would seriously question it. If you're in a fellow agent's office, and there are no suspects around, the door is closed, etc., don't you think the agents would have a desire to actually meet each other, get to know each other, and actually SEE each other?

So, what would be a plausible rationale for this policy to exist (other than the larger Arctor/New Path scheme)?

2) Why did Hank tell Fred to mostly edit himself out of the surveillance footage, but to leave himself in a little bit, so that his fellow agents won't find out who he is by process of elimination?

Related to question #1. Why would it be bad for the other agents to find out that Arctor is Fred? (Hank/Audrey and presumably many other agents are of course fully aware of who Fred is).

I guess my point is, from Arctor's POV, the policy that agents are not allowed to know their fellow agents' identities doesn't really make sense. Right?

Sorry for the long post.

"If this wasn't my son's wedding day, I'd knock your teeth out, you anti-Dentite bastard."

[–] saint665 14 years ago

The scramble suits are mostly for the reasons you give. Yes, it's a bit odd that agents wouldn't know each others' identity, but suppose one of the agents is also on the payroll of some crime org. It requires a bit of suspension of disbelief, but I think it fits in well with the police state setting where anyone can drop the dime and narc out someone else. They also mention that all agents identities are known by higher-ups, but we're dealing with low-to-mid level members of the police bureaucracy.

Hank explains to Fred that he shouldn't edit himself out too much, because otherwise someone watching the tapes would figure out Fred was Arctor. Remember: the higher-ups know who's who, but not the lower ones double-checking the tapes (which apparently they do: specifically stated in the book.)

Hope that helps. Like I said, a bit of suspension of disbelief is needed, so it's best not to dwell on it too much.

"That's right, ma'am: I'm in charge here. No one's getting through to you unless I say so." - Pancho Grande ("Touch of Evil")

[–] asmodeusporter 14 years ago

I saw on some behind the scenes stuff that they explained part 1 better. Basically, the main reason for wearing the suits around there (aside from what you mentioned) is so that they can maintain their cover as undercover detectives. If they bring in someone to question them, the person who has more personally invested in the case can question them without blowing their cover. It seems like a pretty good way of doing that. This would also help keep their cover from being blown at something routine (basically any time that they are acting as a police officer instead of as their cover status they would be in the suit) like the conference at the beginning, or if one of the people in that peer-group got busted on a regular charge and he happened to be walking around the station doing paperwork at the time.

As far as part 2 goes...there have been several novels and movies about double agents and crooked cops. It's not common, but in any society there are going to be a certain amount of "good guys" that will sell information for money or favors to the "bad guys." Not letting the other cops that he is working with know who he is, keeps him from being sold out to the people he's investigating.