Point Break - Kathryn Bigelow (1991)

From a chemical point of view, it is a product designed to almost instantly trigger the chain of reactions that prepare the body for extreme conditions. The starting point lies in the synthesis of the amino acids tyrosine or phenylalanine, which through stereoselective L-DOPA hydrolysis (and a decarboxylation process) becomes an active dopamine. Manufactured and circulated by the medulla oblongata gland, its effects are immediate and lead to accelerated heart rate, conjugated with vasodilation and bronchial volume increase, all in order to favor lipolysis (glucose production).

In identified "crisis" situations, it functions as a neurotransmitter, spontaneously activating nerve receptors and establishing a general state of alertness. It is called adrenaline but is also known as epinephrine or suprarenal.

In literature, adrenaline belongs to the biochemistry of emotions, and the term has popularly taken on a semantic charge for some to manage their actions at extreme levels, as an important imperative to fulfill in an original lifestyle.

Point Break, the fourth feature film by director Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Blue Steel, Zero Dark Thirty) has been dubbed by some critics as the "Pure Adrenaline Edition" and the film still holds the top spot in rankings for the most intense action scenes, the most risky stunts performed by actors without doubles, the most captivating images of surfing or skydiving.

Indeed, inside someone accustomed to a dormant life, confined to routine and everyday life, the images that succeed each other on the screen at a high speed induce a sense of accusation, if not condemnation; however, beyond the structure of a fairly common scenario (a gang of bank robbers made up of extravagant young people) or loaded with spectacular concerns, Point Break also proposes (in parallel) a complex existential, philosophical dilemma.

None of those who make up the "gang of former presidents" steals out of material needs or the impulse of inaction; their motivations come from the realm of protest and social dissatisfaction, of aspirations, passions, and common sensitivities. They share the same interpretation and understanding of the universe. The attacks are mostly symbolic because their basic rule is to never force the treasure of the robbed branch. The stolen money at the cashier level (small change) is insured anyway. The victim is only the bank and the system it represents. No client suffers any loss, but they gain a remarkable experience: participating live in a bandit hold-up... once again, adrenaline.

However, Point Break is not just a special production for that. Up to this point, it fits perfectly into the category of "California" movies, and the praise for surfing is an inseparable part of the genre that holds a dedicated, albeit small, but constant audience.

It is not a production that revolves around actors with a wide audience, although at the time of its release, the two main protagonists were "on the crest" and literally... In addition to high-class cinematography (the chase scenes on the narrow alleys of Santa Monica, skydiving, and surf shots are absolutely brilliant), the narrative of Point Break leaves all this in the subtext, the entire meticulously and carefully constructed ambiance serving only as plot support, in which it is actually about something completely different.

Only the name of the unofficial leader of the group of surfers, Bodhi (Patrick Swayze), throws the first marker into the script, and that is quite late. Because "The Bodhi Tree" signifies Buddhist religion the magical place where someone can offer enlightenment to someone else... He is the hint that puts us on the path of the targeted story. (Bodhisattva - wakefulness)

Enlightenment is not accessible to everyone, and if Bodhi can transfer it, the disciple eager to receive it must have the resources necessary to receive the gift, and Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) has them. All the qualities that allow him access to the supreme threshold of becoming are deeply concealed in his soul as a fresh FBI agent and former professional American football player. Bodhi does nothing but triggers an armed mechanism to function independently in a single direction, but the mastery loses nothing of its grandeur, remaining at the level of the instructor who knew how to discover his apprentice endowed with a gift.

From beginning to end, Point Break is just the story of an initiation ritual with distinct phases of reverse asceticism, and the clever transposition of this experience onto the screen in the form of a vacation story full of memorable events triggers a true revelation in the viewer.