With the exception of some psychic WW2 scenes, which seem imported from an old "Combat" re-run, Johnny's psychic viewings are handled in an original and bizarre fashion, as he becomes their helpless observer. The best is surely the one in which he's lying in his hospital bed while alternately occupying a child's cradle, surrounded by real fire and the boiling water of a fish bowl (this doesn't seem feasible, but looks spectacular nonetheless).
There's also the final vision of ominous events, a clear case of doing much with little. It involves three men in a cabin (pretending to be Camp David) with a cheesy weapon device but by now the story has grabbed us to a point that this scene becomes tense nonetheless. Instead of relying on elaborate special-effects to tell his story, Cronenberg entrusts his actors abilities to do the job for him. Every one of these episodes, in their own different ways, helps us grasp why Johnny, much like Matt Damon in "Herafter." avoids them at all costs (although Damon's version of heaven seemed nicer and more inviting in comparison).
Despite the use of some standard horror devices, like the "awake and ready to scare" trick -- the seemingly sleeping Johnny inexplicably develops the urge to grab every hand in close vicinity, in tune with a large musical note -- "The Dead Zone" is a rather original picture. Its success is largely based on the script's constant ability to catch the audience off-guard, by taking us on several directions that have little do with our leads' story, but all manage to make it more relevant. In fact, it is made of three chapters that feel as if each belonged to a different feature. We watch it evolving from a first section of relatively small scale (involving the fates of just a few characters) to a second, larger one dealing with the investigation of the murders committed by a serial-killer. These are followed by a third and final act of apocalyptic repercussions with Senate candidate Greg Stillson (Martin Sheen) becoming a threat that shifts Johnny's focus away from himself and into more pressing issues.
Sheen's memorable performance has since influenced the way I tend to see real life politicians who seem a bit too emotive and intense for their own sake. His storyline appears to take the film in a different direction, but it actually provides Johnny's personal story with the unexpected opportunity to come full circle.
Early on, after Johnny wakes from a coma, Sarah foolishly allows him a one night stand that consummates a union that can't really go anywhere; as a result, there's a sense of loss throughout the rest of the film. Even when this love story had nowhere to go but hardship, the movie manages to render an elevating ending.
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