puter information was popular among audiences.
A Tron video arcade game, which included four
subgames based on sequences in the film, was intro-
duced in the same year and became quite profitable.
Later, computer-game film tie-ins would become de
rigeur for almost any action or science-fiction film.
Impact Although many critics felt thatTronem-
braced visual style over substance, the film quickly
gained a cult following among viewers of the video-
game generation. In addition,Tron’s relatively ex-
tensive use of computer-generated imaging (CGI)
hinted at the vast potential for computer technology
to be used in filmmaking and helped pave the way
for future breakthroughs in this area. In 2002, a
twentieth anniversary collector’s edition DVD was
released that included extensive features about the
making of the movie.
Further Reading
Bankston, Douglas. “Wrap Shot.”American Cinema-
tographer84 (June, 2003): 136.
Bonifer, Michael.The Art of Tron. New York: Simon &
Schuster, 1982.
Glass, Fred. “Sign of the Times: The Computer as
Character inTron,War Games, andSuperman III.”
Film Quarterly38 (Winter, 1984/1985): 16-27.
Amy Sisson
See also Blade Runner; Computers; Cyberpunk lit-
erature; Film in the United States; Gibson, William;
Science-fiction films; Special effects; Video games
and arcades; Virtual reality.
Trudeau, Pierre
Identification Canadian prime minister, 1968-
1979, 1980-1984
Born October 18, 1919; Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Died September 28, 2000; Montreal, Quebec,
Canada
The final part of Trudeau’s political career was particu-
larly significant, as his administration dealt with a major
economic downturn, a separatist movement in the province
of Quebec, increasing alienation among the western prov-
inces, and major constitutional reform. Trudeau’s impact,
however, extended to the international scene as he initiated
an ultimately unsuccessful peace effort in the months before
his retirement.
Pierre Trudeau’s political career appeared to end in
1979 when he and his government were voted out of
office. He even announced his retirement, although
he had not followed through on this when the Pro-
gressive Conservative government of Prime Minister
Joe Clark called an election for February, 1980. Tru-
deau led the Liberal campaign to victory and a ma-
jority government.The Domestic Agenda Once back in office, Tru-
deau and his government quickly had to face a refer-
endum in the province of Quebec, as its sovereignist
government under the leadership of Premier René
Lévesque sought a mandate to begin the process
that would ultimately lead to a form of indepen-
dence for the province. Trudeau, a strong federalist,
had long opposed Quebec nationalism, and he and
his government made a concerted effort at defeat-
ing the referendum, which they did decisively. Part
of Trudeau’s campaign involved the promise of con-
stitutional reform. He followed through on this in
1982, when the Canadian constitution was brought986 Trudeau, Pierre The Eighties in America
Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, around 1980.(Library and Ar-
chives Canada)