When I heard that Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón was making a movie that takes place in space and stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, I was very interested. Cuarón wrote and directed one of my favorite movies from the 2000’s, Children of Men. The movie Children of Men is based off a book of the same title written by British author P.D. James. Children of Men (the movie) is a gripping tale about a world where women have become infertile and humanity appears to be coming to an abrupt and horrific end. It’s a shocking film that exposes the desperation of humanity in a terrible circumstance. While Gravity isn’t as emotional of a film as Children of Men, it touches on some of the same themes, namely how humans react to impossible situations in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Sandra Bullock is the “shining star” of this film. She plays the role of Dr. Ryan Stone, a NASA newbie on a mission in space to install a new technology that she engineered. Her counterpart, veteran astronaut Commander Matt Kowalsky (played by George Clooney), plays a lesser role as supporting cast to Bullock (brilliantly done might I add). If there were ever two people you would want to be trapped in space with, it would be Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Both did an outstanding job in making their characters believable, and leaving the audience wondering what it would be like to be in their shoes.
Visually, the film is a masterpiece. The visuals effects featured in this film weren’t even possible as little as three years ago. Cutting edge technology was used to pull this stunning film off, and Cuarón had to work hard to ward off the wolves at the studio who reportedly did everything they could to try to force him to make a film with more action, and less eloquence. Thankfully, Cuarón pointed the studio executives to a place where “the sun don’t shine” and put out what may end up being the best film (or at least best looking film) of 2013. I suspect the Blu-Ray version of this film will be an excellent test disc to view before committing to a TV purchase. It really takes color and contrast to task and makes you wonder what it would be like to look at the Earth from space with your own eyes.
Aside from the astounding visual effects and excellent acting, Gravity offers several thought provoking ideas:
1) Gravity shows that even the most meticulous plans can unravel at any moment. NASA houses (housed) some of the most brilliant minds of humanity. Scientists, mathematicians, engineers, astronomers, among other geniuses who desire to know the unknown. Every aspect of a space mission is calculated down to the T. Countless hours are spent preparing for potential catastrophes. While Gravity is a fictional work, it demonstrates that no matter how smart humans may be, we are ultimately imperfect beings who are subject to uncontrollable forces that operate all around us. The beauty of the movie Gravity is that it demonstrates chaos in a non-chaotic way that makes sense (unlike so many movies put out these days).
2) Gravity shows that humans are not designed to be alone. Lonesomeness leaves a black hole in our hearts. Many people consider solitary confinement to be an exceptionally cruel and unusual punishment. Countless psychiatric studies have shown that solitary confinement frequently results in mental illness. It’s a medical fact that human beings need human interaction in order to thrive and survive. Gravity touches on what it is like to be alone. It’s a painful experience that many people can unfortunately relate to. While most people aren’t likely facing as astronomical of a plight as Bullocks character, they will likely admit that they have faced situations in life that have left them feeling alone (hopelessly floating through space). Gravity touches on the hopelessness that all humans experience at some point during their lives, and leaves the viewer encouraged to endure their difficult circumstance knowing that they aren’t alone.
3) Gravity shows what humanity is capable of in extreme circumstances. This isn’t the first time that Cuarón addresses this issue either. In the movie Children of Men, humanity is depicted as utterly savage. The weak are preyed on by the strong, and everyone is exploited by someone who is in a better circumstance. Cuarón went a different direction with Gravity. Instead of an “Every man for himself” story line, the viewer is left amazed by what humans are willing to do to help their fellow man in an extreme situation, even to the point of sacrificing their own life to save someone else. I immediately thought of Jesus’ words:
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13.
4) Gravity shows that having hope can be the difference between life and death. If you are familiar with Cuarón ‘s style, you would know he is capable of killing off the main character at the end. I went into the film knowing this and truly did not know what to expect. As the story line progressed, hope radiated throughout. Things don’t always end up well at the end. Sometimes people endure tremendous amounts of suffering and never really receive any substantial relief from it. That’s the nature of the world that we live in (fallen). I thought of the three young women who were held captive in a Ohio man’s house for ten years, sexually abused, assaulted, and tortured on a daily basis. Despite their horrible circumstance (and the great possibility that the women just wanted to be taken out of their misery), the women say that they remained hopeful that maybe one day they could escape.
5) Gravity shows that all humans have a desire to know something greater than themselves. Bullocks character makes reference to her daughter who had passed away (prior to the mission) being in a place where she can be encountered again (if or when Bullock died). For the Christian, this place is called heaven. I’ve heard people comment that there are no atheists in a plane that is going down over the ocean. While I doubt that is true, Gravity presents a character who contemplates death and the afterlife (although brief) in the face of almost demise. The thought I pulled from that scene is that many of us have the resources we need to answer that question now as opposed to when our plane is going down in flames over the sea. There are answers to be found, one does not have to search the entire galaxy to find them either. Personally, I believe Jesus is the answer.
All in all, Gravity is an exceptional film full of beautiful imagery, excellent acting, and a stellar story line. I’d love to read your thoughts on this movie. Please comment below.
The Religious Nerd 