During the 1960’s mankind looked to the stars as both a way of hope and escapism from the the very real threat of nuclear annihilation, at the behest of two politically opposing superpowers. From the launch of Sputnik to the moon landings, the space race seemed like a more peaceful competition between the USA and the USSR.
Cinema naturally mimicked this trend and in the years that followed, iconic sci-fi films such as Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris and even Ridley Scott’s Alien explored both the sense of wonder and the perilous fear that came with space travel.
When Gravity opened to US audiences back in October, renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson took to Twitter to highlight some of the film’s scientific inaccuracies. However, any creative liberties taken are immediately forgiven as Gravity, a film that contain plenty of nods to the pioneers of space cinema, still stands tall as a technical, visual and operatic masterpiece all in its own right
In a plot brilliant in its simplicity – a routine maintenance mission to service the Hubble telescope – the crew of the Explorer space shuttle find themselves caught in a mid-orbit collision with the space debris caused by the destruction of an orbiting satellite.
As the two remaining survivors, Dr Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Lieutenant Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) find themselves adrift, cut off from mission control, their oxygen levels critically low and their transport left in tatters. Survival instincts kick in as the pair must use what limited resources they have at their disposal in order to make it back to Earth.
Gravity has a self-contained story that doesn’t require a degree in astrophysics to enjoy. In fact, the plot is one rooted in the primal instincts of humanity. Directed and co-written by Alfonso Caurón (Children of Men, Y Tu Mamá También), Gravity is an emotionally tense space thriller that isn’t held back by the gravitational pull of unnecessary backstory, complex mythology or even lengthy scientific jargon.
Kowalski tells Stone to set her watch for ninety minutes, and given that that roughly matches the film’s running time, most of the film unfolds almost in real time. From one heart-racing set piece to the next, the audience are rarely given a moment to take a few precious sips of oxygen before being thrust into another pulse-exhilarating peril.
Any hint of Sandra Bullock’s recent rom-com escapades are immediately forgotten, as she gives one of the most honest performances of her career. Taking the prominent role in the film, she deservedly is the only character to give any glimpse of backstory, a plot point used only to illustrate her emotional state as the rookie astronaut, struggling between accepting her fate or fighting for survival.
Clooney brings his usual suave chatty banter to his supporting role as the veteran space jock. Keeping his cool throughout, his heroics and ability to keep calm in what is one of the most distressing situations imaginable serves to really highlight Bullock’s performance at the emotional centre of the film.
The final player in the story is the soundtrack. In space, no one can hear you scream so thankfully Steven Price succeeds in creating a dark, brooding electro-symphonic masterwork that fills the silent vacuum of space with foreboding dread, in one of the finest film scores of the year.
Despite being filmed in studios firmly grounded on planet Earth, Gravity is one of the most convincing sci-fi dramas to appear on the silver screen, save for the glaringly obvious CGI accessories. The juxtaposition of the Earth’s inviting warmth and the cold deep abyss of space may put the characters between a rock and a hard place, but for audiences it's a gorgeous visual feast.
Even film critics and cinephiles (including this one) who have a fevered distaste for 3D cinema can’t deny the spectacular use of the medium to really emphasise the awe-inspiring cinematography from Emmanuel Lubezki. Not since James Cameron’s Avatar or Ang Lee’s Life of Pi has 3D film been used as such a key selling point in a film, and thankfully Gravity is much more convincing champion of 3D toolkit than they are.
Whilst deGrasse admits that his scientific nitpicking was meant as a compliment, Buzz Aldrin has a much more optimistic view on the film, stating that Gravity “couldn't have come at a better time to really stimulate the public.” From a cinematic standpoint, I for one hope he is right.
Reviewed for The Big List NI
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