When I initially saw the trailer for Gravity in theaters, I was skeptical of how successful it would be. The concept seemed too simple and trite to me, and I doubted whether the acting talents of Sandra Bullock and George Clooney would be able to save the film. However, after seeing Gravity, I stand corrected. Featuring excellent performances, well-executed direction, and a unique score, Gravity is a taut, riveting, tense, visually stunning thriller that shows the perseverance of humanity in the harshest of all environments.
In Gravity, medical engineer Ryan Stone (Bullock) and Lieutenant Kowalski (Clooney) are on a routine shuttle mission when disaster strikes and they must fight for their survival in the emptiness of space. Gravity is not a science fiction film in the classic sense: it is far more similar to a Jack London story of wilderness survival or a shipwreck tale, except now bleak space is the landscape in which man finds himself stranded and in peril. However, that does not detract from the success of the film because survival is such an important part of the human experience, and the spatial setting evokes images of classic space explorations and the film Apollo 13.
In conjunction with the overarching themes of survival and shipwreck is the perseverance of humanity. Despite overwhelming odds, Stone and Kowalski continue to combat and overcome seemingly unending obstacles in order to continue living when the simplest course seems to surrender hope and relinquish one’s life. Loneliness is also prevalent: the astronauts are alone in space with no witnesses to their plight and must cope with the emptiness surrounding them and the brutal reality that they may perish alone far from everything that they hold dear.
Bullock and Clooney excel in this film because they are so believable. Clooney stands out particularly for his wit and practical sensibility throughout the film, which allows for the few comedic moments in the film. Ed Harris makes an appearance as the voice of Mission Control in Houston, which is homage to his same roles in Apollo 13 and The Right Stuff—adding another note of nostalgia to the film.
The cinematography is simply stunning, making even empty, terrifying space beautiful in its own right. Throughout the film, Cuarón uses beautiful shots of Earth throughout the day, such as a sunrise, a night over the Middle East, and a hurricane traveling through the Pacific. The spectacular imagery is even more stunning in 3-D IMAX, which I’d argue is the format needed to fully experience and appreciate the film.
The music, composed by Steven Price, is also unique. It features no percussion and has a layered effect since Price recorded instruments individually and then electronically altered and mixed the sounds. The result is haunting, suspenseful, and reflective that is a personal favorite and certainly is one of the best in the past few years.
Director Alfonso Cuarón should (and hopefully will) receive an Academy Award nomination for his excellent direction. The pace that he sets for Gravity is perfect: tense with some moments of relaxation. Cuarón also obeys the laws of science and the classic tagline, “In space no one can hear you scream” by including moments silence throughout the film during spatial scenes. At other times, he couples the silence of space with the score, which creates an eerie, yet beautiful atmosphere for the film. Cuarón also makes excellent use of homage to classic spatial films in addition to using Ed Harris from Apollo 13 by portraying Ryan as an evocation of Ellen Ripley from Alien and reenacting a classic scene from Wall-E.
Filled with innumerable positive aspects and no visible flaws, Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity is a masterfully directed, visually stunning modern masterpiece that everyone needs to see.
