[Movie Review] Gravity

It was a random, spontaneous decision to watch 'Gravity' with my cousins and siblings yesterday, and it was probably best I didn't know much about the film before watching it. I'd only seen the trailer once, and knew the plot was could entirely be summed up as, "Sandra Bullock in space", but beyond that, I knew nothing.

So it ended up as a pleasant surprise that I quite enjoyed the film~ Because the plot is so simple (yes, if I had to sum it up in 4 words, it would be just, "Sandra Bullock in space"), it had quite a strong message and visuals laden with meaning and symbology.

Movie Review: Spoilers below!

Plot Synopsis

The film starts with an expedition sent to repair a space shuttle. The first scene opens with Dr Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock), Lt. Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) and Shariff Dasari (Paul Sharma) carrying out the repair work as per their usual routine.

Their work is interrupted when Houston Mission Control warns them that debris from a destroyed Russian satellite is heading their way, and they need to abort their mission immediately. However, the team doesn’t manage to evacuate in time, and the flying debris swiftly destroys their shuttle and space station. Dr. Stone is sent hurtling through the vacuum of space, with communications cut off from Mission Control and almost no way to get back to Earth.

It soon becomes clear that Dr. Stone and Lt. Kowalski are the last two survivors of the expedition, and they have to use all their limited resources to try and get back to Earth.

Official 'Gravity' movie trailer

Review:

What I loved best about this film is the very strong ‘pro-life’ message: advocating choosing life and survival over death in any situation, even when it seems like all hope is lost. When the things we take for granted – such as breathing, and even the ability to decide which direction we want to move in – are taken away from us, survival seems impossible, but living is infinitely precious and we have to strive to protect it.

I also loved the strong, subtle imagery in the film, all alluding towards the sacredness of life: the scene where Dr. Stone arrives at the space station and curls up in a fetal position, resembling a baby in the womb. And the final scene where she crawls out of the lake, determined to get on her feet and start walking resembling the first creatures to determinedly crawl out of the seas and onto land.

I felt that faith was also a strong theme in the movie: In the Russian escape pod, there was a small, painted portrait of Jesus and the Virgin Mary; while in the Chinese escape pod, there was a tiny statuette of the Buddha. And even when Dr. Stone confesses at the brink of death that she didn’t know how to say a prayer, she whispers, ‘Thank you’ when she finally touches firm ground on Earth. Faith and survival are strongly linked to each other, and I think it’s only human to acknowledge that we are only given control over our lives at the grace of a Higher Power (and this only becomes painfully clear when that control is taken away from us).

A scene I found endearing was when Dr. Strone was desperately trying to get back into contact with Houston Mission Control, only to pick up amateur radio signals from Earth, from an Greenlandic Inuit fisherman named Aningaaq. Even though they don’t speak each other’s language, they manage to have a conversation involving Aningaaq’s dogs and children. I felt that scene was very human, mostly because Dr. Stone had resigned herself to the fact that she was going to die up there and Aningaaq was the last person she was going to speak to, and the scene was all about acceptance of one’s eventual death. (Bonus Trivia: Apparently there is also a companion short film, telling the story from Aningaaq’s point of view. I think it will only be released with the DVD~)

It was a simple film, with a cast limited to a handful of actors. Though the special effects were amazing, the premise was very simple: How does one survive in space, against all odds? But the themes addressed were very strong, forming the backbone of the entire film. And the messages were delivered so subtly, purely through visuals and very poignant acting.

Definitely recommended for those who need a little affirmation that no matter how hard life gets, it’s always totally worth it. :)

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For more information:
>> 'Gravity' on IMDB