Alfonso Cuaron is a Mexican director
whose unique perspective and confident camera work make him a force to be
reckoned with in Hollywood. In a movie industry dominated by blockbusters that
boast high-grossing actors, 3D and special effects, what makes Cuaron’s work
stand out is his definitive treatment of these elements.
In his multiple Oscar nominated film Gravity, Cuaron constructs a story that
is set entirely in space. The film follows the harrowing journey of two astronauts
– Dr Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) – as their
routine space shuttle mission goes horribly awry. After the debris from an
exploded Russian satellite begins to hurl around the orbit of the Earth, the
two astronauts witness the destruction of their shuttle. They drift through the
vast recesses of outer space, some 370 miles above Earth, struggling to survive
the unforgiving conditions while finding a way home.
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Film Clip
Alfonso Cuaron, together with masterful
cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, juxtaposes familiar realms with the
unfamiliar. The astronauts straddle the terrain between two worlds, that of
Earth - magnificent, majestic, and comforting – and that of space – infinite,
mysterious, and frightening. The camera flows seamlessly, shifting from third
person to first person points of view. There is ample use of long shots which
are used effectively to dissuade the audience from looking away even for a
second. The visuals have a mesmerizing hold on the viewer.
Bullock is remarkable as the rookie
astronaut who must battle her inner demons as much as external obstacles.
Clooney, as the veteran mission commander with a penchant for spinning yarns,
is endearing. The journey of these characters is as much spiritual as it is
physical.
The film explores the binaries of
science and faith, heaven and earth and life and death. These dualities are not
in conflict with each other, rather they are coexistent. While space
exploration is seen as the pinnacle of human advancement, there is a recurrent
motif of God as an omnipresent force.
The director’s creative audacity, the unparalleled
cinematography and the portrayal of the indomitable human spirit are reasons
that make Gravity a visual odyssey which
must not be missed.
- Parinitha Shinde
Indeed this film is brilliant and deserves Oscars. Very good post by the author. She has rightly grasped the sensibilities of the film.
ReplyDeleteThe journey of the protagonist is not just into the space, but into herself as well.