CONTAGION

US, 2011, 106 minutes, Colour
Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Marian Cotillard, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburn, Jennifer Ehle, Elliott Gould, John Hawkes, Bryan Cranston.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh.

Catchy title? No, that’s far too flippant a comment for this kind of very serious film. It is about contagion. It does show how a virus can spread. It is alarming how an epidemic can gather momentum. It is frightening in its visualising of the life and death consequences, in health, in the ensuing chaos in public order, in the time needed for antidotes to be developed, in the consequences in the disrupting of organised and routine lives.

One can sit through many a slasher film or monsters devouring humans (or nor) and know that it is only a fantasy. But, to watch the spread of a virus and realise that this kind of thing has happened and could happen, creates much more genuine alarm and fear in a cinema audience.

Steven Soderbergh has turned his director’s hand to all kinds of film since he won the main awards at Cannes in 1989 for Sex, Lies and Videotape. He has made small and experimental films. He has made big-budget movies like the Oceans trilogy. He has made the two part portrait of Che Guevarra. And now he has made a disaster movie. Not unlike those of the 1970s with a big star cast. He has three Oscar-winning actresses in leading roles, Gywnneth Paltrow as a bearer of the virus who dies at the beginning of the film (but, spoiler, is seen in later flashbacks), Kate Winslet as an American expert who is sent by Laurence Fishburne to work on site in Minnesota where the outbreak has occurred, Marion Cotillard as a Swiss World Health Organisation expert who goes to investigate in Hong Kong where the virus may have originated.

Matt Damon is the human face of the consequences, playing Gwynneth Paltrow’s husband. And Jennifer Ehle has an important role as a scientist who works for Elliot Gould who has been able to isolate the virus. Jude Law plays an obnoxious, interfering exploitative blogger.

So, plenty of good actors and plenty going on.

It is interesting to see the efforts of authorities to search for solutions, to handle the logistics of an epidemic in an American city, to control the media against alarmist reporting. The film shows scenes of rioting and looting but to make convincing impact with this theme, some more explanatory sequences are needed. The riots and looting happen quickly without sufficient explanation – though, of course, the audience does supply this.

The search for explanations of the origins of the virus lead to Hong Kong and some scenes in China.

Contagion is interesting in its rather realistic speculations of what might happen. It is also strongly cautionary in its promotion of hygiene and cleanliness. Without the big names, Contagion might have been too much of a downer for most audiences. But, the stars mean that more people will see the film – and perhaps be more thoughtful and cautious.
1. The film as drama, cautionary tale, atmosphere of realism? Creation of fear?

2. The title, its impact, explanation? The structure and the listing of days of the contagion? People coping or not?

3. The work of the director, his cast?

4. The stories, the links, isolation and connection?

5. The world locations, the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Hong Kong and China?

6. The details of Minnesota, the town, ordinary, the isolation, the military presence, the rioting and looting? The possibilities for world disorder? The role of authorities? Media and communication?

7. The introduction to Beth, the cough, at the airport, the Chicago stop, her phone call to the lover? Her return home, Mitch meeting her? Her son? The son going to school? Her illness, going to the hospital, the suddenness of her death? Her husband’s response? Her son, his illness, dying? Mitch’s daughter, arrival, concern? The isolation?

8. The later surveillance tapes on Beth, the business meeting in Hong Kong, the videos, the meetings, meals, cocktails, the people who touched things that she had touched – by accident, out of courtesy? The English girl picking up the card? The kitchen and the infections? The infection passed on?

9. The spread, Beth, the girl from England, touch, the nature of the illness, sudden, fever, coughing, sweating? Hong Kong and the waiter, Japan and the man on the bus? The investigation, Erin Mears, her work, becoming sick, awareness of the illness, trying to protect people, her work in prevention? Her death?

10. Mitch and his story, the human face of those suffering from the infection, his bewilderment, his daughter, her trying to contact the boyfriend, his banning his presence? Reprimanding his daughter? Their going to the supermarkets, their not being believed that they were not contagious? The final safety? The wristbands? The daughter and her boyfriend?

11. Doctor Cheever and his work, Roger and the friendship, discussions, his son and the need for some kind of medication? Doctor Cheever’s skills, responsibility, his personality, his relationship with his partner, with the authorities, accused of favouritism? The officials, their personalities, skills in coping with the situation, handling the media and investigations? A pending court case?

12. Erin, her skills, her working for Doctor Cheever, the strong job, her visit, taking control in Minnesota, the gymnasium, the encounter with Mitch? The locals and their help? Her collapse, isolation, contact with Doctor Cheever, his attempts to get a helicopter to rescue her? Her death?

13. Doctor Orantes and the World Health Organisation, the authorities, the information coming in, the contacts, her visit to Hong Kong, interviewing the officials, the people concerned, the Chinese man and his family, the plan for the abduction, the ransom, her being held, in the village, her working with the children, the deaths in the village, the engineering her release, the placebo and her not being affected, her decision to return to the village? The information about similar abductions and ransom demands?

14. The glimpse of China, the village, the desperation, the people dead, the Chinese men and their plan?

15. Doctor Sussman, his work, the orders for him to stop investigation, developing the antivirus? His work with Ally? His decision not to obey the orders, cultivating of the cells? His working on the antivirus? His success?

16. Ally, her work, assisting Doctor Sussman, the orders, the information, her continued work, experimenting on herself, visiting her father, the expectations? Her success? The background to people injecting themselves for the good of others?

17. The picture of social collapse, the ugly riots, selfishness, people jumping the queues? Looting?

18. The antidote, the time needed, the experts, the quantity needed, the holding of the lottery for people to get the antivirus?

19. Alan Krumweide, his wanting a scoop, discussions with the editor, his surliness? His medication? Natural? His website, the bloggers, his criticism of the authorities? The authorities arresting him? His defiance? Being an exploiter – and a conman?

20. The wristbands, people being declared immune? The restoration of order? As seen with Mitch and his family?

21. The film as a caution, the experience in the previous decade of SARS and Bird Flu? Health, hygiene, care and caution, scientific investigations, antidotes? Social order?