A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME
US/UK, 1992, 84 minutes, Colour.
Stephen Hawking.
Directed by Errol Morris.
A Brief History of Time is a striking documentary about physics and the work of Stephen Hawking. The screenplay by director Errol Morris is based on the book by Hawking. (Errol Morris is a celebrated American documentary maker who achieved international reputation with his study of a crime and police treatment of a criminal and evidence in The Thin Blue Line.)
Morris has made a very stylised documentary from the book. It uses many interviews - with brief enough excerpts to make them continually interesting and the audience wanting to hear more. In this use of interviews, Morris is able to go back and give a biographical outline of Hawking's life, his illness and his work. Chief among those interviewed for this period is Hawking's mother, a very strong personality who even suggests that we should not take literally everything that her son says. His sister is presented as far more intellectual, giving us some idea of what Hawking might have been like as a child. (Comparatively absent from the film is Hawking's wife of so many years who worked with him, supported him - but they were separated in 1990.)
Many of the interviews are with fellow students from the past and colleagues. This gives the opportunity for presenting some of Hawking's theories as well as giving some critique of them. Use of visuals, maps, charts enable something of the theory to be understood by the ordinary audience. With its focus on physics, black holes, the origins of the universe, the Big Bang theory and the Big Crunch theory, the film also uses with tongue-in-cheek style some excerpts from Walt Disney's science fiction movie, The Black Hole.
The film also offers opportunity for the audience to see Stephen Hawking himself. Diagnosed at the age of 20 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an incurable disease which eventuates in complete paralysis of the body while leaving the intellectual capacities unimpaired, Hawking has transcended his time span of life and has been able to communicate via a computer and a voiced computer. Thus Hawking himself is able to enter into the film.
The musical score is by Philip Glass and is a poetic commentary on the subject matter of the film.
1.The impact of the film as documentary, as biography, as supplying critical information, history of science, maths and philosophy, theology?
2.The work and the life of Stephen Hawking? His repute in academia, in popularising physics and physics issues? His personal life, his illness, overcoming the extraordinary limitations of illness? A 20th century figure?
3.The documentary work of Errol Morris, the writing of the screenplay, adapting Hawking's book, creating a biography, creating an intellectual portrait, creating an expose of theories as well as a critique? The interview techniques and the effect of the interviews? The picture of Hawking himself? Archival material as background to Hawking's life? Documents and charts, documentation? Excerpts from the movie, The Black Hole?
4.Audience appreciation of Hawking and his views, their origins, his experience? His religious background and yet his leaving this be, critical of theology and faith? Maths and physics? The questions of time, the origins of the universe? The physics of collapsed stars and black holes, the consequences? His insights, his questions? The mathematical interpretation of reality? His cosmology and theological conclusions? His mother's comment about everybody speaking sense and nonsense? His admitting to mistakes, the possibility of change in his theories?
5.The history of the world and of time, the Big Bang and the controversies over the centuries? The nature of energy and the dispersal of energy, the consumption of energy? The stars and the galaxies, the contraction of stars, the expansion of the universe? The end of the world, the Big Crunch?
6.Hawking's biography, 1942-91? 1942, being born during the Blitz, evacuated to Oxford? Mrs Hawking's comments on her son, on their life, the war? His sister and her comments of his intellectual prowess and ways of entering the house? The background of school life, his alleged laziness? University? His offhanded treatment of his studies, solving physics and maths problems? His solving 10 problems where his colleagues could barely solve one? The diagnosis of his illness, his learning to cope? Strong-willed? His decision for life, for study? Going to Cambridge, his intellectual achievements? His being offered the professorship? The influences on him and his own influences? The background of his marriage? The physical deterioration? The chronological presentation of his work and speculations - and the seminar at the Vatican in 1981, the audience with the Pope? His comments on religion? The growing illness, the help of the computer? The voiced computer? The accident - and yet his surviving it? A determined man?
7.The film's presentation of the family perspective, his mother, sisters, outsiders and their comment on the family?
8.Fellow students, the memories of student days, the comment on his brilliance?
9.The interviews with scientists and mathematicians, the range of views, agreeing with Hawking, differing from him? Speculations?
10.The theme of black holes - and the popularisation through the Hollywood film?
11.Themes of the universe, the vastness of time, the pattern of human life and its own dying as a pattern for the death of the universe? The implicit religious and theistic questions? The final words of the film - the mind of God?
12.Cinema as a way of communicating speculations about physics and science, maths, philosophy and religion? The blend of words and images? The historical and biographical perspective enabling people to understand and appreciate? The use of contemporary media technology for exploring and communicating such ideas?
