MISSION TO MARS
US, 2000, 115 minutes, Colour.
Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins, Don Cheadle, Connie Nielson, Jerry O' Connell, Armin Mueller- Stuhl.
Directed by Brian de Palma.
An expedition to Mars investigates a mysterious mountain, Cydonia, which comes alive and destroys all the members of the team except Luke Graham. Mission Control has to decide whether to send a rescue team.
Woody Blake is in charge of the new mission, working with his wife, Terri. He insists that Jim Mc Connell be co-pilot. It was Mc Connell with his wife (who died from cancer) who had pioneered the project. When they reach Mars, their vehicle is wrecked by meteorites and Woody, trying to connect with a module, drifts away and dies.
They discover Luke in his greenhouse and try to interpret the data from the mountain. They realise that the code is for DNA structure - and the mountain opens, offering air and a hologram of the solar system which reveals that after a meteor explosion the Martians went to another part of the universe although some went to earth and illustrates the process of evolution. When the group decide to go back to earth, Jim (still grieving for his wife) opts to accept the Martian invitation to go with them to a better, more peaceful world.
Mission to Mars had a very mixed reception, critics damning it for being derivative and silly while the Cannes Film Festival invited the film and De Palma for principal screenings.
While it is reminiscent of so many science fantasies for 2001: a Space Odyssey to Contact and The Abyss, as well as action adventures like Total Recall, it is a straightforward story of a failed expedition, a rescue mission and a revelation, which is very positive rather than destructive, about earth and about peaceful intelligence in the universe.
While director Brian de Palma used to make Hitchcock-like thrillers, in the 90s he moved to action adventure, especially the first Mission:Impossible movie. In fact, the heroics in Mission to Mars seem more like those of The Right Stuff and the teams combating meteors in Deep Impact and Armageddon.
Gary Sinise starred in Apollo 13 so is able to sustain the heroic role of the astronaut with integrity but also with vision. Tim Robbins leads the rest of the cast although he drifts into space and dies half way through.
In view of unsuccessful Mars probes in 1999-2000, the film takes a patriotic stance in favour of further exploration - as well as offering a visionary interpretation of intelligence in the universe.
1.Space exploration? The tradition of The Right Stuff? The tradition of explorations like Contact? The background of disaster films on Mars, Total Recall? The various influences on this action adventure in space?
2.The Earth sequences, anchoring the audience in the real world? The training stations, the Mission Control and the experiments for going into space? The space sequences, Mars and its surface, the mountain, the special effects for its destructiveness? The special effects for its interior? The final journey?
3.The patriotism of the film? The Americans and the exploration of the universe? The American flag? The musical score, songs?
4.The opening with Earth: the Fourth of July picnic, the introduction to Luke and his family, to Jim and his grief about his dead wife, Maggie? The introduction to Woody and Terri? Their good friendship? The reality of the mission - Jim not being in charge, Luke taking his place?
5.The transition to the mission? Luke and his abilities, the voyage to Mars, the year? The landing? Setting up, the exploration, the confrontation with the mountain? The mountain and the human face - the challenge of intelligence and mystery? The opening up of the face - and the special effects and their overwhelming destructiveness? The deaths of the crew? Luke and his survival?
6.Ray Beck and his decisions about another mission and rescue? Mission Control and its setup? Woody and the discussions, influence on the decisions? His going, Terri going with him? His decision to ask Jim and Jim's background knowledge? The insertion of the videos to give an impression of Jim and his relationship with Maggie? Their love? Their work and collaboration? Phil being a member of the team? The journey to Mars and the optimism? Life on the ship - gravity, the dancing and singing?
7.The meteorites and the destruction of the vessel? Decisions being made - for Terri, for Woody? His opting to go out, missing the link? Being stranded? The bond between husband and wife, the grief? The decisions - his removing his mask?
8.The landing on Mars, the mystery? The sudden confrontation with Luke? His surviving - his greenhouse? The mystery of his capacity to survive? The air? The plants? The confrontation with the mountain?
9.The team and their working on interpreting the codes from the mountain? The various possibilities, music (and Close Encounters of the Third Kind)? The realisation that it was DNA?
10.Confronting the mountain, going in? The vastness and the beauty? The hologram and the presentation of the universe? The history of the Martians? The visual presentation of the development of evolution? The destruction of Mars, their going to outer galaxies? Those who went to Earth?
11.The repercussions for leaving Mars? Phil and the vehicle, the split-second timing? Luke and Terri and their decision to go? Jim and his decision to stay?
12.Jim and his options, the hopes for a better universe, being reunited with Maggie? The departure of Jim as a kind of ascension into another world, another universe? The return to Earth?
13.The significance of the mission to Mars in terms of exploration, in terms of vision for the future and intelligent life in the universe?
