METRO

Russia, 2013, 131 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Anton Megerdichev.

Metro is a disaster film, a spectacle, with chaos and heroism in the Moscow underground. It emulates the styles of the American disaster films and makes quite a success of the attempt. It is very strong on special effects as well as stunt work.
The film also has a human story running through it, sometimes referred to by several characters as soap opera. However, it gives a human underlying narrative to the disaster story.
The film opens well, highlighting Moscow, its underground train system, the tunnels, water mysteriously seeping through the roof and the sides of the tunnel. An old security man makes a report and the officials ignore him. In the meantime we are shown an emotional triangle, the wife and mother having an affair, her husband a doctor working hard in a hospital, the daughter missing her mother and asking questions about her. This is all done very early in the film and then it gets some of these characters on to the train and into the disaster area.
There are also explanations as to why the disaster happens. There is a device of the young man in the train, flirting with a young woman, explaining that he was a tour guide and giving an outline of the track, tunnels, the history, a secret bunker, river levels… Where later shown the officials meeting and discovering the truth about the situation and discussing plans and backup plans, especially for evacuation of the city. A further complication is that the streets of more Moscow are experiencing gridlock with too much traffic.
There is a focus on time, the action happening over one morning, with frequent references to clocks. There is also a deadline for searching for survivors before the tunnel is sealed and liquid nitrogen is poured into the tunnel to permanently block it.
The film focuses on the peak hour, the crowds of people on platforms, and in the train carriages.
And when the spectacle comes of walls collapsing, trains careering out of control, off the tracks, people being bounced about, the photography and effects work very convincingly.
Because the screenplay has been careful to highlight several characters, they form the survival group and a lot of time is spent with them, walking through the water, uncertain about what was to happen, experiencing waves, even getting to a skylight and trying to shout to people and traffic passing by, without success.
And throughout the disaster, there is conflict because the father and his daughter are on the train as well as the wife’s lover. And this conflict comes to a head.
The film is strong on showing people using their wits, taking advantage of whatever means are available for trying to survive, and explanations are given as to what was happening and why.
The film comes to a satisfactory end, and has capitalised on all the conventions of the disaster genre. And a little humorous final moment with the dog!

1. All the disaster movie tradition? The American styles? Used by Russian film-makers?
2. The film relying on audiences familiarity with disaster movies, enjoying them? The what if heroism?
3. The introduction of the theme, Moscow, the metro, the tunnels, deceiving water, the old man’s warnings, the officials ignoring them? Introduction of characters, the triangle, the doctor, his wife, the affair with th the other man the platform, the young couple, audiences ready to see their involvement in the disaster?
4. The old man, security, a scene of the water, working all night, the discussion with the officials, their suspicion that he was drunk, testing his breath? Ignoring her concealing information? Checking the pressure gauges? Film and going to buy the vodka, scene of the rapid woman, drinking, the arrest, explaining to the police, their ignoring him, letter apologizing?
5. The couple, one station, the situation?
6. Will…? Coping with the disasters? What if
7. The affair, sexual relationship, infidelity? The wife and her marriage, love for her daughter? The relationship with blood, going in the past? His going to work, her going home?
8. The doctor, At the hospital, helping the young man, the bone in his throat, the mothers gratitude? Going home, his daughter wanting her mother, her tantrums, the car blocking there’s, having to go to the station? Will
9. The traffic jam, the roads blocked, the impatience of the drivers? Black leaving the car, going to the station? The father and daughter going to the station?
10. The people packed in the carriage, the zoom shots along the interiors of the characters? The door to getting a seat, her father’s concern for her? The dog? The other people in the carriage? Men and women, younger and older? Cross cutting with the seeping, the water getting worse, to the if the buildup of the pressure, the water on the tracks? The driver, his losing control?
11. The spectacle of the train careering through the tunnel, getting the sides, people paints to ground, the injured? Some recovery, leaving the train, walking through the water and the tracks? A train and its two outs, crash and people?
12. The focus on the time, the clock? The people in the control’s? The water pressure? The young man in the train, having given his tool guide speech and explained the situation about the past, the pressures, the bunker, the water, the secrecy?
13. The authorities, having to cope, turning off the electricity, plans and backups, the shutting of the gates, the liquid nitrogen? Having been used in Leningrad?
14. The officials, the meeting, the tensions, the issue of evacuation?
15. The wife at work, her job with cosmetics, chatting with the separate tree, her moodiness, the boss, the television, her hurrying a way, court and the traffic jam, in the wrong lane, crashing into the car, her willfulness, leaving the men stranded? Running to the station? Her anxiety, waiting, the lists?
16. The couple, the girl finding it difficult to believe, the looters and taking the goods, her purse, the young man finding it, her getting her breath? Their working together? His being crushed, her pulling into the carriage? Helping her ventilator? His swimming under wants to get it, flair and his being able to see, servicing, the recovery, going together? Swept by the water?
17. The doctor and his daughter, his being crushed by the large man, his finding his daughter and her being well? The fat man and his tour, his contract and bad, the discussion of his fears, his marriage? Not wanting to go into the water? The dog and its being saved, accompanying the group? The woman survivor, her flirting with Vlad, rough and ready?
18. Vlad, surviving, on the roof of the carriage, finding the others, the plan, going to the front of the train, walking, getting into the water?
19. The person conflict between the doctor and Vlad? The daughter and her consciousness, concern? The fight and the daughters reaction? We’ll correct flood the resentments surfacing? Vlad and his despising of the doctor? Playing too little girl, calling her princess?
20. The water rising, the dog, the Mish in the war, everybody hiding as the war to read past? The paragraph the other train, waiting, fears, the drivers, keeping steady, slowly moving backwards, the passengers getting out, the platform and congestion, chaos, the escalators, the crowd? The police? The
21. Television, the cameraman, the footage, the announcer? The interviews with the range of people and there is reactions? The police, taking the camera, the cameraman-cassette? The material on television people seeing it?
22. The hospital, the beasts, people taken to hospital, the crowds, the barriers outside the station, the role of the police?
23. The group walking to the end, fine and agreed, listening it, balancing on the drum, shutting but not her?
24. The war to continuing, their being washed away, going back the way that Kay?
25. The special scorn, issues of life or death, risks, searching, hearing the group, making contact, the rescue?
26. The injuries, the cold, the code for the little girl, the sandwich, testing the phones, the necklace and polite, useful for the young men in the water?
27. The phone call, the work and Celine, to Vlad rather than her husband? Her talking to the train driver, his trying to get authorities’ to check out? The police refusing, demanding protocols for authorities?
28. The rescue, the mother walking away, turning? The driver and his seeing the acts coming through the great?
29. The family reunited, Vlad rejected, going to the hospital, the doctor with his family, winning through? Correct Dr.
30. The final humor with the dog giving in the ambulance?
31. An achievement for Russian filmmakers, emulating western styles, and making a success, especially with stunt work and special effects? While keeping audience interest in the human story?