THE MARTIAN
US, 2015, 141 minutes, Colour.
Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Pena, Sean Bean, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie, Chiwitel Ejiofor, Mackenzie Davis, Donald Glover.
Directed by Ridley Scott.
Most audiences will find The Martian very interesting and, with its blend of serious and comic touches, satisfying entertainment.
It is based on a novel by Andy Wier and the screenwriter, Drew Goddard, best known for a number of television series (Lost, Alias, Buffy), offers a very intelligent interpretation of the material, the work of NASA, space exploration, the possibilities for assessment of Mars, space technology, travel, and responding to crises.
Every reviewer has already said it but it is worth noting the impact that Gravity had several years ago and the impact of Interstellar. Interstellar was futuristic and took us into the exploration of what might be and its scientific implications as well as its transcendent cosmological implications. Gravity had a small focus, Sandra Bullock as an astronaut trying to deal with malfunction for survival, inviting the audience to share a dangerous and heroic space experience.
There was some sense of realism in Gravity, but the sense of realism, even naturalism, is the strength of The Martian. It is written and it is all presented as if this could be happening right now and in this way. There was something mythic about Interstellar and Gravity. This is realism that audiences can identify with, certainly the vastness of space and the enormous distances through space, the role of Mars in our consciousness, the skills and work of astronauts and their coping with crises. The dialogue is realistic, lots of (or not quite appropriately phrased) down-to-earth language, including some earthy expletives, and a background of popular songs including Starman by David Bowie, Abba’is Waterloo and, in part of the final credits, very appropriately, Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive.
British Ridley Scott has been making films for almost four decades, with one of his earliest films being the space drama with touches of horror, Alien. He has had an interest in the future, Blade Runner as well as returning to science-fiction-fantasy with Prometheus (and the promise of a further Prometheus episode). This time, his material and treatment is much more assured, consistent, audience-friendly as well as audience-challenging.
We all have some idea of what Mars could look like, the red planet. Jordan was chosen as one of the locations for Martian-like scenery. As the film opens, a team is collecting samples when, suddenly, an enormous storm looms up and the decision has to be made to return to earth. Botanist, Mark Watney, is knocked over by debris and thought to be dead. The team, with great reluctance, leaves Mars and returns to Earth. Mark is not dead and is faced with the options of succumbing and dying or to find ways of surviving and even communicating. (Memories of Robinson Crusoe, Cast Away - and even the 1960s Robinson Crusoe on Mars.)
Matt Damon is completely at home in the role, is always popular with audiences, and this serves him very well in getting audience sympathy and understanding as he confides to his in-space-suit camera and to cameras within the centre, how he is dealing with a stranded situation.
Two things to note. The film is highly optimistic in its perspective: that it is possible for the astronaut to survive for a long time, using his intelligence and wits, drawing on skills in improvising; and, secondly, that science is most important for survival. Advocates for the study of science will find this film a huge morale-booster and those who are not skilled in science will find that they have a greater appreciation of the need for scientific knowledge, investigation, and collaboration between nations (and collaboration with Chinese experts in this film is topical for the relationship between the US and China).
The film is quite long and great deal of it is devoted to Mark’s survival, saving machinery, making oxygen, sowing potatoes and using tarpaulins and engines to produce moisture, getting space vehicles going in order to rendezvous with the next Mars mission in several years time.
The film also has many sequences on earth, with the different NASA officials dealing with the situation, how much the public should be told, even whether to tell the homecoming astronauts of Mark’s survival, but all the time using expertise and lateral thinking to make communication with Mark, to find ways of landing supplies, of an ultimate rescue.
Everything does not go according to plan (although Mark is lucky not to have any major health and medical problems during his stay on Mars), there are some crises, differences of opinion between the experts, some individual decisions with touches of rebellion, and the use of common sense, practical expertise and deep knowledge.
On earth, the authorities include Jeff Daniels as the head of NASA, Chiwitel Ejiofor as the supervisor for the missions, Sean Bean as an expert, Kristen Wiig (moving to more serious roles lately although she stands out more in comedies). Jessica Chastain is the commander on the returning spaceship.
Because the film seems so topical, contemporary realistic, it does not come across as futuristic or as science-fiction. But it is most interesting and entertaining on these themes, building its tension and suspense in the final moments of the rescue mission.
1. Science fiction? Science fact? The realism of the treatment? The speculation about exploration in space, Mars, accidents and rescue?
2. The film as topical, NASA, the history of moon exploration, the expeditions to Mars? Space disasters? International cooperation? Mars as a target for investigation and exploration?
3. The adaptation of a novel, the focus on science? The director, his science-fiction, space stories?
4. The title, the overtones of Martian aliens and the War of the Worlds? This Martian not alien? Echoes of Robinson Crusoe, Cast Away stories?
5. The top line cast? Matt Damon, his screen presence, amiable for audiences? Audiences identifying with him?
6. The Mars sequences, filmed in Jordan, the deserts and mountains, barren and hostile? The contrast with Earth, NASA headquarters, other science centres, the media, Times Square…? The musical score and the range of songs from the period, David Bowie, Abba, Gloria Gaynor?
7. The plausibility of the plot, the developments of NASA exploration, the time taken to get to Mars and back, astronauts stranded, possibilities for rescue, the use of ingenuity, applications of science, human endeavour?
8. The opening on Mars, the group, collecting the samples, the particular characters, the commander, Martinez? Getting the information about the storm, boarding, Mark being hit, the commander’s decision, to leave – and NASA deciding not to tell the crew about Mark’s survival for some time, telling them and the effect, the commander and blaming herself, Mark’s reassurances?
9. The head of NASA, the public relations personnel, the various groups of experts, the amounts of information for the public, press conference, ensuring questions?
10. Mark as Robinson Crusoe on Mars, waking, treating his wounds, the issue of oxygen, fixing the oxygen supply, going inside the centre, the amount of food available, fixing the various machines, the plane, to wait for four years, the decision to grow potatoes, his skill as a botanist, the tarpaulin and the water? The potatoes growing?
11. The device of talking to the camera in his space suit, a plausible record of his survival, details of action?
12. The observer of the photographs on Mars, the realisation that there was movement, the range of staff, having to deal with the situation, the discussions, Teddy Sanders and his being in command, intuitions but by the book? Annie Montrose, her caution, attention to PR? Mitch, his expertise, background, disagreements with Teddy? The contact with Bruce, his team and expertise, building? The presence of Vincent Kapoor, his expertise, command?
13. Making contact, the movement of the machines, Mark relying on posters with information, developing his letter code, contact through the computers, dialogue, the messages?
14. The psychological effect for Mark? The rendezvous in four years, his travelling the thousands of kilometres, preparing? The discussions, his not blaming the commander and the crew?
15. His survival, food, fixing the vehicles, the psychological benefit of communication?
16. The storm, the destruction, the vegetables gone, his having to cope?
17. Earth, Barry and the building machines, the contact? Rich Purnell, eccentric manner and appearance, his skills, the maths, ideas, the presentation, the
initial reactions? Following his advice, the risks, venturing out and decisions by the book?
18. The Chinese and their space developments, secret? The experts discussing, the decisions, contact with the US, collaboration?
19. The spaceship, the characters, in themselves, interactions on the expedition, the different roles, the commander, Martinez, the computer calculations, the science? The news about Mark and their reactions? The possibilities to save him? Getting the information about Rich Purnell’s ideas, the discussions,
the boat, the risks, the decision to go back? The human aspects and their contacts with families on earth?
20. The preparation of the rescue, the vehicle, discarding so many parts to lighten it, using a tarpaulin, the details of the rescue, travelling and speed, the plan for the pickup?
21. Mark, the preparation, the vehicle, leaving the base and his appreciation of what had happened, the tarpaulin, ready to go, the tarpaulin flying off?
22. On the spaceship, the difficulties, the speeds, getting ready, the making of the bomb, the blast, the commander going into space, catching Mark, the winding of the tapes, being brought back into the spaceship?
23. Everybody on earth, NASA and the wait? The time? The public, Times Square, international interest?
24. The aftermath, the success of the operation, the effect on everyone?
25. The low-key ending, Mark going to the lecture, with the students – his survival and achievement?
