Z FOR ZACHARIAH
US, 2015, 98 minutes, Colour.
Margot Robbie, Chiwitel Ejiofor, Chris Pine.
Directed by Craig Zobel.
At one stage in this film, a book is shown, A for Adam. The implication is that these people, survivors of an apocalyptic experience, are A, the last on earth.
This is a very quiet post-apocalyptic film, a three-hander. The setting (filmed in New Zealand) is an American mountain location, hills and valleys, waterfalls and lakes, a peaceful setting. Down below is a ruined world, yet shops still there with their contents. There has been overall atomic contamination.
The central character is Anne, played by Margot Robbie, young woman who has survived, is making good, is planting crops, self-sufficient, getting some stores from the shops, making do.
The next character is an engineer played by Chiwitel Ejiofor, who has survived the disaster by being one mile down in the mine, travelling alone, encountering and, a confrontation at first, saving him from contaminated water, nursing him to health, his helping her on the farm, preparing the tractor and planning a mill wheel at the waterfall to provide electricity. There is a mutual attraction although he is considerably older.
Into this world comes a third character, Caleb, played by Chris Pine. He is given hospitality, joins in the work of dismantling a church, the church belonging to Anne’s father, which she at first does not want to desecrate. Caleb helps with the building of the mill wheel and its installation – although he and Anne are retracted; they do spend an night together. While he is working on the wheel, he slips, is saved by John, but slips again – and John tells Anne that he has moved on, leaving the two together to their future and survival.
1. A post-apocalyptic drama – a three-hander without the special effects and actions of so many post-apocalyptic big budget thrillers?
2. Audience acceptance of the world contaminated by radiation, the effect on so many communities, being wiped out, small pockets of clean air in the mountains, yet waterfalls with contaminated water, deserted shops, cars and farm machinery, small resources capitalised on?
3. The setting, the mountains and valleys, the fertile fields, growing vegetables? The farm machinery and its use? The house, the barn? The church? The musical score?
4. Anne surviving, her brother going out to search for survivors and John Loomis’s story of his contamination and being killed? Her father, farmer, preacher? Her respect for the church, prayer, faith, grace before meals…? Surviving in the house, going to the shop, stores, fire, candles, cooking? Alone? Her character?
5. The arrival of John Loomis, and apprehensions, the gun, the threats? His washing in the water, her warning him about the contamination, his illness, looking after him? His back story, engineer, the mine, one mile down, surviving, his journey? And seeing his vehicle, bringing it to the house?
6. John, his character, age, experience, handy with jobs, with the farming? Repairing the tractor? The plan for the waterfall and electricity? His wanting to bring down the church for the timber, Anne and her reluctance? The growing friendship, reliance, easy situations in the house? The attraction? His patience and not imposing himself? Anne’s response?
7. The surprise arrival of Caleb? His age, personality? His story? His asking for help, little radiation? And bringing him into the house, sharing the meals? His working with John, the dismantling of the church, building the wheel? Setting up the wheel, for the electricity? Caleb and the rope, his slipping, his fall – and John’s responsibility?
8. Caleb and Anne, the attraction, the night together? The effect on Anne, on Caleb, on John? John’s motivation and Caleb’s death?
9. John, explaining that Caleb had gone, leaving the two of them together – to what future?
10. A different perspective on post--apocalyptic – and the will to survive and the resourcefulness needed?
