SETTLERS
US, 2021, 104 minutes, Colour.
Sofia Boutella, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Brooklyn Prince, Nell Tiger Free, Jonny Lee Miller.
Directed by Wyatt Rockefeller.
The settlers of the title are some of the first humans living on Mars. The film creates an atmosphere of the terrain of Mars, the mountains, the deserts, the sky, stars and atmosphere. And, there is a picture of the settlement, rather basic on the outside, more familiar on the inside, with kitchens, bedrooms, but also long corridors for equipment. It is in need of repair.
The initial focus is on a family, father and mother and daughter, who arrived from earth, taken over from another family, threatened by the son of the family who blames them for the death of his parents. While a lot of domestic scenes, there is an atmosphere of terror, eventually the son, Jerry, attacking, the father defending but disappearing, presumed killed. There is resistance from the wife and, especially, from the young daughter. However, Jerry makes advances on the wife who accepts, explaining to her daughter, who does not approve, that she really loved her husband. However, she takes an opportunity to attack Jerry and also disappears, presumed killed.
The transition then is to the young daughter as a young adult, coexisting with Jerry, sullen, doing all the work, making meals, but, especially, having befriended a cheerful robot who has been her companion. Jerry makes advances. She resists, but, ultimately this is his intention and, ultimately, she shoots him. She then leaves the settlement, her robot, going into a vast tunnel she had previously explored, going to the other side in quest of…
Is male Cruise Could over please Jerry, Sophia Botelho the wife, Brooklyn Prince the young girl, Nell Tiger Caffrey the older daughter, and Jonny Lee Miller, briefly, as the father.
- The title? Exploration of Mars, travel, settlement? The background of difficult history, uprisings, destruction? The focus on the family is settlers and survivors?
- The portrayal of Mars, the terrain, mountains, desert, sky and atmosphere, familiar yet alien? The settlement, the buildings, run down? The house, the domestic side, the futuristic corridors and rooms? The musical score?
- The introduction to the family, the bonds between them, Remi and her affection for her parents, especially her father, looking at the stars, I’m learning with her mother? The domestic sequences? Her mother singing the song?
- The atmosphere of fear, not venture into far from the settlement, the graffiti of Leave on the window? The father venturing out, killing of the intruders, the family and fear? The father finally going out, disappearing?
- Jerry, his story, born on Mars, his family, the settlement, the attacks and uprisings, the death of his parents, blaming the family for the death of his parents? The reaction of mother and daughter, fear? His attempts at peace, his knowledge, books and notes?
- Jerry, personality, fear, trying to do deals with the mother, the gun, no bullets in the gun? The family coexisting, sullen? The daughter resistant? The robot, Jerry reconstituting the settlement, the robot alive, friendly, the daughter playing with it is a toy? The mother, accepting Jerry sexual advances, explaining to a daughter, but given the opportunity to attacking, the knife, her disappearing?
- The daughter growing older, the coexistence, the years, way of life, tenting the plants, hunting, the pigs and chooks, the meals, cooking? Yet her surliness? Jerry and his advances, her resistance, the portrait of her mother, getting the gun, shooting him?
- The farewell to the robot, her packing, going to the tunnel she had previously explored, the other side, the shutting of the tunnel, her quest for…?
