CLOVERFIELD

US, 2008, 86 minutes, Colour.
Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J.Miller, Michael Stahl- David, Mike Vogel, Odette Yustman.
Directed by Matt Reeves.

What a sweet title for a film, all pretty and pastoral. Actually, it was initially a code name during the production taken from a street near the producer’s office. But, word got out about the film and this unintended title stuck. It is nicely deceptive for those who don’t know what the film is about (which, more or less, was how I saw it) but, with box-office news and saturation advertising, most moviegoers well know that this is a monster movie.

It certainly fits into the mood of the times (and there must be a solid Ph D thesis somewhere here). Why is it that there are quite a number of high profile films these days, especially from the US, which are featuring menace, disaster and the end of the world? With continued threats of epidemics like SARS or bird-flu, with natural disasters and fears from climate change hurricanes and other phenomena, the post September 11th response to sudden and unknown terrorist attacks, maybe audiences need this kind of story up there on the big screen to process feelings about it all. That’s what the producer says and he may well be right.

By the way, when we say ‘on the big screen’, we should note that it would be a great pity just to see Cloverfield on a screen which is smaller than we are. It is meant to be seen on a big screen with the stereo sound vibrating all around us. We should be there in the middle of it.

Actually, the film takes about twenty minutes to get going. That is, we introduced to the 20-something characters through some video camera footage dated April 27th and then, in great (too much?) detail, at a farewell party in upper Manhattan on May 22nd. Just when one is tempted to say ‘enough already!’, there is reverberating quake and the whole movie changes. The monster has appeared and, in the vein of Godzilla or Gorgo or those huge rampaging monsters, wreaks havoc on the city.

What makes this film completely different and a tour-de-force of film-making is that we know the characters who are not just going to be mere monster-fodder. And one of them is holding the camera and, for the best part of an hour, we are visually limited to what his camera can see. Everything is limited to the span of the camera lens, sometimes seeing a lot, often just missing out (especially the monster itself which is now and then quickly glimpsed), confined to the dark in subway tunnels, with the night light revealing the attack of some mysterious creatures, or following the large group of people fleeing and the small group which is trying to get back to the apartment to rescue their friend.

This means that the technology is up-to-date: cameras, cell phones, emergency power generators that work… And a significant placement for Nokia! The producer refers to this phenomenon of having the ability to photograph everything and put it on the net, the ‘Youtubification’ of today’s culture.

The psychological effect of all this for the audience is that everything is seen (except for some TV helicopter footage) generally from the ground level where the New York buildings loom (and are seen to be destroyed as is the Brooklyn Bridge), from the small powerless position of ordinary human beings. When we finally see the monster, we stare up at its towering figure and gaping maw just as the camera lens does.

Godzilla, War of the Worlds, The Invasion, 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, The Day After Tomorrow, I Am Legend, even World Trade Center and, now, Cloverfield. What is this trend mirroring? What is its challenge?

1.Audience expectations? The title, the tone, marketing, reputation?

2.The contemporary trend of disasters in cities, menace, fatal, people coping? The pessimistic outlook? The cathartic effect?

3.The tradition of films like Godzilla – to World Trade Centre?

4.A smaller-budget film, unknown cast, New York locations, special effects, destruction, the monster, the creatures? The musical score – and the orchestrated finale in the last credits?

5.The camera device, audience seeing everything through the camera lens, its limits, hit-and-miss, the choices of the photographer, the style, the voice-over, capturing dialogue? The editing? The need for an amateur look? Daylight, interiors, the streets? The night light, the light in the tunnel, the effect? The immediacy, hand-held camera, sense of realism, audiences identifying with the characters and situations?

6.The point of view, human, limited, small, New York City and the tall buildings, the impact of the explosions, the helicopters, the monster? Creating fear?

7.The initial twenty minutes of establishing the characters, the video, identifying the couple, Jason, the 27th of April, waking up, life and style, going out, going to Coney Island? The contrast with the 22nd od May? The party, Hud using the camera, the farewell to Rob, Rob as a character, Marlena and the interview, Lily, the various interviews? Hud being distracted? The situation, the characters, the interactions – and the audience ready to follow these characters during the crisis?

8.The sudden quake, the accident with the ship, the emergence of the creature, information on TV, the emergency lighting, the explosions, the people escaping the buildings, in the streets, the head of the Statue of Liberty flung into the street, the crowds, the dust from the collapsed buildings, the sirens, the police, leading the crowds to safety? The camera, Rob going into the store, the TV information, Nokia and the film, glimpses of the monster, fear and injuries? Going into the subway, the creature’s attacking them, wounding Marlena, the dark, the rats fleeing, the tunnels? Going to the shop, the drinks? The importance of the cell phones? The contact with Beth? The sense of mission to get her? The police okaying it? Offering the helicopter? The promise, the group and the arrival, the leaning buildings, going up, climbing across the buildings, the rescuing Beth, the further collapses, explosions, all together, the close-up of the monster, the helicopter, the escape, the end?

9.Rob as leader, wanting to find Beth? Lily and her strength of character, Marlena, offhand, wounded? Hud and his wanting to document everything? People filming? The atmosphere of photographing everything, for publication on the Net?

10.The introduction and ending about official documents, not to be copies, secrets? What actually happened?

11.The what if? Scare, imagination, facing fears, death and disaster?