A highly engaging and interesting film of ideas that can’t stick the landing.
72/100
Original Release: 2007
Director: Danny Boyle
Writer: Alex Garland
Cast: Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Michelle Yeoh, Benedict Wong
Favourite Quote:
“The point about darkness is: you float in it. You and the darkness are distinct from each other because darkness is a vacuum, an absence of something, whereas we are something. But total light - it envelopes you. It swallows you up. It becomes you.”
Favourite Shot:
It is incredible that everyday the sun rises. Looks over us, gives us light, warmth and the perfect conditions for life. We rely on this huge ball of energy everyday and without it we would die. Yet it still remains a mystery to us. We can never fully understand it. And we certainly can’t control it. In that way it controls us.
The sun is dying in Danny Boyle’s 2007 science-fiction film Sunshine. And it is up to eight astronauts to travel to the sun and attempt to reignite it with a nuclear bomb.
The opening images of the film are filled with close ups of this ancient star with power unimaginable and incomprehensible to human beings. It allows the audience to look on in awe of this thing that we put our trust in each and every day.
The first complication of the film comes when the ship receives a distress beacon from the previous failed mission to the sun. And the crew argues about whether they should go and investigate.
The crew’s physicist Cappa (Cillian Murphy) is chosen to decide. And he has a monologue in which he stresses the uncertainties involved in the mission. He says there is a point between them dropping the bomb and the suns atmosphere where it is completely uncertain what will happen.
Theoretical science can only take us so far, some answers can only be revealed by putting what we know into practice.
And so Cappa ultimately decides that they should go and investigate the ship of the failed first mission because there’s a chance they will still have their bomb which would give them two chances at success. The whole movie changes as a result of this decision. And it is a decision fully based on humanity’s limited understanding of the sun.
Sunshine is at its best when it is exploring these mysteries. Treating the sun as an all mighty power. A god. An example of this is the inclusion of the ship’s observation room in which they allow a certain amount of sunlight to enter. And they can filter how much is allowed in.
In a highlight scene the robot controlling the ship tells Dr Searle (Cliff Curtis) that a human can withstand only 3% of the sun's power at their distance and for no more than 30 seconds. Then in a thrilling blast of light we see him experience it. 3% of the sun’s full strength.
As the film progresses we don’t see it, but he seemingly becomes addicted to this light, returning more and more no matter how much it is affecting his skin. Eventually the vehement power of the sun is like a drug to him.
The third act of the film is where it truly loses touch of these highs from the first two thirds and begins to turn into a slasher film.
Albeit the villain is quite interesting and is designed well. But a more psychological and emotional exploration of this character would have yielded a better third act. Instead of one that feels uninspired and thrown in to capture mainstream audiences’ attention.
Chris Evans shines as engineer James Mace. One of Garland’s best characters. He seems to be the archetypal “stick to the mission no matter who dies, as long as it’s not me” character, but then surprises you in the last half. The rest of the ensemble cast all add quality performances, most notably Benedict Wong and Michelle Yeoh.
Garland’s writing is fresh and entertaining. It seems as if he almost has figured out the standout writing that he will use with his own feature films. Interesting scientific ideas communicated through entertaining stories, images and characters. But just loses it for the finale.
Boyle’s directing is experimental. One sequence is intercut with photos, in another he plays around with slow motion and even just begins to pause action in the middle of scenes. It makes for some surreal scenes that I wish he would lean into more.
Sunshine is a insightful film fueled by ideas about the sun, power and control. And it is when it loses sight of these ideas in an attempt to make the film more conventional, that it begins to become boring.
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