Ultimately an optimistic tale of heroism set against the infinite expanse of outer space, Danny Boyle’s Sunshine is dark to the core. Boyle adds to his expanding repertoire as director, having broken into the scene in 1994 with his acclaimed Shallow Grave, and since giving us disturbing yet satisfying spectacles like Trainspotting and 28 Days Later.
This latest posthuman film narrative pits Boyle against SciFi powerhouses like Peter Hyams and Ridley Scott, proving the genre’s longevity with a seminal psychological space thriller that raises as many philosophical questions about man’s origin and future (i.e. do humans have the right—or the ability—to rival the course of nature?) as it does the human equation; it’s a beautiful metaphor for man’s inevitable meeting with the giver of life some call “God.”
Earth’s sun is dying and mankind faces extinction. Eight astronauts are sent on a mission redux, after the previous crew failed seven years earlier, to plant a bomb the size of Manhattan Island in the core of the sun—a catalytic reaction that would create a star within a star and liberate the Earth from a catastrophic solar winter.
When a series of disasters compromises the mission, it becomes a matter of survival not only for the crew, but for all of mankind. It’s a familiar scenario; think about all of that against the backdrop of one of the most powerful forces in the universe, in the most inhospitable environment known to man. The likelihood of survival is slim, so the crew mentally prepares for the end—an equation that calls for some heavy psychological drama (a cinematic pastime that borders obsession?—think Deep Impact, Armageddon, I Am Legend.)
Boyle fills the cracks with yet another signature soundtrack by John Murphy and Underworld; Boyle teamed up with Murphy in 28 Days Later to deliver a kind of post-apocalyptic homesickness that made us want to cry and kick some ass at the same time.
Alex Garland’s screenplay boasts some of the best characterization in the genre, back stories are well constructed and Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later), Rose Byrne (Troy, Damages), Michelle Yeoh, Hiroyuki Sanada, Cliff Curtis and Troy Garity comprise an all star cast. State of the art special effects boast spectacular renderings of Mercury and the Sun, and deliver both a stunning spacewalk and climactic descent into the Sun.
Spoiler Alert!
The one confusing element of an otherwise flawless execution is the ambiguous return of Icarus 1′s captain, whose seven year conversation with God has physically mutated him as well as blinded his moral sense. It’s unclear as to whether he’s introduced merely as a means to advance the plot or as a significant philosophical addition to the story. Yet, Garland’s story possesses the associative framework to successfully expand audience consciousness from purely literal to a more poetic contemplation of man vs. God, creation vs. creator.
Despite the distracting plot twist, Danny Boyle’s latest illustrates human fragility through opposing rational and emotional forces, compelling viewers by film’s end to entertain the most critical of questions: will we survive?
My review of Sunshine was first published by Edge on January 19, 2008.
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