Cinema Gravity (2013) - Sticks the Landing

[Arnox]

Rating

4.00 star(s)

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I'm very tempted to give this film five stars honestly because I feel that, although its message has been given many times before by many movies, this one seems to really make a huge emotional impact. It just presents itself so well. But there is one caveat that I sadly have to make for this movie. Though this movie does present itself as a very realistic thriller, it's got some pretty glaring issues with that as well. The way to think about this movie is how you would think about Whiplash. The backdrop for Gravity is space and astronauts and all that, but that's the canvas it uses to paint on, not the painting itself. Whiplash wasn't really about music, and Gravity isn't really about space and being an astronaut. And that's why I'm willing to forgive it for its sometimes egregious technical errors.

A while ago, on the 16th of April, I embarked on a bit of a spiritual journey. While it didn't go disastrously, I still got my heart shattered a few times, and especially recently, which culminated in me learning that I... Hm... Let's just say I learned I wanted to give up and be lost in something utterly beautiful and consuming. In effect, if I were to do this, though I would continue living and functioning perfectly normally, what makes me me would not be there anymore, or at least, not exactly. I was tired, depressed, and didn't want to go further in life as myself. It would be the death of my personality and basically spiritual suicide utilizing knowledge that I had acquired over the years. That or an embrace of blissful insanity. Either or.

Coming back to this movie, Dr. Ryan Stone, one of the astronauts, is dealing with the death of her 4-year-old daughter. Up until the events of this movie, she was merely existing. She worked ridiculously long hours, then came home to sleep. On her off hours, she would just mindlessly drive with the radio on. Because of the events of this movie though, she is forced to confront her willingness to actually live her life instead of just being this ghost of a person. Because of the catastrophe that wrecked the shuttle and killed most of the crew, Ryan can't just go on existing anymore because it will and does take her entire will to make it through everything and land safely on Earth. And that's what this movie is really about. It's about finding the will and reason to persist and not just exist, but actually blaze through life. To live it, no more and no less. Because fuck it, why the hell not? Might as well see how it all ends, and it's certainly going to be a ride either way.

Listen, do you wanna go back, or do you wanna stay here? I get it. It's nice up here. You can just shut down all the systems, turn out all the lights, and just close your eyes and tune out everyone. There's nobody up here that can hurt you. It's safe. I mean, what's the point of going on? What's the point of living? Your kid died. Doesn't get any rougher than that. But still, it's a matter of what you do now. If you decide to go, then you gotta just get on with it. Sit back, enjoy the ride. You gotta plant both your feet on the ground and start livin' life...

Hey, Ryan? It's time to go home.

And that... THAT was the message I needed to hear. Right here, right now. Sure, I could pack it in. Radically change things about me and my life. I have all the resources I need to do so now. But I hesitated. If I did fully decide to do that, fine, but if not... Then I need to fully embrace my life and who I was. I couldn't just exist anymore. I needed to LIVE. Do what I wanted to do, get rid of my fear, and, most importantly, do what I thought to be right and true.

We already are the walking dead. Don't you know that? Dutch, Balalaika, Chang, and all the other people we know. Every single one of us who's running around Roanapur is dead... Yeah. Unlike most people, whether we live or die isn't a big deal for us. Besides, if you cling to life, you live in fear of death. And that fear will cloud your judgement. But once you've managed to free yourself of that, you can go on fighting to the end of the world.