Sunshine

2007, Rated R, 107 minutes, Directed by Danny Boyle, Written by Alex Garland, Produced by Andrew Macdonald, Cinematography by Alwin Kuchler, Original Music by John Murphy

With: Cliff Curtis (Searle), Chip Chung (Icarus), Cillian Murphy (Capa), Michelle Yeoh (Corazon), Hiroyuki Sanada (Kaneda), Rose Byrne (Cassie), Benedict Wong (Trey), Chris Evans (Mace), Troy Garity (Harvey), Mark Strong (Pinbacker)

Sunshine most likely passed by your summer blockbuster radar in 2007 as it was a limited release (461 theaters at its peak) and only made $3.6 million domestically (boxofficmojo.com). I came across this film while I was watching trailers. The trailer for this film is one of my favorite trailers of all time and got me really excited about the film (you can check out the trailer yourself at apple.com/trailers) Danny Boyle is upfront about the nature of his 2007 film Sunshine: “There’s two branches. There’s fantasy, Star Wars and Star Trek, where you can do anything you want. This is the other branch, it’s based on realism, that man goes into space in a steel tube.” (comingsoon.net) Boyle creates a wonderfully done claustrophobic science fiction thriller that pays homage to the classic realistic science fiction films and also advances the genre forward. This is a film for the science fiction fan; those who dabble in the genre on the fantasy side may not enjoy the film as much as it is has psychological action and a claustrophobic theme. For those who enjoy the genre, it is an excellent film that stays true to realistic science fiction as it delves more on the psyche than the action, and addresses hard hitting issues like addiction, the existence of God, and the effect of isolation.

The premise of the film is that the sun is dying and Earth is slowly freezing in a perpetual winter. The entire world teamed up to put together a team to travel to the sun and place a massive bomb, “the payload,” in the heart of the sun to reignite it and save the world. This payload is a last ditch effort at is used up most of the earth’s natural resources. A team of 8 is sent into space on the Icharus II (Icharus being such a suitable name as it is the Greek mythological character who made wings to fly but fell when his wings melted because he flew too close to the sun). Their ship is protected by a massive gold shield (gold is the material satellites use to deflect the sun’s heat) that faces the sun and block out the sun’s powerful rays. 

The movie chronicles their journey and their personal experiences as the 8 people who have been charged with saving the world. It is an enormous weight and they are forced to deal with it alone isolated in space with all communication to earth cut off once they reach Mercury. Boyle says, “our principle was always to trap the audience in the ship with the astronauts, and keep them there in this claustrophobic space.” (wired.com) When the reach Mercury they discover that they are not alone. They are the second group sent out after the first mission failed and the ship, Icharus I, was lost. They find Icharus I hovering close up to the sun and decide to link up with the ship to look for survivors and pick up the payload on the ship. The closer they get to the sun the more problems start to occur. Without divulging the entire plot let’s just say things do not go quite as expected.

Sunshine is an excellent science fiction that uses the standard devices of a realistic sci-fi to draw the viewer in, connect him with the characters, and really get the mind going as he tries to discern exactly what is happening and why. The most thrilling and cerebral element of the film is the nature of isolation in space. The characters all have to deal with the responsibility of their mission entirely on their own. We get to go inside their minds and really see how the different personalities respond. Some shrivel up and hide inside themselves, others rise up and become the macho leader and exude confidence to not just assure others but also to assure themselves. Boyle said, “They stretch the mind. They use space to stretch the mind to what’s possible. What happens to you out there in endless space that’s also claustrophobic? Your body can’t step outside the steel tube because everything is poised to destroy you, but your mind can. It can bend out there.” (wired.com). 

Boyle created an environment that is very isolating. The images of the ship show us just how alone they are. It is a thin long ship that is protected by the gold shield; that same shield however, also puts them in total darkness, lost in the expanse of space. The interior of the ship is dark, cold and industrial. Even the oxygen bay with lush green plants feels cold and uninviting. The entire set, both outside and in space contributes to the isolating nature of the Icharus II crew’s mission.

The film is in many ways a character study, and the characters in Sunshine are excellent depictions of certain personalities and the way they respond in the situation where they are tasked with saving the world alone. Except for one, the characters are quiet and calculating. You can see the burden of their mission and their toil and stress in the way the move, their piercing stares and their cold confrontations. The team is the only contact they have with humans and the impact of having only 7 other people you can converse with is easily felt throughout the film. The crew is in this together. To prepare for the shoot, the actors were forced to live together in a dormitory so they could develop rapport and chemistry. These close relationships that were formed shone through on the screen and created a more tight knit environment (cinemablend.com). The whole film felt so real and intimate.

Sunshine is an intensely quiet film punctuated with moments of loud confrontation all amidst the soundless void of space. Every shot contributes to the claustrophobic nature of space. The visuals are striking and set a wonderful contrast between the blinding hot light of the sun and the dark and cold nature of the ship behind the shield. The pace of the film is slow and methodical, not a pace for casual viewing. Sunshine takes a great deal of concentration and effort to understand what is going on which is a requisite element of a realistic science fiction film. Boyle draws from the quiet and realistic nature of Alien  and 2001: A Space Odyssey while fusing it with elements of disturbing images and intensity from the likes of Event Horizon. Unsettling surprises lie around every corner and both the characters and the viewer are hesitant to move forward and see what is waiting for them around the bend. The only real problem with this film is that it does not appeal to a wide audience. You have to like the genre to like the film. However, realistic science fiction, that quiet, dark and cerebral film does not frequently appeal to a wide audience because of the very nature of the film itself. Danny Boyle can check and successful science fiction movie off of his genre list with this film, and being 2010 we know that his next film was a resounding success, Slumdog Millionaire.

B+

Content Advisory

There is graphic violence in the form of the aftermath of a suicide and trauma related incidents in the film. There are a few instances of profanity. There are also several intense images that would not be suitable for children.

Food for thought/discussion

1. When the crew find out they will soon be out of communication range with Earth, what impact does this have on them? 

2. Searle, and to a lesser extent the crew, are infatuated with the sun; he even stares at it to the point of sunburning himself. Why do you think he does this?

3. Searle said, “I ran a number of sensory deprivation trials, tested in total darkness, on flotation tanks- and the point about darkness is, you float in it. You and the darkness are distinct from each other because darkness is the absence of something, it’s a vacuum. But total light envelops you. It becomes you.” What does he mean by this?

4. Pinbacker said “when he choses for us to die, it is not our place to challenge God. Discuss the nature of science v. faith. Can science and faith coexist?

The quotes in the review came from 3 different interviews with Danny Boyle:

1. Max Evry & Ryan Rotten, “Exclusive, Danny Boyle on Sunshine!” Comingsoon.net, 16 July 2007, http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=22029
2. Jason Silverman, “Q&A: Danny Boyle’s Sunshine Makes Sci-Fi Smart Again,” Wired, 17 July 2007, http://www.wired.com/entertainment/hollywood/news/2007/07/sunshineQA?currentPage=all
3. Lexi Feinberg, “Sunshine’s Danny Boyle Answers Questions,” Cinema Blend, 6 July 2007, http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Sunshine-s-Danny-Boyle-Answers-Questions-5693.html