Just when we thought Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity was possibly the most audacious survivor movie ever made, here’s Ridley Scott’s The Martian, featuring Matt Damon as astronaut Mark Watney. It’s truly an out-of-the-world film, which argues that humans, when pushed to a corner, would find a way to even grow potatoes on Mars. If you thought Tom Hanks surviving on an island in Cast Away was traumatic, you must watch The Martian.
The film begins with a storm. Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain) and her crew – save for Mark, who is presumed dead – make it out. But Mark is alive – just barely. What ensues is the story of a man, who acts on his survival instincts. He just “sciences the shit” out of everything. The plot unfolds with the help of breathtaking cinematography that showcases the expansive horizons of Mars, while at the same time capturing Mark’s intimate struggle inside a bunker.
This is a film for science geeks, who might either be taken in by the film, or enjoy poking fun at the science. The best part is that the science stuff in the film barely matters. What matters is how Mark overcomes seemingly impossible, life-threatening obstacles — what to eat and drink, and how to establish contact with Earth to give himself the slightest chance of survival.
Matt Damon is fantastic. We know so little about his family and friends, and yet, his screen presence helps us identify with him throughout. The film also features a solid performance from Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom), who plays the NASA chief, and is often forced to think hard about existential questions and the cost of rescuing stranded astronauts.
There are a number of motifs tucked into the film, such as the American spirit to endure and survive, and NASA’s superiority when it comes to space research. The Martian reiterates how much we have achieved in terms of scientific advancement, and yet there’s so much we don’t know about.
The Martian is truly the most audacious, out-of-the-world film about human survival in recent times.