Movies: May 2004 Archives

Though I don't have it posted anywhere on the site, I know I've talked about it over and over and over again about my favorite movie, “Bladerunner”. I'm a sci-fi geek of sorts though I can never stand up to the comparisons to the die-hard Trekkies and trekkers. I appreciate a good sci-fi tale for the science and whiz-bang of the gadgetry but that's about as far as it goes. That's why "Bladerunner" has always been so much more to me. Film noir at its very best and I'll go out on a limb to say that there has not been a better sci-fi movie made before or after. "2001" comes close, of course, but really what other movie can reach out and touch someone on so many different, deeper levels and wrestle with the questions of mortality and reality and humanity and do it with the most amazing music score ever? All that in one perfect film, seriously.

I can tell you without question my two favorite categories of movies: drag queen movies and existential science fiction. The newest member of the later category is “Solaris”. I finally just saw it and while not as good as "Bladerunner" (because nothing ever can be), it had all the elements I love in existential sci-fi: moodiness, melancholy, noirish cinematography, hosts of challenging, difficult questions about our lives and their meanings and what comes after. The music adds just the right tone to the movie as does the ethereally illuminated shots of the planet, Solaris. What is it? Is it alive? Why does it call the dead back?

Honestly, I know any movie that talks about bringing the return of the dead perks me up because it's not to hard for my imagination to start romping around and saying "what if". It didn't take me long at all to feel the impact of imagining myself on the orbiting ship around Solaris and waking up to find my Mom there and not caring why or how but just taking in the shear relief of it and the respite from the longing and grief.