Gravity Awes With Special Effects

Andrew Copa `15
Alone, stranded in an unknown vortex of darkness and silence, a woman fights for her dear life like no one has ever had to before. This is the basic concept of the critically acclaimed film Gravity. Gravity is one of the greatest films of the last decade and it is a production that absolutely must be seen in theaters to get the full effect. I viewed Gravity at the cinema on October 18th, 2013. Gravity is an action packed, Sci-Fi thriller that is directed by Alfonso Cuarón and stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. It was released on October 4th 2013 and it was produced Warner Bros. Different from most other great films, Gravity runs only 91 minutes and really has only two actors. These two aspects, while unusual, add to the overall greatness of this film and the writers deserve applause for making a film that goes against the common grain. The cinematography, special effects, and acting are the three best components of Gravity that help to drive through an incredibly well written script from Cuarón.
Sandra Bullock and George Clooney do Academy Award-worthy jobs in Gravity. Playing the role of an astronaut is an incredibly difficult task. The role is completely unnatural as most people have never been to outer space. However, Clooney and Bullock not only took on these roles but completely owned them. There was not a moment in the production when I questioned the authenticity of Bullock or Clooney. Throughout the film they deliver their lines perfectly, and both actors seem to really care about their roles. One clear example of this took place in the scene that is in the main trailer for the film. In this scene, Bullock is working on the outside of a part of the Hubble Telescope. Suddenly, space debris comes flying at her and she becomes detached and floating through space. This is obviously something that neither she nor any human being has ever experienced. Yet, Bullock delivers a panicked scream and sporadic movement in an incredibly realistic way. Without spoiling anything, I will just say that Bullock’s character, the protagonist, encounters much adversity over the rest of the film and Bullock’s ability to act out such difficult scenes left me in awe.
The soundtrack of Gravity is one of many aspects that makes the production so encompassing. Composed by Steven Price, the score of Gravity is subtle yet crucial to the film overall. Price’s work is absolutely phenomenal. His ability to create a score that matches the mysterious and sometimes frightening tone of outer space is mesmerizing. Space is a dark, quiet place yet Price’s score is somehow able to extend this while at the same time keeping suspense high in this thriller of a production. The score is able to capture emotion in a way in which few other scores can, and Price does it for an atmosphere that has been experienced by a very small minority of the viewers. The soundtrack of Gravity is just one of many aspects of the film that is able to perfectly capture the tone of space which leads to the incredibly encompassing feeling that the production offers.
The special effects in Gravity are of the highest quality in the history of the film production industry. The special effects are the best aspect of this film and they act as just another piece to an incredible film. Lead by senior special effects technician Vince Abbott, the special effects are able to capture the beauty and horror that is outer space with jaw-dropping realism. This is a production that if made even a decade ago would not have been as encompassing of a film due to the new discoveries in technology. Throughout the production, Abbott and his crew are able to make the audience feel like they are in outer space like no other special effects crew has ever been able to before. There are parts of this production that are mesmerizing to the point of complete awe. When leaving the theater and thinking back on this production, I simply could not get the question out of my head: how they were able to make this film? Gravity‘s special effects are frighteningly realistic and viewing them on a big screen or in 3D only adds to the overwhelming feeling of the film. Abbott and his team did an Academy Award-worthy job with their work in Gravity, and the entirety of the film is based upon the special effects’ ability to mesmerize the audience.
Another aspect of Gravity that is worth mentioning is the cinematography. As the director of photography, Emmanuel Lubezki did fantastic work. The cinematography is able to capture scenes in a variety of ways, each one just as good as the last. For example, one part of the film takes place from a first person perspective of Sandra Bullock’s character. Due to the incredible special effects matched with great cinematography, this scene is almost scary as the audience is able to view space as if they were there. To show variety, another example of great cinematography in Gravity takes place when the camera shows Sandra Bullock’s character’s body spinning in space with the sun bursting through the background. Once again, thanks to incredible special effects, this scene turns out to be incredibly beautiful and is just one of many scenes that has this effect on the audience. Lubezki’s work on cinematography is just another great feature which Gravity has to add to its long list of exceptional work.
Gravity is undoubtedly one of the best films of the year and it is a game changer for the film industry overall. Its special effects are unlike any that have ever been seen before and the performances by Sandra Bullock and George Clooney will not soon be forgotten. In addition, the fact that the film runs only 91 minutes is also ground-breaking. It is not often that such a short film gets recognized as a masterpiece, but Cuarón’s Gravity is certainly in that category. Overall, Gravity is a unique film unlike any other that the industry has seen before. Cuarón’s ability to make the audience care so much about a character in Sandra Bullock while displaying a special effects’ masterpiece is simply astounding. Gravity is almost the perfect film due to its ability to impress across the board from special effects to script to pure suspense. Few films are able to leave the lasting effect that Gravity does and it is certainly a film that will live on for generations.