A still from the movie, "Gravity".
Space For Awe and Gratitude: A Review of "Gravity" | Nick Olszyk | CWR
Alfonso Cuarón’s "Gravity" has moments of profound beauty, intense fear, and transcendent awareness
USCCB Rating, A-III
Reel Rating:
(5 Reels out of 5)
[Editor's note: Alert!
Spoilers ahead!]
Space is empty, void of matter, energy, heat,
and any chance of survival for the smallest bacteria, much less a
human being. It is a testament to human ingenuity that, since 1961,
explorers have been entering and even living in this vast and silent
wasteland. Director Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity is a soaring
witness to these feats, an excellent thriller that revels in the
ferocity of nature, the power of prayer, and the triumph of man as
image of the Creator. In an Icarian age, Gravity is an
important reminder that despite centuries of technology, all are
still in the hands of God, and that is a good thing they are the
hands of a loving Father.
In classic Cuarón style, the first fifteen minutes of Gravity is a single, uninterrupted take that weaves seamlessly between engineer Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and NASA astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) as they repair the Hubble telescope 600km above the surface of the Earth. It’s a breathtaking sequence that rivals any in cinematic history as the audience sees the immensity of the planet and outer space juxtaposed with close-ups of the scientists chatting casually like car mechanics.
This is Stone’s first trip, and she is nervous and undisciplined. Kowalski is just hours from breaking the record for spacewalk duration and moves around easily, as if he was trimming his own backyard. Suddenly, debris from a satellite crash rips through their shuttle leaving them stranded in space. It is violent and terrifying, especially since it happens without any sound save for the heightened pace of Stone gasping for air and the nerve-racking radio communications between her and Kowalski.
Miraculously, the two survive, but their shuttle is destroyed. They must maneuver over to the International Space Station's damaged escape pod, not to escape but use it to reach the Chinese station, which does have a functional return capsule.
Comments