Movie Review: Contact (1997)

Robert Zemeckis is one of those directors who I think makes movies that are either hit or miss. A lot of this does depend on what sort of films are preferable to you yourself, but for me, it really does depend on what film he makes. I think that Back to the Future (1985), Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988) and Cast Away (2000) are really good movies, whereas Forrest Gump (1994), Beowulf (2007) and A Christmas Carol (2009) were, in my opinion, not very good at all, by which I mean they were quite underwhelming. However, out of all the films I've seen of his, nothing quite compares to his 1997 Sci-Fi film Contact.

Contact is a Sci-Fi film like no other, in that it is ingrained in reality like none in its genre. The movie talks science, religion and politics: three very uneasy grounds when it comes to Hollywood and their rhetoric of making millions of dollars. One would be enough to make them squirm but all three together in one movie is a very bold move, especially by Zemeckis, who I think tries to make films for a mass audience. The juxtaposition of these themes and the subject of first contact with extraterrestrials make for a very interesting debate; mainly because first contact would have to be orchestrated by someone who could be a popular representative of mankind. And when science, religion and politics are thrown into the mix, you have a massive showdown as everyone races to see who would be the ideal candidate. There are talks in the White House, a world congress committee is formed... Everyone involved with science, religion and/or politics goes for the jugular.

The basic plot premise is that Dr. Eleanor "Ellie" Arroway (Jodie Foster) discovers that a message is being sent from Vega, the fifth brightest star in the galaxy. Instantly, world leaders become involved and a whole project is set up to make first contact. Within that is the subplot of her relationship with Palmer Jos (Matthew McConaughey), a man who believes in God who is her opposite as she is an atheist and with whom she once had an affair with.

Opposition comes in all forms, particularly in the form of this
preacher, who becomes a catalyst for a tragic event later in the
film.

The subject matter of the film is what its key strength is. Contact perfectly illustrates a very good argument of what could happen if we were ever to prepare for such a thing, from the political implications to possible religious terrorism. And one of the best things about its plot is that actions do have consequences and nothing is brushed under the rug. For example, the first message the extraterrestrials send mankind is the broadcast of the opening of the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, during which Hitler makes a speech (this was the first broadcast that was ever made). The consequences are later seen when Arroway comes back to the Very Large Array and sees a variety of civilians celebrating or condemning the project - amongst them are Neo-Nazis holding banners that say "Hitler Lives". Using details like this make the plotting of the film much better and hold it together much more.

The pacing of the film is also excellent. The film is approximately 150 minutes long but not a single time did I ever check my watch just so I could know when the film was going to end. And with a Sci-Fi film so ingrained in reality, with politics and inter-dimensional space flight, the fact that the pacing feels even and matched makes it more bearable to watch. I think a lot of this is due to the fact that Zemeckis recognises that films, especially those on the science fiction or fantasy side, are a visual medium and that it is better to show rather than tell.

Dr. Eleanor Archway is a strong, well-defined character who
eventually gets to meet the Vegans.

Something I also loved was the fact that the lead scientist was female. Women are hugely misrepresented when it comes to the world of science and I think that this film is a strong feminist case for the misrepresented female scientists. Ellie consistently discovers new things about the message and is also the first (other than S.R. Hadden (John Hurt)) to know what the schematics they were sent mean. However, all of her hard work doesn't seem to pay off, as her former employer David Drumlin (Tom Skerritt) constantly tries to steal all of the credit from her and is actually chosen at first to be the one to initiate first contact. She is also one of the few female scientists in the film, as the majority of them are male. However, she rises through sexist and religious opposition to finally be the one who pilots the Machine: a way for her to travel and meet the aliens.

Breathtaking visual of the first contact meeting place.

In terms of special effects, the visuals are stunning, particularly those with the Machine. Even though the film was made in 1997, the effects have not really dated from my own standpoint and remain as fresh to me now as they were back then. The scene where contact is actually made is absolutely fantastic. It's design is a sort of cross between a tropical paradise and an ethereal science fiction landscape.

The last thing I have to address is the acting, which I think is excellent. Jodie Foster nails being a scientist, with all her passion and techno babble. Matthew McConaughey brings his powerhouse to the table. However, out of the entire cast, which also consists of James Woods and John Hurt, the most impressive performance is by Tom Skerritt, who is just overall very good at playing a conniving, manipulative man whose only concern is with getting enough of the media's cameras on him.

Contact is the best science fiction film of the nineties. This is something that should not be frowned at, since competition includes The Matrix (1999), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and Jurassic Park (1993). I find that the film's plot, themes, special effects and acting all combine together to not only one-up these films in all of these departments, but to also show new generations of science fiction movie buffs how a great Sci-Fi film is made. Whilst it is fun to see Arnold Schwarzenegger beat up an indestructible robot or to watch a T-Rex eat a lawyer, Contact provides something that I think a lot of science fiction films, particularly nowadays, miss out on: provocative thought.

FINAL VERDICT: 5/5