The Midnight Sky is a 2020 American science fiction drama film directed by George Clooney, who stars in the film as well. The movie is based on Lily Brooks-Dalton’s novel Good Morning, Midnight, and the focus is on survival, the quest for human connections, and regret, on a ruined earth and vast, empty space. Clooney’s film juxtaposes thoughtful storytelling and beautiful imagery and is emotionally powerful.
Plot Summary
The film is set in 2049, a time when a global catastrophe has rendered the earth uninhabitable. Most of the human population has either died or been evacuated, and only a few remain on the planet.
The central character in the story is Augustine Lofthouse. He is an intelligent older man who works as a scientist in the Arctic and has been evacuated. Augustine remains in isolation not because of his health, but he believes he has nothing of value to offer. In his unfortunately diminished state, he has a last task; to reach the astronauts in the space craft who are about to come back to a now unsafe earth.
Meanwhile, in a distant part of space, the crew of the spaceship Aether is returning from a mission to K-23, a moon of Jupiter, hoping to find a new habitable world for humanity. The crew is excited to report to the Earth, unaware of the catastrophe that has taken place, but in a short time, they will have to encounter the reality of their homeland.
While Augustine is trying to connect to Aether, he finds out, to his most unpleasant surprise, that he is not alone. A still, quiet young girl named Iris has somehow been missed when the evacuation orders were given. This unlikely pair must trek, Augustine due to the consequences of his failed decisions, the weight of his past, and his failing health, the rest of the way across the frozen Arctic, to find a stronger communications post.
Splicing the Aether crew’s experiences with Augustine’s efforts on Earth, the film depicts the struggles of both groups with fundamental questions of survival, connection, and, most poignantly, the value of hope in the most hopeless of times.
The narrative reaches a heart-wrenching apex as it uncovers Iris’s character and Augustine’s profound personal reflections and unfulfilled desire. Without an over-the-top spectacle, the ending serves as an emotional testament to the significance of life-affirming relationships, even amidst the torments of despair.
Main Characters Augustine Lofthouse (George Clooney) Augustine is an accomplished scientist who has dedicated his career to studying the science of habitable planets. With the world deteriorating, he is confronted with his own isolation and mortality. He has chosen to remain at the observatory as a reluctant sentinel with one last, futile duty to warn the dying world. Augustine embodies the brilliant achievements of science and the haunting loneliness of personal sacrifice.
Iris (Caoilinn Springall) Iris is a quiet, young girl who appears at the Arctic base at the last moment, just before the rest of the staff have evacuated. She is quietly resolute, and in the spirit of companionship, she forces Augustine to grapple with his emotional walls. She embodies all the qualities of human connection: hope, innocence, and the undying spirit to reach out, even in a desolate world.
Commander Adewole (David Oyelowo)
Aether’s commander is Adewole. With quiet strength and kindness, he assists his team. He is the embodiment of both leadership and responsibility, fulfilling the scientific objectives and attending to the needs of his team.
Sully (Felicity Jones)
Sully is the Aether crew’s member and Augustine’s partner. Bright, tough, and resilient, she represents hope and aspiration. As the film moves ahead, her bond with Augustine will be more integral to the plot.
Other Crew Members
Other Aether’s crew, which includes Kyle Chandler, Demián Bichir, and Tiffany Boone, offer unique viewpoints around cooperation, duty, and the adversity of outer space. Collectively, they express the unique dichotomy of strength and weakness in the expansive and unpredictable universe.
Themes
- Isolation and the Company
The Midnight Sky is about (and, in part, emblematic of) isolation. While in the Arctic, Augustine is solely cut off from the wider world, just as humanity is after the catastrophe. Iris’s arrival is unexpected and shifts Augustine’s purpose and hope.
- Sorrow and Initiatives for Change
Augustine’s past is filled with neglect, not so much for the supernovae of his career, but for the people in his life. Helping the astronauts is his last attempt to redeem his self-worth. Saving others, in the late stages of life, is a way to get some self-respect. - Despair with a Glimmer of Hope
Hope exists, even in the most hopeless scenarios, as the movie demonstrates. The pilots of the spaceship to K-23, Augustine, and his warning, and the icon of hope, Iris, are all reminders that hope is the fuel to stop the apocalypse and civilization.
- Mankind’s Fragile Home
With a cautionery tone, the movie shows how much we need to take care of our world and the environment. While the movie does not state the reasons, the message is made clear: we need to take care of our world, and our actions. - Searching for a Place to Call Home
Augustine alone in the Arctic, and astronauts in the remote corners of space are looking for a home. The film suggests that home is not just a physical location, but divine connections and the people we share with.
Visual Style and Atmosphere
The Midnight Sky possesses a remarkable aesthetic quality. Its depiction of the Arctic’s icy landscapes achieves a breathtaking beauty and an isolating harshness. Contrarily, the Aether spacecraft’s interior offers a modern and sleek design, generating a technological hum. With these impressions, a visual rhythm manifests between desolation, and the potential for exploration, is rendered.
The film’s deliberately slow pacing provides the audience with the necessary time to contemplate the unfolding story. Desplat’s score is a powerful mix of melancholy and soaring lines, which provides emotional contrast during tension, wonder, and tenderness.
Clooney’s direction avoids the blockbuster method by focusing on the subtler aspects of the performances, thereby drawing attention to the human condition and constructing an absence of spectacles. This cosmic story offers the audience a remarkable feeling of intimacy.
Reception and Legacy
The Midnight Sky received a variety of opinions upon release. The emotional core and thematic depth, as well as the performances, particularly from Clooney and young Caoilinn Springall, received praise. A few individuals, however, seemed put off by the film’s slow pacing, particularly in comparison to the other works in the science fiction thriller genre.
Nonetheless, the film is notable for valuing the contemplative aspects of the genre. Unlike most, it does not emphasize conflicts or advanced warfare technologies. Instead, it employs the science fiction genre to examine the most profound of human fears and aspirations. It has been commended for being a film that allows viewers to ponder the importance of life, relationships, and the really important things in times of crisis.
Conclusion
The Midnight Sky does not tell a tale of great spectacle, but one of determined heroism. It demonstrates that, even in the most extreme situations, human beings still possess the ability to procure meaning through relationships, optimism, and altruism. The narrative doubles Augustine’s Arctic sojourn with the astronauts’ spaceflight, suggesting that distance matters less than the people we choose to connect with.
By interlacing human drama with the science fiction genre, the film provides a poignant contemplation of abandonment, the need for redemption, and a testament to unquenchable hope. It leaves its audience with one of the greatest messages possible. Even under the most darkly oppressive midnight sky, there is a flicker of hope waiting to be uncovered.
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