Some films are meant to be seen, others are meant to be
experienced. Gravity is a film that
challenges the viewer to look deep inside and outside of itself. Gravity is a film that looks at the
human condition from both of these perspectives; it places a human being far
out in space where Man can evaluate and re-evaluate itself profoundly, deeply,
honestly. It is true that human beings are creatures that are most shaped by their interactions with other individuals,
their families, and societies; but a human is more so defined by the way it
interacts with itself, by its self-perception, and self-worth. This
self-evaluation is what can propel Man forward or lead it toward self-destruction.
Sometimes our whole universe – the only universe we come to
know and care for – is the one inside us. Sometimes we block out the world
outside and seclude our minds in our own worries. At times we humans can feel so alone, as if
floating through space: detached and lost. We tend to halt our daily fight because
we have run out of power or fuel; we can feel empty, discouraged, and lifeless.
However, humans are also capable of overcoming great obstacles; we are created
for survival, to break down and recompose, to reach a dead end and then
reorient. When put to the test and when conditions force us to, we can look
inside us and find the necessary strength to push forward. Man is amazing; it
is a complex machine with a built-in escape device called “inner-strength”.
Inside Man is also a heart designed to love life so immensely
that it will surrender to its call of self-sacrifice. Self-sacrifice is an act
of love and heroism, especially when it is done so that a companion can
survive. Love lives inside us. Love - with all of its aches and worries, its
fails and triumphs – it lives inside us.
Explosions are moments in our lives that blow us toward an unexpected direction. They appear in the form of the death of a loved one, economic hardship, a severe illness, a natural disaster, for example; hardships appear when we least expect them, usually when we are least prepared. Life, therefore, is a constant clash between the world outside us and the one inside us (our inner-self). This clash can either propel us toward the never-ending universe alone,
or it can push us to love the precious gift of life which calls us to keep
fighting, to keep going, to keep surviving. Life is a challenge, but it is
definitely worth fighting for. At the womb of human existence is the inner-strength
to stay alive, yet Man is always left with the choice to die or be reborn; gravity will push him toward whichever he chooses.
"What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." - Unkown Author