Tuesday, June 26, 2012

It’s Just a Movie – The Fantasy that is ‘Contact’

ContactI recorded "Contact" the other day, thinking I would breeze through it and hit contact-1997-03-gsome highlights for my enjoyment pleasure. My remembrance is not altogether favorable but just in a general way. The highlights are quite specific: Ellie’s first signal (music!), machine CGI, all scenes with John Hurt playing H.R. Hadden and the closed eyes, "okay to go" scenario. As expected, I thoroughly enjoyed these pieces for the umpteenth time along with the score that is obviously magic.

Unintentionally, the items that detract Carl-Sagan-copyfrom the film were clearer than ever before. Not being a fan of Carl Sagan who wrote both a 'Contact' novel and contributed heavily to the film, it comes as no surprise. The entire religious presentation is a naive, surface appreciation of those issues as one would expect from a pseudo scientist. But even at that level you'd think the film would portray 'evidence = conclusions' in a logical manner. Nadda.

So Ellie's testifying before Congress, and they're asking her if she can supply a shred of evidence that contact_jodie-foster_05supports her claim that she actually went on this inter stellar journey. Her answer is no, she cannot. Now Ellie has been painstaking portrayed, the entire movie, as basing everything on facts, scientific facts. She pooh poohs religion as BS. Yet she tells Congress (when asked) that yes, she's asking them simply to 'believe' her.

So here's the deal. Shortly after this scene the White House Chief of Staff is talking to the National Security Advisor (who headed up the Ellie inquisition) and asking him what he thinks of the 18 hours of static on her recording device when apparently she took seconds to fall through the machine. Nothing is made of this. It wasn't raised at the Congressional investigation. He basically snorts in response but why wasn't this raised as evidence?

contact_jodie-foster_800When Ellie comes back on video after her "so called fake" journey she asked in a groggy tone, "What day is it?" "How long have I been gone?". They respond by saying it was only seconds, she fell right through. Yet, at the beginning of her testimony she mentions a journey of 18 hours!!. Didn't notice this until I watched it this time around. Where the hell did that come from! She had no idea how long she was gone. If the 18 hours came from the static on the tape why not mention that as evidence. Pretty conclusive considering that's impossible given the time frames.

contfullpodWhen I got to thinking I wondered about the chair they added to the sphere for her safety. During the insane wormhole journey it became dislodged or better put ripped from it's mooring. How is that explained if the pod simply dropped as expected. It couldn't handle the drop? It was designed as a safety device to at least handle the drop. She was magnetically locked into it. It fell off when she hit the net and subsequent water? It would have killed her if it smashed her head into the side of the sphere. Solid evidence that something beyond what they cameras captured had occurred.

large_contact_800Along with this is that she was on the floor of the pod. To get there she had to undo herself from the gear that had locked her into the seat. She was flat on her face, completely disorientated. Did she really have time, in the milliseconds that she dropped through the machine, to have the presence of mind to undo the suit and drop to the floor. And why would she, she's clinging to the chair out of sheer terror and imminent potential death. Contact-Machine

My final point is the phenomena that the machine itself caused. When the translucence began to occur on the sphere it was accompanied by an unbelievable generation of energy from the machine. No one had predicted or even knew how the machine operated. When it ramped up to 100% the light and power was blinding or how about mind blowing. This isn't even discussed as evidence that something beyond the sphere simply falling through had occurred. How did the rotation of the massive rings cause this phenomenal energy release? Why assume it was simply a light show with no purpose?

contact_machineWhen reading some reviews/discussions of this movie, Zemeckis (director) stated that heJodie-Foster-640 "intended the message of the film to be that science and religion can coexist rather than being opposing camps." I guess that's the core of why I'm blogging about this movie. They present a scientist who in the end acts like a non-scientist or better said, an idiot. And they present religion as nothing like it is in reality. So in that regard they do coexist, in the fantasy land that belongs to Contact. In the real world, science and religion do coexist, and in fact are one and the same. No effort needs to be made to align them with one another.

ArrayandEllis_800But this is only if 101411c1we're talking about real religion and real science. Not the pseudo science of evolution or the people who believe anything that makes them feel good regardless of the evidence. Jesus encouraged Thomas to put his hands in the holes in his sides (evidence) and believe the truth of his resurrection. (conclusion) If you don't believe that historical written record, then state why you don't and provide evidence that it's not what it's purported to be. What is common is that neither area is using evidence anymore. It is the subjective world of opinion that is preferred and best serves the needs of this current generation. How long am I to bear with you.