Viewing notes

• Opening scene - Sam 1's introduction...
• Low level CU of Sam 1’s feet on treadmill 
• Cuts to LS displaying distinctly sci-fi mise-en-scene


  Referential code to sci-fi genre, irony created as he’s running but cannot go anywhere – creates binary opposition of claustrophobia vs freedom
• Gerty passes in front of camera - positioned in the frame like another human


  Emphasises that he’s Sam’s only form of friendship, emphasising loneliness
• MCU OTS shot, pans to behind window


  Feeling of surveillance and claustrophobia – Sam being looked over by Lunar Industries
• Costume – T-shirt says ‘wake me up when it’s quitting time’


  Dark irony, acts as narrative clue that audience can look back on
• Sam’s routine is the ordinary world in the hero’s journey narrative theory


  Sam’s intro/routine preparing to leave
• Dissolve to reveal shot of moon and satellite


  Introduces audience to full scale of Sam’s isolation before we even meet his character
• LS pan of mining base 


  Soundstage - they built a chunk of lunar terrain and pulled around model miniatures - "we had the benefit of Cinesite who beautified and fixed all the obvious problems" -Jones
• Onscreen graphic states ‘crew: 1, contract: 3’ 


  Crew 1 reinforces isolation, Lunar Industries reduces Sam to a figure – big corporations' exploitation of the individual, irony of contract: 3 in retrospect as it’s actually his lifespan that is 3 years
• SRS between Sam and Gerty as they talk


  Gives impression Gerty is a person having a conversation
• “Gonna go out now and rope her in” - dialogue reminiscent of sci-fi genre


  Helps emmulate inspiration it takes from films like 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Mansell’s monumental, building score as Sam steps outside the spacecraft, alongside silhouette of him walking towards rover in space suit


  Establishes him as Propp’s character type of hero, referential code to sci-fi genre
• Subtle but ever-present branding of Lunar Industries over everything –rover, Gordy, Sam’s spacesuit


  Reminds us this is not a film about spcae exploration, rather the profiteering and exploitation of Sam, establishes Jones’ anti-corporate message and the binary opposition of corporation vs the individual
• Clone activation scene...
• Static high angle shot as Sam 1 comes up stairs, match cut with him taking off hat  
• Fast paced edits of him trying to get in computer


  Expresses his urgency
• Emphasised by amplified diegetic sound of him breathing and Mansell’s paranoid, claustrophobic feeling score  
• CU high angle obscure camera angle of Sam 1 showing sweat on his forehead  
• Moves to XCU when he cannot get in ‘access denied’

  Anxiety, rising tension
• Gerdy’s hand reaches over and types in the right code, insert shot of him pressing keys 


  Gerdy given impression of having bond/empathy for Sam – follows question of what is means to be human that the film raises
• Sam 1 watches tapes of previous clones – strong blue tinge/ cool tones


  Perpetuates strong sci-fi themes, harsh truth Sam 1 is facing
• Fast-paced edits between XCU of Sam looking hurt/confused combined with frantic diegetic typing in keyboard and videos of the different clones

  We are made to feel Sam 1’s pain, creating a binary opposition between the individual and corporations
• Creates dislike for Lunar Industries and corporations that exploit humans for financial gain


  Preferred reading - putting us in anti-corporation mindset that Jones wants us to have
• This scene also encourages us to root for Sam as our hero – alignment with him through spatial-temporal alignment  
• Ending scene...
• Non-diegetic piano - Mansell’s score


  Evoke emotion
• Amplified sound of Sam’s breathing


  Evokes emotion, humanises him despite knowing he’s a clone he feels raw and real, builds tension as it’s the structural climax of the film
• 2 shot of both Sams as Sam 2 places Sam 1 down, proxemics close but separation between them caused by spacesuits (filmed using body doubles due to low budget)


  Sam 1 vulnerable and weak – binary opposition of age vs youth and sci-fi theme of society’s obsession with youth, inability to truly connect as they’re clones – what makes us human?  
• LS of Sam 2 walking back displaying the retro styled models


  Homage to pre-CGI sci-fi films of the 80s  
• CU of Sam 2 – camera lingers on him (editing), has his helmet off so audience can see his face and tears in his eyes

  Full emotional impact
• CU between Gerty and Sam 2 “we’re not programmes, we’re people”


  Commentary on central theme – humans cannot be machines like Gerty, and machines cannot be humans as what makes us human is our love and relationships like Sam 1+2 had, encouraging compassion with Sam enforces anti-corporation message that companies exploit the individual
• Sam 2 removes kick me sign from Gerty’s back

  Being human is having compassion for others – being a clone doesn’t make his feelings any less real
• CU of Sam 1 looking unwell, ragged intake of breath as he watches Sam 2 escape intercut with LS of the pod being sent into space


  Kuleshov effect – generating hope for Sam 2 and empathy for Sam 1
• LS slowly pulls into CU of countdown timer on wall 


  Action code - film at narrative climax, builds tension
• Fast-paced editing – quick cuts

  Aids the above
• Tense non-diegetic beats intensify alongside diegetic sound of machine saying “estimated arrival time 3 mins” with clock in background


  Tension, score acts as referential code to action films or old sci-fi films
• Simultaneous scenes of Sam 3 waking up, rescue team arriving, and Sam 1 leaving are cross-cut to draw parallels between them


  Effect of seeing Sam 2 escape while Sam 3 wakes up is of disgust as cycle repeats again – commentary on large corporations like Lunar Industries putting profit above people which is immoral