humanity's understanding and growth through the juxtaposition and collaboration
of science and religion amid contact with the cosmos.
Introduction
Plot Summary
Memorable Scene
Review
Conclusion
Introduction
There are moments when we feel insignificant in this vast and majestic universe. Like one of the key lines in this movie, "If it's just us, seems like an awful waste of space," suggesting that among the countless stars, there must be beings somewhere out there looking up at their sky with the same thoughts.
While I usually enjoy science fiction films set in space, this movie delves into many philosophical and religious themes, rather than just being about a young girl who has been fascinated by communication since childhood and finally achieves her dream after years of effort. Despite the film's focus on the events triggered by signals from extraterrestrial beings, it actually reflects a woman's dreams, hopes, and the diverse aspects of our human world that surround her. And it raises serious questions about what science really is, whether its rapid advancement truly enriches our lives, and what it means to fulfill a dream.
Plot Summary
The protagonist, from an early age, showed exceptional talent in mathematics and science, and her father, her only family, helped her pursue a path suitable for her talent. However, her father, who had been supporting her, passed away due to illness when she was young, leaving her an orphan. Despite this, she overcame adversity and eventually became a skilled astronomer in charge of the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) project.
Later on, she becomes involved with a supermassive conglomerate that financially backs the project and also forms a romantic relationship with George Palmer, who holds religious views contrasting with her scientific perspective.
Eventually, she intercepts signals transmitted from Vega and, through various trials and tribulations, discovers that hidden within those signals is a message indicating it to be a form of transportation.
As the most significant investment in human history, the first alien design created by humanity, this transportation vessel is completed, and a team of candidates to represent humanity on board is assembled. However, despite Dr. Ellie Arroway's contributions in intercepting the signals and deciphering the message, she is stripped of the honor by the president, a rival who had repeatedly overshadowed her.
In particular, during an interview, when asked intentionally by George Palmer, who feared her departure and possible harm, "95% of the world's population believes in God, do you believe in God too?" unable to compromise her beliefs, she answers that she does not believe in God, which becomes a decisive factor in her elimination.
However, during testing, the machine is destroyed in a terrorist attack by zealots, completely obliterating the passengers and leading to the project's failure. Disappointed by this failure, Ellie is secretly invited to board a second machine created by the substantial donations collected by Hadden.
Passing through the wormhole and arriving at Vega, Ellie meets her father on the beach of "Pensacola," a dream she had cherished since childhood.
During the contact with extraterrestrials, she desires to learn many things, but she says, "Just knowing that loneliness is not unique to us in this vast expanse of space is enough," suggesting that they should take their time to get to know each other slowly, and sadly, she asks them to go back.
After completing the 18-hour contact, Ellie returns only to hear oddly that she hasn't been anywhere. Moreover, her recorded video footage only contains noise due to electromagnetic interference.
At a congressional hearing convened to verify her claim of visiting aliens, she even hears the accusation that all of this was the biggest hoax ever concocted, orchestrated by Hadden's impending death. Furthermore, the chairman of the commission accuses Ellie of experiencing a false hypnotic trance, citing the quote she used to deny God to George Palmer in the past, stating that "only clear evidence" is the truth, thus suggesting that her statements were false despite being true.
However, in a secret conversation with the former chairman of the National Security Council who led the US Secretary of State and the congressional hearing, a brief revelation of the surprising twist is shown: the problematic noisy video recorded by Ellie, indicating that the recording time was approximately 18 hours, showing her return to a mundane scholar, the movie comes to an end.
Impressive Scene
In the movie, Ellie's father's words,
"There are about 400 billion stars, both big and small, in the universe. If intelligent beings exist only to us in such a vast expanse of space, it would be a tremendous waste of space,"
seem to have become a belief for Ellie. Therefore, Ellie continues to interpret their information.
As she becomes a candidate to board the spacecraft, she fails at the congressional hearing. The reason is that she does not believe in God, which is required for a human representative to board. It seems reasonable considering that 95% of the Earth's population believes in religion.
Palmer plays a significant role in Ellie's rejection. He is a theologian who questions whether science has truly benefited us and believes that finding meaning in life is more important. Ellie and Palmer have mutual fondness but differ in their values.
In the middle of the movie, there is a conversation between them, where their differences are starkly highlighted, yet it also provides a clue to what the movie is trying to convey. Ellie is a woman who requires scientific evidence, while Palmer is a man who believes in the existence of God. When Ellie demands proof of God's existence, Palmer bewilders her by asking if she can prove her love for her father. This moment struck me as the essence of the film.
Later in the movie, there is a scene where Ellie is attacked for experiencing and recounting her experiences in the universe without evidence. This reminded me of the earlier scene, emphasizing that science should not only rely on tangible realities but also embrace humanistic imagination. Since religion represents the oldest discipline of humanities, it suggests that science should not be in opposition to humanities or religion but, as the title of the movie suggests, should 'contact' with them.
Review
This movie is impressive from the opening scene. As the space station floats at an altitude where the Earth is visible, the music of an old rock band starts playing, and slowly the sun rises from the Earth's edge. The camera gradually moves away from the Earth, and as it does, the music flows as if reversing the passage of time.
Passing through the asteroid belt, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and finally into the solar zone, the depiction of the solar system is accompanied by the fading of the 1900s music that was playing. Perhaps the background music during the retreat scene represents the extent of radio wave propagation. Therefore, the fact that the original radio waves have only just left the solar zone. In silence, the retreat speed accelerates, passing through the stellar cluster to which the solar system belongs, through the clouds of nebulae, and finally depicting our galaxy.
It then depicts countless galaxies forming galaxy clusters, and even neighboring universes, reaffirming the truly infinite nature of the universe. While we know in our minds how vast the universe is, seeing it in visuals like this can't help but evoke awe. Especially considering the visual standards and the sense of wonder people must have felt at the time of the movie's release.
Despite being relatively old, this movie remains indispensable for me as a fan of the SF genre. Especially for someone like me who enjoys movies set in space, this movie was captivating enough. The film also touches on the conflict between science and religion. Even when encountering the unknown, the criteria for choosing someone seem to favor "religious beliefs" over "science." Moreover, the disregard for Ellie's experience, which should have been believed as a scientific breakthrough, due to its inability to be "proved," seems to lean toward religious bias.
Of course, just before the end of the movie, when Jodie Foster's character Ellie's statement seems to be validated by evidence, it doesn't necessarily mean the movie is siding with one side or the other. It may be suggesting that regardless of whether it's "science" or "religion," what's important is the belief in it.
The core of the movie deals with the hypothetical scenario of the scientific proof of "the existence of higher life forms beyond humanity" and the political, social, and religious repercussions that the results of this scientific observation bring to human society. It's a movie that deals with a tremendous message akin to the revolution brought about by Copernicus' heliocentric theory. Every word spoken in the movie carries a profound scientific and philosophical depth, and not a single second of the film feels wasted.
The movie constantly poses serious questions to the audience between idealism and reality. It questions whether we are living our lives by turning away from reality and only dreaming of ideals, or whether we are satisfied with living in the harsh reality that we cannot avoid. It also tells a comprehensive story about what is truly beneficial for humanity among ideals and reality, and how we should strive to live in harmony.
While the movie exposes the contradiction inherent in the complex confrontation between science and religion, it seems to have no intention of devaluing the worth of either side. Since both supporting science and believing in religion are ultimately human endeavors, it may be suggesting that we should acknowledge their imperfections, communicate, and reconcile.
The message from Vega may well be a warning from its original creator, Carl Sagan. Despite the different forms in which we perceive each other, there is a common purpose we pursue. Pursuing "the quest for truth," in other words, harmony, reconciliation, and happiness, might be the ultimate goal.
Furthermore, this movie is incredibly beautiful. Not only the virtual depiction of the vast expanse of space but also the genuine portrayal of Ellie's pursuit of her dream and Palmer silently loving and watching over her are awe-inspiring. Although the visual effects may be somewhat limited compared to modern standards due to its age, the content of the movie is so satisfying that it doesn't need such flashy visuals, and one can feel the subtle ripples in their heart.
Conclusion
As I watched this movie, I couldn't help but think of Interstellar, another film set in space. Although each carries its own message and strengths and weaknesses, Contact stood out to me. While Interstellar had a somewhat slow start, Contact was different. Perhaps because it's been nearly 20 years since its release, the emotions conveyed in a movie made almost two decades ago were indescribable.
Throughout the movie, the conflict between science and religion was one of the main themes. Despite the risky attempt to delve into the story of science and religion, I believe the movie managed to achieve the best possible outcome. I was worried about how the movie would end while watching it, but ultimately, I felt satisfied with the well-rounded conclusion it provided.
