« Passengers »: And God created the woman
Here in France, December 2016 was a prolific month for science-fiction, action, fantastic and animated movies. It was the case for the Star Wars movie « Rogue One », which was much awaited by its unconditional fans, in which I include myself.
Unfortunately, this movie wasn’t an option for my brother and sister on our day out. So, we democratically agreed on watching “Passengers”.
Have you heard about it?
Synopsis
“Passengers” is a science-fiction/adventure/romantic movie directed by Morten Tyldum and written by Jon Spaihts about Jim Preston (Chris Pratt), a mechanical engineer. He takes a flight supposed to last 120 years (why not?), to a new planet named Homestead II. Indeed, he is amongst 5000 asleep passengers hibernating until their arrival. Unfortunately, Jim is “accidentally” awaken 90 years earlier before the date. During his trip, he has no idea why he’s awake and can’t go back to sleep. Having no direct way to communicate with the Earth, Jim spends all of his days with an android robot and machines. After a few months trying to find a way back into hibernating, Jim has no other choice than accepting the fact that he will die alone on this flight, without seeing the “Promised Land”, Homestead II. But wait, what would be Adam without Eve? One day, Jim Preston finds, by chance, “the Sleeping Beauty”, Aurora Lane (Jennifer Lawrence), who is an author. On a selfish impulse, he decides to wake her up…
Jim Preston and Adam’s loneliness
As you can guess, for me, the loneliness of the human being is a core matter in this movie. It made me reflect on this very first existential question addressed in the book of Genesis after God said “It is not good for man to be alone”, Gn 2:18. This is why my synopsis doesn't really match with what is suggested in the movie trailer. There are no animals in the Avalon spaceship, instead Jim shares his “luxurious” life with an android and other programmed machines. However, as Adam in Genesis, Jim Preston still feels loneliness “but for Adam there was not found a helper like himself”, Gn 2:20. This is when Aurora Lane appeared (and God created the woman!): “This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman”, Gn 2:23. Jim finally finds a new sense to his life at the sight of this woman. The more he reads and learns about her, the more he wants to get to know her… for real. She becomes his obsession. The moral question of selfishness versus (true) love is very well addressed here. Jim is tortured for weeks and weeks: should he wake her up? Should he take or let go? Desire/passion or sacrifice? Oh sin! As opposed to the book of Genesis, here, we can see that the "male" commits THE crime alone. And soon we witness how our futuristic Eve wakes up: so beautiful, so innocent… and totally ignoring the truth on her awakening.
However, we never can escape or hide truth, as it always ends up revealing itself sooner or later. Aurora finally discovers the truth from the (not so perfect) android: Jim lied to her and “stole her life”. He “killed" her. How many couples and love stories are broken because of a lie? How many of us have suffered from the disillusion of discovering that our beloved one is a liar? Cries, sadness, anger, rage, hatred, thirst for revenge and then silence of the heart: we have to move on. Without him (in Aurora's case). Of course, there is no room for forgiveness... Nevertheless, what if the circumstances changed? What would happen? Jim’s fault could become his salvation and the passengers’. “O Felix Culpa, quae talem ac tantum meruit habere redemptorem!” ("O happy fault that earned for us so great, so glorious a Redeemer.") (liturgy, Paschal Vigil Mass Exsultet)
We are deeply embedded as relationship beings, “passengers” on Earth. Created by Love and for Love. We are called to reflect this love through our interpersonal relationships and even more so in the mystery of communion between man and woman, two human beings who are made and think differently in so many ways, yet so complementary! As Alphonse de Lamartine said: “A single being misses you and everything is depopulated”. In “Passengers” we can say that “one single being is enough to make your world”. What a beautiful mystery that is love!
Enjoy the movie!
Trailer:
My opinion: I suggest it to all the space and science-fiction movie type lovers! You will enjoy amazing 3D views. There are also a little suspense and some action scenes.
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