October 14, 2008
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City of Ember
| posted 10/10/08<_include file="/movies/reviews/2008/cityofember-facts.txt" /> City of Ember begins with the end of the world.
Knowing that an unrevealed cataclysmic event (war?
disease? environmental crisis?) will soon eliminate human life, a group
of scientists create an underground city called Ember where
civilization will go on. It's basically a giant fallout shelter shaped
into a city—complete with brownstones, brick streets, and a
city-square fountain—spread out under an impressive web of
light bulbs and wires.Of course, the city's architects—identified
as The Builders—know it's only temporary. Ember's tremendous
generator cannot run forever. The canned food won't last infinitely.
And so, hoping that humans can again live on Earth's surface in 200
years, they put a sort of expiration date on Ember. They install a
turn-key operation into the city that will easily and safely allow the
survivors to leave their underground world. They then leave behind
complete instructions about getting to this new life above ground.
Harry Treadway as Doon, Saoirse Ronan as Lina
But over time, the instructions are lost and forgotten.
More than 200 years go by and the over-extended
Ember is crumbling. It is way past its expiration date. The generator
is dying. Food is running out. No one remembers that there's more to
life than Ember and the darkness surrounding it. No one knows that an
escape plan even exists. But a young girl named Lina (Atonement's
Oscar-nominated Saoirse Ronan) stumbles onto part of an ancient message
and is sure that it holds the secret to leaving Ember. She and her
friend Doon (Harry Treadaway) must unravel the mystery before Ember's
lights go out forever.In a time of war, ecological concerns, economic
unrest, and continual worry for our world's future, it is no surprise
to see a run of dystopian, fear-filled, end-of-the-world movies like Children of Men, I Am Legend, The Happening, Cloverfield,
etc. The science fiction and horror genres have long been fertile
ground for filmmakers and storytellers to explore these themes. What is
interesting, though, is that two 2008 films—WALL*E and City of Ember—have mixed the apocalyptic with family-friendliness. Make no mistake: City of Ember is a good family film and apocalyptic sci-fi. In fact, it's best described as Logan's Run (1976) for kids—with a little of 12 Monkeys and Children of Men mixed with '80s kid adventures like The Goonies.
Lina looks for answers to save the cityThe compelling mystery/thriller has all the right
ingredients for success. The cast features two Oscar nominees (Ronan
and a well-cast Bill Murray) and two Oscar winners (Tim Robbins and
Martin Landau). It is produced by the usually dependable Tom Hanks and
directed by the promising young auteur of Monster House. And,
as is the case with most films from Walden Media, it is also based on a
beloved children's book—this one by author Jeanne DuPrau. The
screenplay is by the writer of The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Secret Garden, and Edward Scissorhands. With City of Ember, the studio adds another victory to its hit (Charlotte's Web, Holes, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Because of Winn-Dixie) and miss (Hoot, Around the World in 80 Days, The Seeker) record.The movie brings DuPrau's visionary world of wonder
alive with fervor and energy. The story moves quickly: hitting plot
points at a sprint and creating great tension. But the ill side effect
of that slam-bang pace is that we don't get to enjoy or explore Ember
enough. Worse, we don't get to know the characters very well. While I'm
sure their characterizations and personalities were deeper in the
books, the movie's Lina and Doon are pretty much just figures who react
to things. And while there isn't as much journey and adventure as I'd
have guessed from the trailers, the film is full of discovery, charm,
fun and deeper themes.
Loris (Tim Robbins) is interrogated by the Ember policeIt's in these deeper messages where I, as a
Christian and film lover, was most impressed. While I am not sure how
intentional (I know nothing about DuPrau's faith life, although Walden
Media was founded mostly by Christians), City of Ember is a
wonderful metaphor for the Christian life. In fact, while the story may
not have been deliberately meant this way by DuPrau, it's an excellent
example of how Christian storytelling and parable can evoke a very real
pull to the supernatural—without beating anyone over the head
with conversion scenes or preachiness.Obviously, like in WALL*E, filmgoers will see in Ember
very clear environmentalism messages. After all, Ember is a city with
finite resources running low. But there's something greater here that
taps into the supernatural worldview of Christianity. The world around
Ember is broken and crumbling—and all around it is darkness.
There are many different thought processes among the citizens about
their fate. Some believe the Builders had a plan and
will—somehow—guide them to a better world. The kind,
cheerful woman who cares for Lina and her sister (Mrs. Murdo) is one of
those who believes. She tells the worried, distraught Lina, "The
Builders will come again."
Bill Murray as Mayor ColeOne character believes that there may be a reality
beyond the darkness, but she chooses to focus solely on life in the
broken world. She says, "I thought it was our duty to stay here and
make things better." Some characters are beaten down by the bleakness;
Doon's dad says, "The builders abandoned us."Doon's response? "No they didn't. They left instructions."
These instructions are what lead Lina and Doon to
realize that their tiny, crumbly world is not the whole story. Once
they find the truth, they must find a way to share this path of truth
with those still bound in the broken world. My favorite scene occurs in
the midst of this: The entire city of Ember is congregated in the
center of town when bizarre, seemingly devastating things begin to
happen. It's clear that most people think that Ember has finally
reached its end. But Mrs. Murdo and her believing friends begin to
joyfully hug and celebrate. They know that there's a greater world
awaiting them. This isn't the beginning of the end. It's a new
beginning.
