Postcard from Earth

Starring: Brandon Santana, Zaya
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Documentary, Science Fiction
2023

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two astronauts wake up on a distant planet and are reminded of humanity's days on Earth.

Review:

Tim: Reviewing Postcard from Earth definitely feels like a unique undertaking, which is pretty amazing, given that I've reviewed over 4,344 films. First off, in my lifelong quest in cinema, I feel quite fortunate that I was able to travel to Las Vegas and catch this movie at The Sphere. This is an interesting film, because it really only works within the context of that venue. Director Darren Aronofsky filmed it for that purpose and to watch this movie anywhere else wouldn't have nearly the same effect. So, when I consider this movie, I'm so lucky I got to watch it in the intended venue.

But, this makes reviewing the film impossibly difficult. How do you evaluate a movie that needs one venue to tell its story? Postcard from Earth is wonderful simply because of the immersive experience of The Sphere. Outside of that, it's hard to know what to think about this film. As I contemplated this, I decided to review the movie and the venue together- that was the intention of its creation. I admit, watching this documentary sci-fi film (what a combination!) anywhere besides Las Vegas would result in a substantially less effective viewing experience. This movie likely wouldn't work anywhere else. That's such a unique, intriguing, aspect of cinema.

As I talk about this film, I have to share the experience. So, SPOILERS from an experience standpoint ahead. To see the film, you obviously need to enter The Sphere. It's a stunning building, but worrisome when you consider the immense energy cost required to continually light up the outside. It's an odd feeling to watch such a pro-environmental, "protect the Earth!" film inside a massive energy suck. I couldn't quite reconcile that. Anyway, I sat up near the top- so you walk up quite a while, ride escalators. It's all a bit chaotic inside, but eventually you make your way into the main Sphere. This is a stunning experience- it's massive and there's a ton of seating. It's quite unlike anything else you can experience. I've been to a ton of sports stadiums, but those are round or open-ended. It felt so strange to see one side stairs and then this spherical other side.

When the movie starts, it only uses a tiny fraction of the overall Sphere. It's like you go into a massive space to watch a regular-sized movie. I was a little confused. I didn't do THAT much research- was this movie only using that little space? Surely, the whole thing would project at some point, right? We see the astronauts waking up. Aronofsky takes an ambiguous approach to the film. We're a bit disoriented at the beginning, like these two people. What is happening? As the film progresses, we get the answers, but I had a lot of questions at the beginning.

The film continues and eventually, we see the Earth. It's small, in comparison. The camera starts to move and the Earth enlarges. Eventually, it pushes past the original size of the screen and continues to grow. Now, the real show begins. As the Earth grows in size, the screen lights up, to the point where the whole of the Sphere is now the screen and we see this gorgeous, beautifully rendered image of the Earth. It's so clear, so stunning. The experience of watching this on the massive screen is fantastic. It's substantially better than any IMax screen I've ever seen. The film dives into a history of the Earth and we see some of the most stunning landscape shots I've ever seen. The camera zooms around the Earth and it feels like you're flying. It's almost painfully beautiful, to see this perfect planet that we call home. I wanted to drink it all in, to see every inch of this massive screen. Time moves forward and life is introduced. We see all forms and variety of life on the planet and it's humbling to see the diversity and the beauty of living creatures inhabiting this perfect planet. We spend a lot of time seeing life under the water, on the ground, and in the air. Aronofsky puts this world into perspective and it's one of the most stunning things I've ever seen. At this point, I loved the film.

And then, as time progresses, humans show up. "Oh, great, here we go," I muttered under my breath. Such a weird reaction for a member of the human race, right? But I've been living on this planet for over four decades. I've seen a few things and I understand humanity, to some extent. On the screen, as humans enter, it doesn't create any issues. They live with the Earth and we can marvel at our species, Kings and Queens, but at peace with our planet. We see the simplicity and the beauty of humanity. Of course, that doesn't last. Like a virus, we spread, across the planet, upwards, down into it. We mine it, we pollute it, all for civilization and our own person gain. We sacrifice the long-term for the short-term. In a relatively short amount of time, we threaten and wreck our only home. It's brutal to witness the ways humanity turned against our home, tried to destroy our habitat. The film takes a different tone here. Everything is vividly portrayed, but the joy of the beginning of the film is replaced with a dull sense of dread. Maybe a bit of guilt, for most of us are guilty in our own ways of not protecting our home.

The actions of humans cause us to flee the planet, to focus on populating the galaxy. This is where the documentary becomes science fiction. We see hundreds of rockets fire from the Earth, destined for the stars. It's so beautiful, to consider human ingenuity, fighting to give our species a chance at immortality across the universe. The cycle of life continues.

All this and more takes place with better clarity than any movie I've ever seen. The experience in The Sphere is immersive. You hate having to blink, because you don't want to miss a thing. As the movie concludes (only 55 minutes after it started), you're not quite sure what to think. You are inspired by the majesty of the Earth, but frustrated with the failings of humanity. You see the hopeful future depicted on the screen, but as you leave the building and enter Las Vegas, you wonder how realistic that hopeful future is. The movie itself is beautiful, but it's not the greatest film you've seen. You try to separate the experience from the film, but they're hopelessly intertwined.

I know this review is a bit different from my others. Darren Aronofsky made a film quite unlike most of them out there. I still don't fully know how to describe Postcard from Earth. I don't think it's quite a GREAT film, although the experience of watching it in The Sphere was undoubtedly a GREAT experience. I appreciated the artistry and the detailed crafting of this film and the experience of watching it is one I'll never forget. I hope many of you are able to catch this film- I'm aware it won't play there forever. I'm curious what happens to it then.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Fountain, Noah, Earth