Contagion (2011)
Proof that film both shapes and reflects culture.
With the rapidly spreading Coronavirus on the top of our minds, newsfeeds, and conversations, Jennifer and I thought it was the right time to review a film that has risen rapidly in popularity in recent months: Contagion. Though it was released almost a decade ago, much of this story still rings true today. Soderbergh and Burns were able to capture the reality of human nature and how we react when we’re faced with our own mortality.
When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I was shocked that they showed the death of Gwyneth Paltrow's character. Had I just seen the movie poster or read the list of the cast, I would’ve imagined a film in which the plot was centered on her character fighting for her life and Matt Damon’s desperate search to save her life. But that was not the path this film chose. Instead of making this a deeply personal tale following a few close characters, they focused on the larger scale of the outbreak, showing the exponential growth that a virus can take that was eerily similar to what we’re currently experiencing.
Contagion was about the global process of finding and distributing a cure, not about the individual being cured of the virus.
