Natalie Portman in Annihilation (2018)
As a filmmaker, I'm always drawn to movies that delve beneath the surface, using metaphor and symbolism to explore profound human experiences. One such film is Alex Garland's 2018 sci-fi thriller "Annihilation," starring Natalie Portman. On the surface, it's a mind-bending tale of a mysterious alien zone and the expedition team sent to investigate it. But beneath the stunning visuals and unsettling atmosphere lies a poignant meditation on trauma, change, and the human struggle to adapt and heal.
The Trauma of Infidelity
At the heart of "Annihilation" is the relationship between Lena (Natalie Portman), a biologist and former soldier, and her husband Kane (Oscar Isaac). When Kane returns from a secret mission, altered and seriously ill, Lena joins the next expedition into "The Shimmer," the alien zone that Kane's team explored, desperate for answers.
But Lena carries her own trauma: guilt over an affair she had while Kane was away. This infidelity looms large, a wound in their marriage that hasn't healed. Lena's journey into The Shimmer becomes a confrontation not just with the alien unknown, but with the consequences of her own actions and the fragility of human relationships in the face of betrayal.
A Team of "Damaged Goods"
Lena isn't alone in her pain. The all-female team that ventures into The Shimmer is a group of "damaged goods," each carrying their own scars. Anya Thorensen (Gina Rodriguez) struggles with self-destructive impulses and suicidal thoughts. Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh), the team's psychologist and leader, is dying of cancer. Cass Sheppard (Tuva Novotny) is haunted by the loss of her daughter. Josie Radek (Tessa Thompson) self-harms, her body a map of past pains.
These women are not defined by their traumas, but shaped by them. They carry their wounds into The Shimmer, each hoping, perhaps, for answers, for absolution, for a chance to confront and make peace with their demons. In this way, "Annihilation" acknowledges the prevalence of trauma, the way it touches so many lives, often unseen.
The Shimmer as Trauma Incarnate
And what of The Shimmer itself, that unearthly realm where DNA is refracted, where the rules of nature are rewritten? In the language of metaphor, The Shimmer is trauma made manifest. It's an external force that infiltrates, that changes things on a fundamental level. Like trauma, it doesn't discriminate. It doesn't judge. It simply is, and those who enter it must grapple with the changes it brings.
Consider the words of Dr. Ventress: "It's not like us. It's unlike us. I don't know what it wants, or if it wants, but it'll grow until it encompasses everything. Our bodies and our minds will be fragmented into their smallest parts until not one part remains...annihilation."
Trauma, too, can feel like annihilation - a shattering of the self, a fragmenting of identity. It can change the very core of who we are. And like the characters in the film, we must decide how we will respond to that change. Will we fight it, resist it, be broken by it? Or will we, like Lena and Kane at the end, find a way to integrate it, to accept the selves we've become?
Acceptance and Transformation
In the film's enigmatic conclusion, Lena and Kane, both irrevocably changed by their encounter with The Shimmer, embrace. They are not the same people they were. They may not even be fully human anymore. But they have survived, and they have found a way to love each other anew.
It's a powerful metaphor for the aftermath of trauma. We are changed by our wounds, sometimes in ways that feel alien even to ourselves. But healing is possible. Love is possible. We can learn to accept the selves we've become, to find meaning and connection in the wake of even the most shattering experiences.
"Annihilation" is a haunting, challenging film, one that lingers long after the credits roll. It's a testament to the power of science fiction to illuminate the most intimate of human struggles, and a reminder that even in the darkest of places, there is always a path forward. As Lena says in the film's final moments, "I'm not sure what I am. But I know I'm not alone."
The Prismatic Nature of Trauma
One of the most striking visual motifs in "Annihilation" is the prism. Throughout the film, we see instances where light is refracted, split into its constituent colors. This serves as a powerful metaphor for the way trauma can break us, fragmenting our identities and our understanding of the world.
Consider the scene where Lena is in her classroom, explaining the properties of light to her students. As she holds up a prism, the light splits into a rainbow spectrum. This moment foreshadows Lena's own journey into The Shimmer, where she will be broken down and changed by her encounter with the alien.
We see this symbolism again when the team is inside The Shimmer. In one scene, they sit around a table, light filtering through water glasses and casting prismatic rainbows on their faces. It's a moment of quiet before the storm, a suggestion that these women, already fragmented by their individual traumas, will be further transformed by what they encounter.
The Rainbow Hues of Change
The rainbow colors that suffuse The Shimmer are another key symbol. The lush, mutated landscape is alive with vivid hues, from the iridescent plant life to the shimmering, multi-colored deer. Even the ominous "screaming bear" is marked with a rainbow sheen. These colors are beautiful, but they're also unsettling, a visible manifestation of the way The Shimmer changes everything it touches.
In a sense, these rainbow hues represent the spectrum of possible responses to trauma. Some, like the aggressive alligator or the monstrous bear, are twisted, warped by their experience into something dangerous, even malevolent. Others, like the eerily beautiful plants or the mesmerizing crystal trees, find a strange, new kind of harmony in their transformation.
For Lena and her team, the challenge is to navigate this spectrum of change, to find a way to integrate their experiences without losing themselves entirely. In one pivotal scene, Josie embraces the change quite literally, allowing herself to be absorbed into the prismatic landscape. It's a moment that's both unnerving and strangely peaceful, a suggestion that surrender, too, can be a form of acceptance.
Seeing the Self in a New Light
Ultimately, the prism and rainbow symbolism in "Annihilation" invites us to consider trauma not just as a shattering force, but as an opportunity for transformation. Just as white light contains all colors, perhaps our identities contain multitudes, possibilities that are only revealed under the pressure of life-altering experiences.
This idea is embodied in the film's enigmatic ending. As Lena and Kane's doppelgangers embrace*, their eyes shimmer with an otherworldly iridescence. They have been through the prism of The Shimmer and come out the other side changed, but not necessarily broken. Their love, too, has been refracted, transformed into something new and strange, but no less real.
In the end, "Annihilation" suggests that trauma, for all its destruction, can also be a catalyst for growth and change. It invites us to look at ourselves and our experiences through a new lens, to see the rainbow within the fractured light. It's a challenging vision, but also a hopeful one, a reminder that even in the depths of our brokenness, there is always the potential for something new to emerge.
As Lena says, "It's not destroying. It's making something new." Perhaps, in the face of trauma, that's all we can hope to do - to find a way to make something new from the shattered pieces of ourselves. "Annihilation" gives us a glimpse of what that might look like, in all its strange, prismatic beauty.
Hidden Meaning
Deciphering the hidden meaning in "Annihilation" is crucial to fully appreciating the film's depth and complexity. The hidden meaning of a film is the underlying message or theme that the filmmaker aims to convey through the story, characters, and symbolism, without explicitly stating it in the dialogue or narration. In the case of "Annihilation," the hidden meaning appears to be:
The transformative power of trauma and the individual's choice to either be consumed by it or to embrace the change it brings, leading to a new understanding of oneself and the world.
This message is never directly expressed in the film but is instead reinforced through the metaphorical landscape of The Shimmer, the characters' emotional journeys, and the symbolic elements woven throughout the narrative.
"What doesn't kill you changes you"
is a poignant and fitting encapsulation of the film's central theme. This shorter version of the hidden meaning directly connects to the idea of transformation and the profound impact of traumatic experiences. The word "changes" suggests a significant alteration in one's being, highlighting the transformative power of adversity and the resilience of the human spirit.
This concise statement captures the essence of the film's message in a thought-provoking and memorable way. It serves as a powerful reminder that life's most challenging experiences, while not fatal, have the capacity to fundamentally reshape our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
As a guiding principle for the director during the filmmaking process, this short phrase encapsulates the core idea that should inform every creative decision. It can be easily recalled and applied on set, ensuring that the film remains true to its central theme and emotional resonance. By keeping this proverb in mind, the director can create a haunting, introspective cinematic experience that encourages audiences to reflect on the transformative power of trauma and the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
In a world where trauma touches so many lives, that's a message worth holding onto.
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*Technically speaking, Kane is an alien doppelganger, while Lena, on the other hand, is herself but has been contaminated by the alien, so she is not entirely human anymore.
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