Deep Impact: A Film Review
The film Deep Impact, directed by Mimi Leder in 1998, is a disaster film based in the USA, and focuses on the situation of a meteorite destroying Earth.
The film centralises on several characters, and their reaction to the impending meteorite crash. We first are introduced to Leo Biederman, an amateur astronomer who detects an unusual object in space. He informs an astronomer at an observatory, who calculates that it is a comet which will hit Earth, but dies in a car accident before he can alert anybody.
A year later, we meet Jenny Lerner, an ambitious journalist, who has a difficult relationship with her parents. She learns of the impending meteorite, and the President of the USA announces to the world that if it is not stopped, life on Earth could end, and that the USA and Russia have been working on a defence programme called the Messiah.
The crew of the Messiah are assembled, and sent to destroy the comet. In their attempt, one crew member is killed, and the comet is separated into two parts, each very dangerous. The President announces, in light of the Messiah’s failure, that each state has underground shelters, and a lottery will be held in order to decide who will be saved in the event of the collision.
As the meteorite approaches, Leo and his girlfriend escape to high mountains, while Jenny gives her place in an evacuation helicopter to a friend with a young child, so that she can join her estranged father at last. They witness the first comet hit Earth, and Jenny and her father are swallowed by a colossal tsunami. However, Leo and his girlfriend survive.
The second comet, believed to create a dust cloud that would block the sun for two years, is waited for with trepidation. The remaining crew of the Messiah decide to undertake a suicide mission with their remaining weapons. They enter the comet and blow it up, killing themselves, but saving human kind.
The film closes with the President making an announcement to continue with their recovery.
As is seemingly typical with disaster movies, Deep Impact was set in the USA in 1998. Aside from the garish 90’s clothes and haircuts, the film was depicted in America at a particularly ideal state of time, where Leo Biederman, a white middle-class teenager in a white picket fence family, is able to detect unidentified flying objects in the sky, and Jenny Lerner can interrogate State secretaries on suspicion of illicit affairs. Of course, for both parties, neither of their pursuits turn out to be what is first thought- Leo’s mystery object turns out to be the cause to the end of the world, and Jenny’s supposed scandalous affair is in fact the secret acronym “Extinction-Level-Event”. I find that this initial state of tranquillity is to prepare the audience for the horror and revelation of the comet, working in extremes; one year the planet is wholesome and healthy, the next it is being ravaged by an extraterrestrial menace. The USA seems a popular place for world threatening occurrences, alien invasions and nuclear experiments going horribly wrong, and Deep Impact is no exception. The USA is often placed in a position of power in these life threatening situations, and considering the film was produced by an American company, it seems logical that the USA would seem the Earth’s only hope for survival. We put our trust in the USA government to make the decisions for us, and the film’s attempt to make this seem like a proper and liberal thing to do by casting a black man for the role of the President could be seen as both controversial and cunning. (The fact that the first black President would not be elected for another ten years put aside.)
So it is clear that the USA is “The Ideal Place” to live. However, this is all turned around in the event of the comet speeding towards Earth, destined to hit directly on, surprise surprise, the USA, and would cause massive destruction and death, not to mention the wiping out of the entire human race and all of Earth’s species.
In a countdown to the days leading to the impact, we get to know the characters a bit more as they become accustomed to the knowledge that sooner than later, their planet will have a 7 mile wide crater in it. Leo, our teenage astronomer prodigy, is now a celebrity, and is certainly enjoying the new lifestyle, with his entire family guaranteed a safe position in the secret underground caves, which will allow them to survive. (Because what is the US government, if they do not have secret caves preserved just for situations like this?) These caves can only hold 1,000,000 people, and we watch as some families are secured a space, and as others are not so lucky.
Jenny Lerner, who we learn has a difficult relationship with her father after he left her mother and married a rather young, rather attractive bride, is also claiming success and fame. There is an emotional scene when Jenny’s mother dies, but I found that, with Jenny Lerner being a rather stereotyped journalist, it was hard to find sympathy with her. She is depicted as a particularly hardened and ruthless woman, not hesitating to fight her way to accomplish her goals, or to speak her mind. Her intense and dedicated attitude towards her career reminds us of many an over ambitious journalist, but Jenny does not care if she loses friends along the way. This typecast of journalists does appear to be consistent in Deep Impact, which is why I found it quite difficult to feel pity towards a hard working young girl who came from a broken home, for Jenny is not heartless. She feels remorse and regret for the situation with her father, and seems quite distraught at her mother’s death. However, this is shadowed by the haze of the callous journalist that surrounds her. It is not until the end, when she gives up her space in the caves to a friend and her young daughter so that she can return to her father with forgiveness, that we realise that all humans, even the seemingly heartless ones, will unite together in the face of death.
Another archetype in Deep Impact is the representation of the crew aboard the Messiah, the defence mission that was sent to destroy the comet. The crew consisted of one older man who had seen many missions in his life, surrounded by five younger astronauts. The older pilot, nicknamed “Fish”, is the wise, dependable and noble hero of the mission. He is able to give advice and encouragement to the fresh new members, who initially doubted his ability due to his age. We see these people as very intellectual, capable professionals, as is usually seen in scientists. These scientists have a particularly important job: save the world, one that they seem to find rather difficult. After losing a crew member in the vast expanse of space when one of their attempts to destroy the comet fails, we see the crew begin to lose hope. Their confidence and jovial behaviour towards the task has diminished somewhat since the start, and we see the younger astronauts looking to Fish for support. This theme of the younger generations looking for help in the older generations in a time of need is consistent in Deep Impact. We see it here, and we see it when Jenny Lerner returns to her father in her last moments. I feel that the most emotional scene in the film was when the Messiah crew made the decision to end their lives to save the Earth, and said goodbye to their families over the phone. We experienced the true emotions of these steadfast and determined professionals, and watched them at their most vulnerable moment. All differences were put aside as they assigned themselves the most fatal, but most momentous task of their lives, and once again, we see the unity of human kind in confrontation of death.
So the stereotypical characters are put into a stereotypical setting, therefore it seemed fitting for the plot to be rather predictable also, which, in many ways, it was. The world didn’t end, nothing was irreparably destroyed- Asia and most of Europe didn’t even get disturbed! I found that the plot focused too much on the global aspect of the situation, whilst throwing in the perspectives of a few obvious typecasts. I would have much preferred a scenario where completely original and inspiring characters dealt with the circumstances. The attempts at evocative or emotional scenes were marred by the fact that we did not know the characters very well. I could not relate to any of them, therefore I found it very challenging to even begin to empathise, especially when it was so blindingly obvious that a solution would be made to save everyone. I also thought that the film’s attempt to shock the audience with massive casualties after the first collision rather inconsistent- Leo and his girlfriend managed to survive the tidal wave by climbing up a large hill, which was rather anticlimactic. Why didn’t everybody climb up a large hill? It seemed like the writers were trying too hard to make this a truly “disastrous” disaster movie. However, I found the plot entertaining in a minor capacity, as it was well executed, and well structured in its chronological order, leading to a suitable dénouement at the end.
One thing that I found very commendable in the film was its use of special effects. Despite this being well over a decade old, the CGI was almost believable. Their use of sets and props were very realistic, and I came to the conclusion that I had seen modern films with worse effects than this. Clearly a lot of time was put into making it seem real- the aerial views of the Earth, and one memorable scene where one of the crew members of the Messiah floated off into space, were particularly effectual. The tsunami scene was well done, only in places where the cartoonish feel of the water came through, and I thought that they displayed the impact of the comet with excellent efficiency.
Following on from this point, I enjoyed the dialogue on many occasions, and found the fast paced structure engaging. I believe Mimi Leder managed to direct the film satisfactorily, and achieved the right atmosphere. In terms of casting, I found Jenny Lerner’s character was well portrayed by Tea Leoni, who accomplished Jenny’s hard exterior but kind and forgiving hidden personality. Leo Biederman was successfully portrayed by Elijah Wood, managing the slightly geeky but good-natured behaviour of the teenager. I thought Morgan Freeman’s casting as the President to be very interesting, as Freeman is often cast as global figureheads. He does exude an aura of power and reliability, which I think made him a successful President of the United States. However, I would have preferred Freeman to be cast as Fish, the astronaut, as then he would have had a larger role, and possibly evoked more emotion when Fish died, as the audience would have been more sympathetic to when Freeman’s character made the decision to kill himself for the greater good.
As an entirety, Deep Impact is trying to convey the message that, in our worst moments, human kind will band together in an attempt to survive, and that we shall all be equal and united. It is trying to tell us that we can put our conflicts aside in order to fight for life.
The depiction of science directly interlinks with the depiction of humanity. The film suggests that we rely on science and technology too much, when our humanity and love for one another will ultimately save us. In Deep Impact, the humans waited, depending entirely on the Messiah mission crew to destroy the comet by means of nuclear weapons. In a heady move, the writers made it so that the technology failed, and it wasn’t until the crew members sacrificed themselves in an act of humanity that the Earth was saved. It is seen that love will overcome all the fancy gadgetry and computer technology, and we will indefinitely save ourselves because of who we are, not because of what we can make out of metal.
Deep Impact is a memorable film, if not for its well known actors or graphical excellence, then for its classic, perhaps slightly predictable, portrayal of a global scale disaster that places it high up on the disaster movie genre.
