Annihilation (2018) - Refraction As Motif

Alex Garland does a great job with this adaptation and direction of Jeff VanderMeer's novel.
(If you haven't seen his Ex Machina, do.)

I'm excited to see where Garland and his work go over the years. His ability to focus on the core of the story, to keep the entire work (imagery, editing, design, delivery, etc.) all in line with itself, all the same direction, a chorus or note, it's impressive. It's fun.

In Annihilation he takes the core idea of refraction and distills perfect visual and audio storytelling from it.

Refraction everywhere, but starting from the story; a meteor lands on earth and starts changing the environment around it, morphing, shimmering, disorienting the world within its range.

Early on refraction is used as foreshadowing, later as motif and solidified motif, compounding and reflecting until it is the core idea, or almost the core idea--refraction, change, loss of control, loss of understanding.

Very interesting. Story dictates the images that carry the film. Where do you put the camera? On what?
It seems so obvious, but rarely is it done this well.

We see it in such a sharp, simple form when Kane supposedly comes home, quiet, calm, unwell. The couple holds hands at a table, but the hands are obstructed by a glass of water. The imagery is refracted. Their relationship is out of touch, it's mixed and mushed and turned upside down.

As the film continues, we see it everywhere, as do the characters, reflected in dialogue and action.

You've seen rainbows, and you've seen lens flares, but we get a beautiful mix of them here. Refraction.

The world, the monsters, the awareness of the characters and the audience--refraction, captured perfectly and simply early on as Lena tries to hold her husband's hand.

Be well.
http://www.LionSuit.com
(words are original, photos from pixabay)