The definitive film on what a true encounter with an alien civilization could be like

Rating: 10/10 (18 August 2015)

Contact was one of the books I kept dreaming about being turned into a movie. The tone, the scope, the ambition of the material really begged for a big screen treatment. I was more than happy back in the day when I learned Robert Zemeckis, after his critical and commercial triumph with Forrest Gump, was preparing to bring Contact to life. And boy, did he deliver...
The first thing that needs to be clarified is that this isn't a faithful adaptation of the book. Zemeckis and his screenwriters departed significantly in several occasions, but Carl Sagan was part of the production and this was very significant in keeping the spirit and tone of the book intact, even if the events aren't identical. The presence of James V. Hart also did help a lot. He did phenomenal script work on Hook and Dracula and I am sure he was very valuable here too. Would it be even better if they had sticked to the book 100%? Perhaps, although the film as it stands is so damn good, there is really not much room for improvement. This is one of the rare occasions (singular?) where I don't mind the changes. The truth is, the movie would probably have to be like 4+ hours long if they tried to incorporate everything, like the 5 passengers of the Machine, the cold-war setup, Hadden's extended presence and influence and the entire back story with Ellie's family (or prime numbers).
It is hard even to start enumerating the number of subjects this film addresses over its densely packed 150 minutes. Science and religion and the role of each in our lives (including their conflicts), alienation, loneliness, scientific curiosity, ambition, integrity, perseverance, animosity, mistrust, the fear of the unknown and the urge to go where no man has gone before are only some of the issues dealt with and as you can understand, there is some pretty heavy material to digest. What should be stressed though is that Contact manages to communicate the optimism and awe that was such a central part of Sagan's book. As such, it is both an intellectual as well as an emotional ride. The film opens with a seminal scene, the camera zooming out of earth orbit with nothing but radio signals as audio track, gradually moving from deafening noise into deafening silence as earth becomes a pale blue dot in interstellar space, earth's radio signals being left far behind, with the camera eventually leaving the galaxy and moving towards the edge of the known universe. You realize right from the beginning, this journey will take you into uncharted territory.
Just like in Forrest Gump, Zemeckis manages to take what is essentially a personal story and present it in an epic scale, crafting a film that spans years, continents and star systems. The scope and ambition of the book is all there and in several instances, immensely amplified. A typical example is the case of the Machine, which unlike the book, involves a truly gigantic superstructure. The sabotage of the first Machine turns out to be a jaw dropping sequence, one of the best destruction scenes ever put on film and the emotional impact of it and it's aftermath is simply amazing. Similarly, the climactic scene in Hokaido, where the Machine is revealed in its full grandeur is up there in its frenetic energy and immaculate editing with the launching sequence of Apollo 13. When the wormhole within the core opens, it sucks in clouds and sea and sky... just perfect. We were all ecstatic the first time the Stargate opened and Daniel went through it, but that was nothing compared to how the wormhole travel is portrayed in Contact, giving us imagery that has never been topped ever since (just take a look at Interstellar, which did a much poorer job in the same field almost 2 full decades later). I know most people were drooling over Titanic at the time for the special effects, but this is my vote for 1997's best.
There are so many things that deserve praise in this film. In terms of acting, Jodie Foster is giving her career's best and her personal investment in this movie is palpable, I cannot think of another actress of the period more suited to bring Ellie to life. There are several quiet, introspective moments throughout that depend on her presence alone and Foster absolutely nails it. The great John Hurt is also marvelous as the recluse and enigmatic Hadden, turning scenes that could have been boring exposition into something pulled out of a thriller (like the revelation of the second Machine. If this doesn't bring you goosebumps, check your pulse asap). McConaughey is also doing work that would eventually take him about 2 decades to top. On a production level, the same team that worked on Forrest Gump essentially returns for Contact too, with great cinematography from Don Burgess and amazing production designs by Ed Verreaux. And Alan Silvestri composed yet another classic.
Contact is perhaps the best (and most realistic) treatment to date of a possible encounter with an alien civilization and one of Zemeckis's best. t is required viewing for anyone with even a cursory interest in sci-fi. And don't forget to check out Starman for a different (but equally satisfying) take on the subject.