Anticipation and science fiction are particularly difficult subjects to stage, especially in a scenario that is intended to be as realistic as possible. Yet this is the challenge that Lennart Ruff set himself with Titan. Released on March 30 in e-cinema, Titan is a simply surprising film, in line with Welcome to Gattaca. A nugget that deserves to be discovered, as well as other works published in e-cinema such as My Friend Dahmer and The Bachelors. Focus!
A well-thought-out Darwinist scenario
The basic premise of Titan is simply fabulous! In order to colonize Saturn's moon Titan, several scientists decided not to make it livable for humans, but to make humans adaptable to this hostile atmosphere. Thus, the film stages various very violent experiences for the protagonists, who will resist it more or less well. This is how the work reveals his Darwinist theses. Here, it is not the strongest people who survive the tests, but the most adaptable, those able to accept the changes inherent in their morphology, despite the violence of the transformations. The theory of evolution is put at the service of a simple question: is it not up to us to adapt to the world around us rather than the other way around? This question is as valid for the Earth as for a planet that we would eventually like to colonize. In addition to natural selection, which is cleverly staged, an interesting subject is addressed: that of forced evolution. The film reminds us that a major scientific breakthrough is often synonymous with immorality and absolutely abominable tests. It therefore forces us to meditate on these scientific advances, fabulous at first glance.
A staging at the top flirting with various genres
The atmosphere of Titan is undeniably reminiscent of the cult Welcome to Gattaca. Everything in the imagery echoes this major work of anticipatory cinema. The sober and bluish atmosphere, the refined decorations, the symbolism and omnipresence of water… But also and above all: Titan! Indeed, it is on this moon that Vincent Freeman aka Jerome Morrow must leave in Andrew Niccol's film. The parallel is therefore as obvious as it is appreciable. But although these echoes are easily discernible, Titan does not forget to find his identity. The context of the film is set in an agreed but effective way, which allows it to move immediately to the development of characters and more or less fruitful scientific experiments. The work also moves from one scene to another with a fluidity that commands respect, thanks to sober and original image transitions.
Beyond the science fiction dimension, the film allows itself some flashes in the register of the thriller, sometimes even approaching horror. This allows the story to acquire another dimension than that of the simple anticipation film. We will also find a rather fascinating relationship with the body, focusing on the progressive evolution but also on the fragility of the body in transformation. We will also note another similarity with Welcome to Gattaca in the relationship to the skin that is torn off.Moreover, perhaps it would have been good to push this relationship of film to organic matter even further. We could have approached the style of David Cronenberg with regard to the morbid fascination for the body and its transformations, while keeping the very refined side of the work.
A half-hearted treatment of the characters
The characters of Titan are all interesting in their own way and evolve in a context that is even more so. However, the treatment slightly lacks depth when it comes to the secondary characters, leaving an aftertaste of unfinished business regarding the psychological construction of many people. This is due to three things:
- Rick, the main character (played by Sam Worthington) monopolizes much of the story. It is on its evolution that we focus the most, as well as on its extraordinary ability to adapt.
- There are many secondary characters, especially regarding recruits selected for genetic modification. In itself it is good to have a lot of characters in this kind of story, because it reinforces the dimension of teamwork and collective progression. But apart from the character of Taily (Nathalie Emmanuel), few secondary characters are developed. Even Rick's wife is under-exploited, where her knowledge of medicine and her relationship with her husband could have been much more developed.
- The film is a little too short to let a real psychological development flourish (1h37). An additional twenty minutes could have been beneficial to the attachment we have for the characters, without appearing too much in this fascinating story.
Skilfully staging a subject of colossal proportions, Lennart Ruff offers us a very solid and simply exhilarating work of science fiction to discover. It remains to be seen if e-cinema will offer this film the visibility it deserves, because Titan is a work of science fiction as we would like to see more often in cinemas!
