“Moon” is a science fiction film of 2009 directed by Duncan Jones and played by Sam Rockwell. The film follows the story of Sam Bell, an astronaut who works alone on a lunar base for three years. During his stay, Sam begins to experience strange events that lead him to question his sanity.
“Moon” is a film that addresses important issues such as loneliness, identity and morality. Sam Rockwell’s performance is extraordinary and the film offers a reflection on the relationship between man and technology, also exploring the ethics of human cloning.
The film received very positive reviews from critics and won several awards, including the BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay. “Moon” is considered a classic of contemporary science fiction and a film that deserves to be seen by all fans of the genre.
Plot
The plot of “Moon” follows the story of Sam Bell, an astronaut who works alone on the Selene mining base, located on the surface of the Moon. Sam spends his days monitoring the extractions of helium-3, a precious resource for the Earth, and communicating with the Earth through video calls with his family.
After three years of isolation, Sam begins to experience strange occurrences, including hallucinations and an accident during one of the mining missions. While trying to figure out what’s going on, Sam learns something shocking about his identity and the true nature of his work on the moon.
“Moon” offers a reflection on the relationship between man and technology, also exploring important themes such as loneliness, identity and morality. Sam Rockwell’s performance is extraordinary and the film offers many surprises and twists that will keep the viewer glued to the screen until the end.
Movie Characters
The main character of “Moon” is Sam Bell, played by Sam Rockwell. Sam is an astronaut who works alone on the Selene mining base for three years and begins to experience strange events that cause him to question his sanity.
There are other characters in the film as well, though most of them are only present through their voices or screen images. Among these characters are:
- GERTY, the artificial intelligence system that runs the moon base and provides Sam with company during his stay.
- Tess Bell, Sam’s wife, with whom he communicates through video calls.
- Lunar Industries, the company that manages the mining base and Sam’s business.
Without revealing too many details about the plot, it is important to point out that Sam Rockwell’s performance is extraordinary and that the film mainly focuses on his experience of solitude and his doubts about his identity and his motivations for working on the Moon. GERTY is a very interesting character, as she is Sam’s only other human point of contact on the Moon, but her true nature and intentions remain a mystery until the end of the film.
Production
“Moon” was produced by director Duncan Jones, along with Stuart Fenegan and Trudie Styler, through their production company Liberty Films. The film’s budget was approximately $5 million.
Filming for the film took place primarily at Shepperton Studios in London, where a realistic moon base was rebuilt. Other scenes were filmed in Iceland for exteriors on the lunar surface.
The soundtrack for the film was composed by Clint Mansell, known for his collaborations with director Darren Aronofsky on films such as ‘Requiem for a Dream’ and ‘The Fountain’.
“Moon” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009 and was later released to theaters worldwide. The film received great critical acclaim, with many praising Jones’ direction and Sam Rockwell’s performance, as well as its intriguing and innovative storyline.
Distribution and Reception
“Moon” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2009 and had its limited release in US theaters starting June 12, 2009. Afterwards, the film was released worldwide, achieving huge success of criticism.
The film received widespread praise from the film press, particularly for Duncan Jones’ direction, Sam Rockwell’s performance and Clint Mansell’s score. In particular, many critics appreciated the way the film deals with important issues such as loneliness, identity and morality.
“Moon” earned a BAFTA nomination for Best Original Screenplay, while Sam Rockwell won the Best Actor Award at the Gijón International Film Festival. The film also won the Audience Award at the Sitges Film Festival.
Overall, “Moon” was very well received by critics and audiences, becoming a cult film of contemporary science fiction.
Style
“Moon” was made with a very original and innovative style. Directed by Duncan Jones is characterized by extreme attention to detail and the ability to create a claustrophobic and distressing atmosphere, which is well suited to the solitude of astronaut Sam Bell.
The film mainly focuses on the dialogue and the actors’ performances, rather than the action or special effects. The cinematography is very accurate and creates a ghostly and suggestive setting, while the soundtrack by Clint Mansell, which combines acoustic instruments and synthesizers, contributes to creating an eerie and mysterious atmosphere.
Another interesting aspect of the style of “Moon” is the choice to use few actors and only one main set, the Selene mining base, reconstructed with great attention to detail. This choice allows us to focus on the psychology of the main character, Sam Bell, and to explore the film’s themes in depth.
In general, “Moon” is distinguished by its minimalistic and elegant style, which focuses on the psychology of the characters and their relationship with the space around them, rather than special effects and action.
Director
The director of “Moon” is Duncan Jones, born in London in 1971. Jones is the son of the famous musician David Bowie and studied philosophy at the University of Cambridge. Before becoming a director, he worked as a set designer, producer and director of music videos.
His cinematic debut was with “Moon”, which he wrote and directed. The film received critical acclaim and established Jones as one of the most promising directors in contemporary science fiction.
Jones went on to direct other genre films, such as the 2011 futuristic thriller “Source Code” and the 2016 fantasy film “Warcraft: Inception” based on the popular video game. In 2018, he directed ‘Mute’, a futuristic thriller produced by Netflix.
Jones is notable for his ability to create imaginary worlds rich in detail and for his attention to the psychology of the characters. His filmography is characterized by a certain originality and the ability to blend elements of science fiction and other genres in an innovative and stimulating way.