5 Reasons Why Danny Boyle's Sunshine Is Still A Stellar Film

1. At Its Core, It's Not About The Science

The culmination of all the heated moments and thematic themes all sum up to one huge revelation in the film: it's not a science fiction film at heart. While I have referred to it as part of the science fiction genre (and it does have a place there), deep down that's not what defines the film. What defines it in the end is the characters, the themes, and the systematic understanding that humanity as a whole is meant for purposes to which we alone are able to figure out. It's essentially one giant character study; I interpret it as a clear understanding into the human mind and a character study into one's beliefs and motives.

Let's recap these ideas:

- A strong, underlying tension where the characters are inexplicably affected by one another and their own separate choices. - A profound look into how the mind works under such high amounts of external pressure and dyer situations. - Putting one's personal beliefs and religion before the objective and mankind itself. - A crowded, claustrophobic environment that gives off a sense of isolation and and dread, where the smallest misstep can lead to utter doom. - When faced with impossible odds, characters that know what's at stake will stake their own lives to preserve the continuation of the mission. All of these elements ultimately collided with each other and merge into one cohesive narrative where science fiction takes a back seat. The scientific equations and calculations presented in the film are obviously present, but it's purely cosmetic. What truly matters is what's at the heart of the film: the human drama. So many complex and exciting parallels are front and center here, allowing for us as the audience to connect and relate to their plight, even if we don't wish to be in the environment that they shared for years on end. This only proves that they, along with the crew of the Icarus I, were the humans for the job that could take on a task of such epic proportions. Their fortitude would be the only thing that stood in the way our humanity's end, but eventually everything snapped under pressure when personal tension, doubts, beliefs, and environmental hazards brought a near-extinction of the human race. The element of human life also plays a major role in how things play out. The gift of life, whether it be giving up your own for someone else or believing what you're doing is for the better part of humanity and for God, takes on a serious precedence when we see most of these characters in their final moments. Kaneda gave his own life to save the crew of the Icarus I; Trey killed himself because he blamed himself for Kaneda's death and the loss of the oxygen garden, which would subsequently kill off the crew; Searle (possibly) chose the easy way out by burning to death instead of dying a slow death by lack of oxygen, wanting to go out with a bang; Mace sacrifices his own life by exposing himself to a high concentration of coolant to ensure that Capa made it to the payload and activated the release; and Capa personally activated the payload inside the sun, witnessing his final moments as the payload created in front of him created a new sun which would glow bright to show humanity that they succeeded. Then there's Pinbacker, who did it all because it was God's will to end humanity and give all their souls to Him. In his mind he believed it was the right thing, even if his methods were brutal and maniacal. There is science fiction to be had in "Sunshine", then there is no science fiction to be had. It comes off strong as a balancing act, balancing human drama and the themes of human life, psychology, mental conditioning, and interactiveness with one another, forming a space opera that forsakes its science fiction license and instead relies on human emotion and what drives our spirits where ever they may end up guiding us. What do you guys think? Would any of these reasons apply with you? Is there something else that caught your eye? By all means, discuss your opinions below.