Contagion

I caught Contagion at Jurong Point with a bunch of other specs during nights out. I've been anticipating it, maybe because of the star-studded cast, or maybe the fact that such a lethal virus can exist in reality grips me more than anything.

Contagion reminds me of similar movies like 28 Days Later (which I've not watched), I Am Legend, and The Invasion. But Contagion brands itself as a movie that is more realistic than any other concept I've ever watched, in the likes of H1N1 and SARS.

I especially liked the way Contagion was directed, to portray different perspectives of the pandemic.

Indeed, "nothing spreads like fear". Contagion draws our attention to how different people respond with the onset of an pandemic, mostly driven by fear, resorting to extreme means to survive. Contagion unveils the ugly side of human nature, or rather, the sinful nature in us. The scenes might be mild, but it underscores the self-centredness in all of us. I might be quick to judge the people who were depicted as outright selfish, but putting myself in their shoes, I dare not imagine who I would respond either.

I'm thinking:
I face the possibility of getting infected by this deadly contagious virus, which when infected, I might die within days.
I have to queue for food rations and medication at pharmacies, but others turn to violence and I might not get my share.
I seek help at the local hospitals, but the nurses are either on strike or they can't handle the influx of in-patients.
I want to know the extent of this virus and what the government is doing to help, but the government has saved themselves first before releasing the details to the public.
I just want to stay at home and be safe, but thugs break in and take all that I have.

What will I do?

Above all, where is God in all this mess?

Questions aside, Contagion is not a movie that goes for dramatic twists and stunning conspiracies. It has a positive ending like most apocalyptic films, but it focuses heavily on people and how the pandemic has affected relationships. I'm much appeased when I watched the doctor (played by Jennifer Ehle) discover a vaccine that worked on a monkey and decided to use herself as a test subject. The phrase "desperate times call for desperate measures" cannot be more apt, but I loved the principle of sacrifice behind her act.