In this analysis of Annihilation, we will discuss Grief and Self-Destruction. Lena crawls inside the Shimmer's lair, where Ventress is, having had her eyes removed. It is a true story about science and race, death and immortality. The type of cancer is unspecified, but the diagnosis is clearly terminal. The Shimmer is the main antagonist of the science fiction horror mystery book Annihilation and its 2018 film adaptation. In order to survive oblivion, Lena must face the fact that she will never be able to atone to the man she hurt. Cass Sheppard - Mangled by the mutant bear. More Than Death. But Dr. Ventress implies that she feels guilt due to her part in the possible deaths of the previous failed reconnaissance teams. Related: Alex Garland’s Annihilation Accused of Whitewashing After watching the video recording of Kane's death, Lena ventures into the crater created by the alien's crash landing. In Tarot, the Death card rarely represents a physical death but instead a drastic change, a … Lena chooses to go back, with full knowledge that the Kane waiting for her is no longer the person she married. Ventress has her own studies. Lena journeys into The Shimmer on a quest for absolution. If I wasn’t Kane, what was I? Not a romance, but a trial of love, a testament to Lena’s commitment to Kane, to fighting through her … The final trial of Annihilation is a spiritual and emotional one, beautifully rendered as a dark battle for one’s soul. That can’t really be called death either. Annihilation's reflections on what Freudian psychoanalysts have referred to as the 'death drive' offers an account of modern life we cannot ignore. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Major Character Death; Kane (Annihilation) Dr. Ventress (Annihilation) Lena (Annihilation) Original Characters; Blood and Gore; Character Death; Body Horror; Summary. Dr. Ventress is the psychologist in charge of vetting possible candidates for the mission to enter The Shimmer. This makes the final words of Annihilation chilling. This refers to our coping mechanisms, which inevitably turn against us, just as we always knew they would. Perhaps she destroys her preconceived notions about who she is. Anya Thorensen - Jaw ripped out by the mutant bear. The characters in Annihilation (2018) faced death in various ways and ultimately accepted their impending demise as they entered the Shimmer. She is a scientist who has studied a weird electromagnetic field that an alien named the Shimmer created upon making his way to the Earth. By Jacob Brogan. A viper, she trod on, diffused its venom into her body, and robbed her of her best years. When discussing The Shimmer, it is important to remember that metaphor is not the same thing as allegory. This journey, for Dr. Ventress, is about confronting her mortality. Almost none of us commit suicide, and almost all of us self-destruct. Feb. 22, 2018. Plus, we look at several other small but … Ventress’s explanation amounts of an evocation of what Freud called the “death drive.” In Beyond the Pleasure Principle (1920), the psychoanalyst found himself grappling with a major inconsistency in his theory of the mind. The film itself encourages us not to view The Shimmer as the first step of an alien invasion. Were you me?” At first, we might be tempted to think that he is addressing these questions to the alien being recording his final words. As Dr. Ventress says right before her death, “It’s not like us… it’s unlike us. That night, that same bear who mutilated Cassie makes his return, and Anya turns on her team because she thought Cassie's death was their fault. In a series of flashbacks, we discover that Lena had an affair with a coworker while Kane was on tour. She then fights the bear after a fast reformation, but the bear kills her. I’m not even sure if it knew I was there. The storytelling in Annihilation is metaphorical but not allegorical, so it would be unhelpful to say, “What does the alligator represent?” Instead, we should ask ourselves, “How does The Shimmer reflect the personal journeys of each of the characters?”. Annihilation. She reveals the Shimmer's plot to assimilate all life on Earth, before the mysterious entity disintegrates and kills her, revealing his true form as she dies. It is a true story about science and race, death and immortality. For Josie, giving in to The Shimmer is the only option. First, Josie may have volunteered for the mission because she did not want to be separated from Anya and Cass. It is the journey down to the deepest depths of our selves and the fear of discovering that there is no such self, that at the end of the road, when faced with oblivion, we will find no answers. She is in the depths beneath The Lighthouse, blinded, seemingly possessed. Plus, we look at several other small but … This grief manifests in different ways for each of them, thus these backstories are fundamental to understanding the themes of the film. However, I think a deeper interpretation may be the that these words are addressed, in some way, to Lena. It mirrored me. After Shepherd's death, the camera holds meaningfully on Anya for suspiciously long several times before before she goes crazy and ties the others to chairs. Annihilation … This serves her well in The Shimmer. Like Kane, Ventress has lost herself within The Shimmer, recognizing the deterioration of her body and mind, and dubs the spread of the extraterrestrial force, “Annihilation.” Before Lena’s eyes Ventress‘ form comes apart, and we see the energy that remains absorb blood from a cut on the protagonist’s face. This conflation of strength and control is common in addicts, which is why the first step in a traditional 12-step program is: We admitted we were powerless over our addiction and that our lives had become unmanageable. Ventress covers Thorensen's body. I compared it to The Last of Us, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and The Thing, praising its visual style and ambition but feeling let down by the dialogue, worldbuilding, and pacing. Lomax later reveals that Ventress was dying of cancer and had no intention of returning from the Shimmer, which most likely influenced her decision to continue moving forward even after the death of Cass Sheppard. A science-fiction fantasy spiked with baroque horror, “Annihilation” tells an enigmatic tale of love and death and alien invasion. Later, before entering Area X together — the alien-like environment that is their mission to explore — Jennifer Jason Leigh’s Dr. Ventress confides to Lena that she is dying of the disease. Annihilation Is a Brilliant Splicing of Woolf With Cronenberg Natalie Portman journeys into an strange substance known as the Shimmer—and stumbles on a new understanding of the human heart. Mutant Alligator - Shot by Lena with an automatic weapon. Alex Garland’s Annihilation is a mind-bending sci-fi epic with a lot to say – and a lot to piece together. But they are alien together. Lena volunteers to join a group of equally qualified women on a suicide mission to enter The Shimmer in the hopes of discovering its secrets and saving Kane’s life. Kane (Annihilation) (12) Cass Sheppard (6) Kane Double (Annihilation) (6) Kane (4) Original Female Character(s) (4) Lena Double (Annihilation) (4) Include Relationships Josie Radek/Anya Thorensen (10) Lena/Dr. Title Drop: Like in the book, the movie's title gets dropped near the end. The original Annihilation ending, via an earlier script, was far less ambiguous than the scene that appears in the final film. She says, “If I let you go, and you tie me to a chair, will my insides move like my fingerprints?” Anya cannot cope with this thought, and she believes that the only way to regain her sanity is to assert her control over the situation. Was I you? And while we might expect her to be horrified, what we see instead is even more telling. Annihilation is a 2018 horror movie directed by Alex Garland. But they are still Kane and Lena. She has changed so fundamentally from this experience that the “real” Lena doesn’t exist anymore. While The Shimmer might be interpreted as the Death card, the Lighthouse seems far more akin to the Tower (or the Lightning Struck Tower). Kane is no longer Kane. Second, Josie seems to have a natural tendency toward martyrdom and may even glorify death, seeing it as a release from the pain of life. Annihilation: FAQ. Dr. Ventress’s self-destruction is more literal than the others. Lena is tempted. In a scene at the outset of Annihilation, we see a tumor, made up of an ever growing cluster of cancerous cells, divide. As Kane and Lena embrace, their eyes shine with alien light. She sees an endlessly shifting void of rainbow hues folding and unfolding in on itself. And now I’m not so sure. The team is, fortunately, able to destroy him. Later in the film, we discover that Dr. Ventress has cancer. She is battling with her desire to meet her end. Annihilation is a 2018 film written and directed by Alex Garland and based on the novel by Jeff VanderMeer. She tells Lena, “Imagine dying frightened and in pain and having that as the only part of you which survives.” Her history with self-harm informs her final decision to accept the fate of The Shimmer. Everything in this movie has intent. But these aren’t decisions, they’re impulses.”. We know that she arrives at her destination, but we will never know exactly what she had to sacrifice to cross the precipice. But I don’t think I want either of those things.”. She never really wanted to. Mutant Bear - Shot in the head by Lena. ... She tells Lena that the Shimmer is of alien origin and that it is preparing for an annihilation. The Shimmer is a prism, acting as a mirror and an amplifier, reflecting, refracting, and intensifying every piece of input it receives. Instead, Lena must choose to fight to stay alive. Ventress (Annihilation) (7) Kane/Lena (Annihilation) (5) Kane Double/Lena (Annihilation) (3) Minor or Background Relationship(s) (2) Ventress does know, but with her odd, distant, melancholy manner, she can’t unify them in a crisis. Annihilation is a film of subtext, lore, and infinite pathos. It stars Natalie Portman as Lena, an ex-military microbiologist whose husband, Kane, disappears for over a year. Victims. The story follows a group of explorers who enter "The Shimmer", a mysterious quarantined zone of mutating plants and animals caused by an alien presence. Dr. Ventress is the most self-actualized of all of the protagonists, showing a level head and a propensity for empathy and reflection. Anya Thorensen - Jaw ripped out by the mutant bear. Ventress tells Lena that the Shimmer appeared three years back, around the lighthouse, and since then, it has been expanding its territory. There will also be discussion of drug addiction and suicide. Their ethnicities are not concretely described in the first book, but in later books, it is made clear that they are Asian and half-Native American. But in these dire circumstances, with the grief and despair and distrust they carried in with them, it is impossible for the characters not to imprint on one another, and the self is forced to mold and change with its surroundings. When Lena confronts Dr. Ventress about sending her husband to his death, Ventress curtly suggests that almost no one is suicidal; they’re simply self-destructive. Annihilation Is a Brilliant Splicing of Woolf With Cronenberg Natalie Portman journeys into an strange substance known as the Shimmer—and stumbles on a new understanding of the human heart. Ventress has her own studies. Our bodies and our minds will be fragmented into their smallest parts until not one part remains… Annihilation.”. Annihilation follows Lena and Dr. Ventress. We do not technically see Josie’s end fate, but we can assume that she allowed The Shimmer to meld with her, creating a vine sculpture. Let me get this out of the way right now. Cass is the only character whose destruction came solely from an outside source. Similar to imagery we see in other films dealing with cancer, like The Fountain, Ventress erupts in a ray of violent light as she is consumed by her own body. But unlike cancer, it’s ultimately unclear whether the changes that occur in Annihilation are good or bad. This sheds some light on why Dr. Ventress volunteered for the mission into The Shimmer. For his part, in an interview at Google, Garland said the movie is about “self-destruction,” and on a metaphysical level, Annihilation certainly has that. Annihilation (2018) Directed by Alex Garland A biologist (Natalie Portman) signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition where the laws of nature don't apply. Lena, a biologist and professor at Johns Hopkins (among other things), is… She changes. Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh) Dr. Ventress is a psychologist who was responsible for choosing candidates to enter the Shimmer. When Anya learns of Lena’s connection to Kane, she becomes hostile and lets paranoia cloud her judgement. It twists the characters and breaks them down to their barest parts, and they become driven by the need to maintain a static sense of self. When Kane returns home as the only survivor of a secret government mission, he is markedly changed and physically unwell. When we are reduced down to our basest instincts and desires, we are driven by impulse, and just as cells in the body are built to decay, we are driven unconsciously by a need to meet our end, one way or the other. Lena is battling with an alien being, but she is also battling with herself. The Shimmer is a focal point for the psyche. We get the sense that Cass is drifting, directionless, and that she enters The Shimmer because there is nothing left for her in the real world. It is a true story about science and race, death and immortality. Perhaps she destroys her hope that things could go back to “the way they were”. Garland presents Ventress’s death with similar ambiguity. The moment after Dr. Ventress’ death, Lena sees annihilation incarnate. The first time I watched this movie, I didn’t really like it. Annihilation takes a turn for the bizarre when Lena enters the Lighthouse. Metaphor also tends toward the introspective while allegory usually falls under parable, focusing on messaging more than mood or atmosphere. It is like an electromagnetic field with its effects limited to the area that comes inside its boundaries. In some way, in some part of our lives. Ventress's character is close to her book counterpart, the Psychologist, who is the former Director of the Southern Reach (the organization exploring Area X). What about the annihilation of Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh)? In Tarot, the Death card rarely represents a physical death but instead a drastic change, a journey into the self, and the painful but necessary process of letting go. After everything, Lena finds pleasure in gardening. She puts up a fight, and perhaps, if she hadn’t attacked her crew, her friends, her support system, they may have helped her escape. To me, this indicates that, while destruction may be alluring to Lena, it is not her time. Lena, despite her solitude, makes her way to the lighthouse, where she discovers, much to her dismay, a recording of Kane losing his sense of identity and self-destructing with a grenade. Related: Natalie Portman Annihilation Interview. Alex Garland’s Annihilation, starring Natalie Portman and Oscar Isaac, was released in theaters a few weeks ago. She is battling with her grief and hopelessness. Not a romance, but a trial of love, a testament to Lena’s commitment to Kane, to fighting through her … Cass Sheppard is an anthropologist. In a scene at the outset of Annihilation, we see a tumor, made up of an ever growing cluster of cancerous cells, divide. I think that Anya wants to believe that she has moved past her addiction, that she is stronger now, in control of her own life. Perhaps she destroys her desire for self-destruction. She may have even prided herself on not needing meetings or sponsors. Whether or not she ever actually attempted suicide is unclear, but the film suggests that it is a definite possibility. I attacked it. You want to fight it. They are bound together by a mutual understanding, even though they have become strangers. She wants to enfold herself in death, become a part of it. Before Kane ends his life, he says, “I thought I was a man. The idea of ‘annihilation’ is the annihilation of a former self; it is the death of who we were and the birth of something, or someone else. She became a person who was both a mother and not a mother. Metaphor is abstract and generally used to create an emotional reaction in the audience and bring attention to the themes of the story whereas allegory is representative, and each character or symbol generally has a one to one real-world equivalent. Hey ! With its centre at the lighthouse, it is radiating energy all around it. Language: English Words: 1,349 Chapters: 1/1 Collections: … But when Lena’s blood is pulled into the vortex, the nature of the alien changes, takes form, becomes monstrous. But their hands are tied, literally. There, she discovers Ventress - who is first shown without eyes, indicating this is a mirror version of Ventress - who explains the source of the Shimmer doesn't have consciousness but it does have a drive. Bethany is a freelance writer who specializes in reviews, film analysis, blogs, and fiction. Actin filaments in a cancer cell – strands of proteins which look suspiciously like the deconstructed matter which makes up Ventress as she faces her own annihilation. Lena is no longer Lena. People called me Kane. In a way, because of the history of the characters and the unique pain they bring into The Shimmer with them, their fates feel like an inevitability rather than a chance occurrence. She is quiet at first but opens up to Lena after their encounter with the mutated alligator. It is possible that Josie idealizes death, longing for its release. Anya is the most proactive member of the group aside from Dr. Ventress. Even if she no longer desires death, the shadow of that desire still lives in her, and The Shimmer intensifies this feeling. In fact, even though almost every character dies, it is more interesting to look at the metaphorical deaths they undergo, which are then echoed in their eventual physical deaths. Lena’s journey into The Shimmer is the most archetypal. She tells Lena that she realizes the Shimmer just refracted DNA and the signals on their equipment as opposed to simply distorting them. Instead of Body Snatchers, I saw Through the Looking Glass, The Things They Carried, and Girl, Interrupted, and my entire experience changed. Kudos: 3 … In the context of these characters and their individual struggles, The Shimmer and what it represents is far more terrifying than any inter-planetary conqueror could ever be. For the purposes of this analysis, I am not interested in a literal alien invasion scenario. How does The Shimmer interact with each character? Instead, I will be focusing on the characters, their motivations, and the existential terror of The Shimmer. I longed to be able to accept it, and I do not say I have not tried: Love won…I beg you, by these fearful places, by this immense abyss, and the silence of your vast realms, reverse Eurydice’s swift death.”, -Ovid, Metamorphoses Book X, Orpheus and Eurydice. The original Annihilation ending, via an earlier script, was far less ambiguous than the scene that appears in the final film. Annihilation is about a woman who journeys to … She ties Lena, Dr. Ventress, and even Josie to chairs and gags them. Sheppard's Daughter - Died of leukemia, mentioned. The next day, Ventress goes off to find the lighthouse herself. Which means if this cell resides on a plant, the plant DNA will get refracted to take on the a Before her death, Ventress stated that the Shimmer was some kind of alien force intent on enveloping the planet. Lena/Dr. Radek finds roots and leaves growing out of her arms at a rapid pace. Language: English Words: 1,349 Chapters: 1/1 Collections: … When Lena comes face to face to with infinity, it is beautiful, and she is transfixed. Ventress (Annihilation) Lena (Annihilation) Dr. Ventress (Annihilation) Body Horror; Established Relationship; Summary. ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ is the last time anyone’s gonna get away with this, Walk around Berlin through the Big Screen, Joss Whedon, “Strong Female Characters” and the Hopeful End of the Jerk Director Trope, All 50 movies connected to Godzilla vs. Kong and the Monsterverse, ranked, Why the ‘Strong Female Character’ needs to die, Logan and the Problem of Cultural Convergence. For Josie, death is a comforting embrace. Tweet Share Post ... (2012), to name a few—films that I’ll still be soaking in, marveling at, pondering, feeling, and quoting on my death bed, I imagine. It is shown to imprint Anya’s tattoo onto Lena’s arm and seems to magnify feelings, including paranoia and grief, even creating physical manifestations of the characters’ fears. Originally born to the Nightsisters, Asajj's Dathomirian mother was forced to give her up to a Her daughter was dragged away from her by an illness, and in that moment, Cass was lost too. Feb 23, 2018 5:38 PM. However, on the second viewing, I was entranced. Annihilation's secondary focus comes down to not what the Shimmer is but what the Shimmer does.Determining this is the primary goal of Lena's team, made up … Therefore, these are not the actions of a sane person. After everything, Lena finds pleasure in gardening. First, Josie is attacked by an alligator, then Cassie gets dragged away and mutilated by a bear as she tries to fend him off, but the gang eventually reaches a town that appears infested with plants that appear human-like in their form. Lena is tempted. She knows that she is not strong enough to fight, and even if she could fight, she does not want to. Here's the one hundred and seventh Every Death In which counts all the on screen deaths in Annihilation ! Lena/Dr. Ventress (Annihilation) Lena (Annihilation) Dr. Ventress (Annihilation) Body Horror; Established Relationship; Summary. Lena wants to discover a way to save her husband’s life, but she’s looking for more than that. The next day, Lena finds her remains in the forest. Lena doesn’t answer Kane’s question because even she isn’t sure. On their way, the team encounters trouble after trouble.

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