City of Ember
Rating: 10/ 6.4
Director: Gil Kenan
Cast: Saoirse Ronan; Harry Treadaway; Bill Murray; Marianne Jean-Baptiste; Lucinda Dryzek; Tim Robbins; Mackenzie Crook; Mary Kay Place
Movie Review
Two hundred years.
It has been two centures since the last remnants of humanity have lived in the deep underground the surface of earth is a no go after some.... war. Some centuries ago the citizens were dependent on a massive generator powered by an underground river. They used to call this citty ‘Ember.’
Now the so called generator is failing for some unknown reasons. Bad news for everyone emcompassed are two additional problems such as food scarcity.Lina’s grandmother, who lives with her, has a faint recollection of the box’s contents being some sort significant, though she can't quite recall in what way.
Stubbornly to the most of ebmers citizens naive the notion of coming to aan end is too far fetch. Among the citizens their burly waistline mayor takes first place leading the charge is the boldest skeptic who's calm decision to investigate for systems error makes it more baffling.
Doon Harrow, the son of an inventor, believes he can fix the generator, but only if he gets access to it. However, the most captivating part of the story happens when Lina Mayfleet’s preschool-aged sister, Poppy, uncovers a strange box in the closet of their house, a box supposedly left by an ancestor who served as the city’s seventh mayor. Lina’s grandmother, with whom she lives, vaguely remembers the box’s something being significant but can’t pinpoint why.
Doon’s and Lina’s paths intersect on Assignment Day the day 14-year-olds graduate from school and start working as adults in the city. And as Ember faces longer power outages, Doon and Lina try to solve an ever-deepening mystery. There are left behind things like: hidden tunnels, cryptic instructions, and monstrous creatures lurking in the shadows.
Ember was never intended to be a long-term dwelling place for humans. Piece by piece, the picture becomes clear: humanity only meant to be a sheltered temporarily, while the people must return to the surface.
But someone seems to want to obstruct them, it appears.
Positive Elements
The City of Ember emphasizes the significance of commitment and family as well as seeking the truth even when others try to dissuade you.
Societal structure does not allow for personal career aspirations as a society that functions on survival and in Ember, adults receive lifetime job positions through a lottery system. Still, the majority of Ember's populace commendably fulfill their roles. Pipe fitters repair leaks. Electricians maintain the power grid. Greenhouse caretakers ensure production of fresh food to supplement the stored canned goods. And so forth.
Doon’s father Loris illustrates the value of hard work and determination. Loris explains to Doon that while life offers some options, many are beyond his control (“What you get, you get”), but what matters is how he chooses to respond to those circumstances (“What you do with what you get is more the point”).
Spiritual Elements
There is no mentioning of anything God-related or particularly spiritual. From one angle, City of Ember seems entirely secular, even humanist. However, there is a city-wide annual celebration which feels spiritual. Every year residents of Ember celebrate the Great Day of Singing. This holiday includes rites that culminate in a complex rehearsal of a hybrid song that is part Pledge of Allegiance and part old gospel hymn. It is sung in praise of the lights that allow Emberites to exist in the dark and goes, “When the light is on, hope is everlasting.”
Such as Mrs. Murdo, dressed in unique garb, a small segment of diehard fans continues to cherish the hope that the original builders of Ember would in some manner “show us the way.” Mrs. Murdo and her friends portray these figures, and it seems, at a minimum, that they are over-optimistic. Lina clearly considers the group to be delusional, given that the reality of Ember’s generator and infrastructure remains in decay with no one arriving to ‘rescue’ them. Similarly, Loris almost mystically describes the loss of hope of escape from Amber, saying, “The builders abandoned us.”
As far as I can tell, only Doon and Lina still appear to believe that Ember can be escaped from. Alternatively, this story could also be interpreted as a quest from the depths of despair toward enlightenment.
Conclusion
City of Ember stands out as a unique film. It’s an intriguing consideration, particularly for post-apocalyptic action movies. There’s remarkable restraint in its content concerns. Aside from the mildly violent suspense action and the two scenes featuring the mutated mole, there’s not much else. It’s rare these days, even among films classified as “family friendly,” due to the lack of issues. And so it seems that Walden Media still remains dedicated to relaxable, enjoyable storytelling across film.
On the flip side of this discussion, the movie seems to suggest a lack of organized politics or religion that can effectively resolve some of the most pressing issues actively ignored and avoided by civilization. In fact, adults, in general, do not seem to be open to new perspectives or solutions to problems. While these messages might seem far-fetched, neither the “spiritually faithful” nor public leaders tasked with shepherding the city receive praise here. It pays to note that the former are hopelessly untethered from reality coupled with a trust deficit on the latter, who happen to be described as too crooked. Ultimately, the only supporting assertion is that Lina and Doon become self-reliant.
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