Don't Forget Your Sunglasses

The most obvious component to influence perspective in the film Sunshine is lighting. Lighting suggests both opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to danger and serenity/peacefulness. I find it fascinating how light associated with music can evoke a variety of emotions from an audience member.

High amounts of light are perceived as dangerous or detrimental to the crew and ship. If crew members are exposed to too much light, they will go blind or die. We observe this in the scene where two members of the crew are fixing the outer panels. They are engulfed in the shadows; the time in which they feel the most secure. When they are in the shadows, we hear futuristic, almost space-like music, but it gradually builds as the danger approaches. Evident danger is near and the music becomes more frantic. There is a crescendo with the increase light which ends in a solar explosion.

Much of the film is within the shadows. The interior of the ship is dark, but there is no evidence of any danger or anxiety. I feel as if they find the darkness calming and reassuring. With their mission being associated with the sun, too much light within the ship would mean they are failing or their ship is deteriorating. This kind of darkness is not the black or ominous kind. The audience can see the different hues of dark blue or green. I feel as if these colors evoke a secure and calm feeling from the audience. We do not sense the danger typically associated with darkness.

After an unknown crew member from Icarus I boards the ship, there is a shift in the meaning of darkness. Instead of the familiar dark blue and green tones, more emphasis is placed on greys and shades of black. The darkness is much more ominous. As darkness becomes more treacherous, the music changes to a frantic melody. Much of the lighting within the ship is gone; we never get to fully see this dangerous crew member which adds to the eerie effect.

In the final moments of the space portion of the film, the idea of light transitions again. High amounts of light are now serene. The crew members have accepted their impending fate. As the sun’s brightness increases the music crescendos. Kapa is against the clock to repair the payload. Once his mission is complete and the sun bursts through, there is silence: just the bright sun engulfing Kapa. He shows no fear because he knows he has done such a significant feat for all of human-kind. Back on earth, brightness symbolizes hope for a BRIGHT future.