Solaris (2002 film)

''Solaris'' is a 2002 American science fiction drama film written and directed by Steven Soderbergh, produced by James Cameron and Jon Landau, and starring George Clooney and Natascha McElhone. It is based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Polish author Stanisław Lem. The film is the third screen adaptation of the novel, following a 1968 Soviet television film and Andrei Tarkovsky’s critically acclaimed 1972 version. Soderbergh stated that his adaptation aimed to remain closer in spirit to Lem’s original work.

Set almost entirely aboard a space station orbiting the mysterious planet Solaris, the film explores themes of grief, memory, and identity through the experiences of Dr. Chris Kelvin, a psychologist sent to investigate unexplained phenomena on the station. The narrative incorporates flashbacks to Kelvin’s life on Earth, particularly his relationship with his deceased wife, as he confronts manifestations of his own memories and emotional past.

''Solaris'' received generally favorable reviews from critics, who praised its philosophical tone, performances, and visual style, though some criticized its slow pacing. Despite the critical response, the film underperformed at the box office, grossing approximately $30 million worldwide against a production budget of $47 million.

Plot

Clinical psychologist Dr. Chris Kelvin is approached by emissaries for DBA, a corporation operating a space station orbiting the planet Solaris, who relay a message sent from his scientist friend Dr. Gibarian. Gibarian requests that Kelvin come to the station to help understand an unusual phenomenon but is unwilling to explain more. DBA is unsure how to proceed, as the mission to study Solaris has been sidetracked and none of the astronauts want to return home. In addition, DBA has lost contact with the security force dispatched to the station. Kelvin agrees to a solo mission to Solaris as a last attempt to bring the crew home safely.

Upon arriving at Solaris Station onboard the ''Athena'', Kelvin learns that Gibarian has committed suicide and most of the crew have either died or disappeared. The surviving crew members, Snow and Dr. Gordon, are reluctant to explain the situation at hand. The situation is further complicated when Kelvin sees a young boy running through the station. Once alone in his quarters, Kelvin dreams about his long dead wife Rheya, reliving when they first met and some of their most romantic and intimate moments. He awakens shocked and terrified to encounter Rheya, apparently alive again beside him in bed. Kelvin leads this "Rheya" into an escape pod and jettisons the pod into space. Afterward, he confides his actions to Snow and comes to understand that replicas of the crew's loved ones have been mysteriously appearing (the little boy he saw earlier is apparently a replica of Gibarian's son). Rheya manifests a second time, but this time Kelvin lets her stay. Gradually, this version of Rheya comes to realize that she does not feel human; her memories feel artificial, in that she lacks the emotional attachment that comes with actually having lived them.

Through numerous flashbacks, Kelvin and Rheya's meeting and courtship are explored, with hints as to her disturbed upbringing and emotional difficulties. It is also gradually revealed through these flashbacks that Rheya had an abortion but did not tell Kelvin about it. When he learned this, Kelvin was so distraught he left her. Rheya then committed suicide and was later found by Kelvin when he returned.

Kelvin, the replica of Rheya, Snow and Gordon meet to discuss the situation. In frustration at Kelvin's apparent attachment to the virtual Rheya, Gordon blurts out what Kelvin did to the previous Rheya replica. An appalled Rheya abandons the meeting. Kelvin confronts Gordon, who in turn chastises him for getting emotionally involved with something that is not really human and may eventually pose a threat to human beings on the station as well as on Earth. Later, apparently during a dream, Kelvin has a vision of Gibarian, and asks him what Solaris wants. Gibarian balks at the idea of knowing an alien entity's motivations, or even that it might have motivations, and tells Kelvin simply that "there are no answers, only choices". Kelvin wakes to find that Rheya has killed herself. Soon afterward, she self-resurrects, and it is revealed that other manifestations who have "died" had done the same.

Gordon develops an apparatus which can permanently destroy a replica but Kelvin objects to using it on Rheya. Driven by his own grief and guilt over the "real" Rheya's death on Earth, he begins ingesting a chemical stimulant to stay awake in order to monitor Rheya, trying to avoid repeating the past and essentially abandoning her to suicide. Kelvin eventually falls asleep and Rheya successfully petitions Gordon to destroy her with the apparatus as she has done for her own replica(s). Traumatized, Kelvin confronts Dr. Gordon who maintains she merely facilitated an assisted suicide and only strives for the preservation of the humans on the station.

Kelvin and Gordon then discover a dead body stashed away in a ceiling vent in the station's cold room – Snow. The Snow they have been interacting with is a replica. Confronted by Gordon and Kelvin, the Snow replica explains that upon being dreamed into existence, he was attacked by the real Snow and thus killed him in self-defense. He goes on to tell them that repeat usage of the apparatus has drained the station's fuel cell reactor, making a return trip to Earth impossible. Furthermore, Solaris has begun to exponentially increase its mass, thereby gravitationally pulling the space station inexorably toward the planet. Gordon and Kelvin begin prepping the ''Athena'' to escape.

Back on Earth, Kelvin struggles to return to normal life, haunted by the idea that he "remembered her wrong"—that is, Rheya as being invariably suicidal. When he accidentally cuts his finger in his kitchen, the wound immediately heals, and it is then that Kelvin realizes that he never returned to Earth. In a flashback, Kelvin decides not to board the ''Athena'', and Doctor Gordon leaves him behind. As the space station is engulfed by Solaris, the replica of Gibarian's young son appears and offers his hand in assistance. In the kitchen, Rheya appears to Kelvin yet again. This time, however, she is tranquil, and assures Kelvin that they no longer have to think in terms like "life" and "death," and that all they have ever done is forgiven.

Cast

* George Clooney as Dr. Chris Kelvin
* Natascha McElhone as Rheya
* Viola Davis as Dr. Gordon
* Jeremy Davies as Snow
* Ulrich Tukur as Gibarian
* John Cho as DBA Emissary #1

Production

For a while, James Cameron was looking to remake ''Solaris''. His production company Lightstorm Entertainment spent close to five years securing the rights with both author Stanisław Lem and the Russian film studio Mosfilm, which owns the 1972 Russian film by Andrei Tarkovsky based on the novel. However, because of his many commitments in the 90s, Cameron was unable to take on directing duties.

In 2000, around the time Steven Soderbergh was working on ''Traffic'', he pitched his ideas of a ''Solaris'' film adaptation to Cameron and Lightstorm producers Rae Sanchini and Jon Landau. Cameron was thrilled with what he heard and development began on the project. As ''Traffic'' was wrapping up, Soderbergh began drafting a script. Using both the 1972 film and the book as reference, the script allowed him to dig into various themes and subjects he wasn't able to come to terms with in his earlier films. Soon after, Soderbergh and Lightstorm took the story to 20th Century Fox.

Soderbergh originally intended Daniel Day-Lewis to play the role of Chris Kelvin, but Day-Lewis was busy with Martin Scorsese's '' Gangs of New York'' at the time. Since George Clooney was Soderbergh's producing partner, having formed Section Eight Productions together in 2000, Soderbergh was obligated to send Clooney a copy of the ''Solaris'' script. A month later, during the editing of '' Ocean's Eleven'', Soderbergh received a letter from Clooney stating that he was ready to step into the role.

Because both Soderbergh and Clooney had prior commitments at the time, the film did not enter production until close to mid-2002. Principal photography began May 5, 2002 in downtown Los Angeles. Following a week of filming exteriors, the crew moved to the Warner Bros. lot where it shot on stages 19 and 20 for the remainder of production. These were the same stages that held the sets for Soderbergh's ''Ocean's Eleven''.

In addition to fulfilling the roles of director and screenwriter, Soderbergh also acted as the film's cinematographer and editor, both of which were credited under pseudonyms.

The sex scenes were filmed on a closed set with only George Clooney, Natascha McElhone and Steven Soderbergh, who used a hand-held camera.

Release

Rating

In early November 2002, several weeks before the film's release, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) assigned ''Solaris'' an R rating, primarily due to two scenes depicting actor George Clooney’s nudity from behind. The rating prompted criticism from members of the film industry, including filmmakers and the Directors Guild of America, who argued that the content was comparable to material previously broadcast on network television. Director Steven Soderbergh appealed the decision, and twelve days prior to the film's release, an MPAA appeals board overturned the R rating, reclassifying the film as PG-13.

Box office

''Solaris'' was released in the United States on November 27, 2002, and grossed $14,973,382 at the North American box office and $15,029,376 internationally, for a worldwide total of approximately $30 million against a reported production budget of $47 million. The film's underperformance at the box office was partially attributed to its marketing campaign, which director Steven Soderbergh later described as a challenge from the outset in the film’s audio commentary. George Clooney also criticized the promotional materials, stating that the trailers and commercials "had nothing to do with the film," and instead presented it as a science fiction romance or thriller.

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, ''Solaris'' holds an approval rating of 66%, based on 210 reviews, with an average score of 6.51/10. The site's consensus reads: "Slow-moving, cerebral, and ambiguous, Solaris is not a movie for everyone, but it offers intriguing issues to ponder." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews." In contrast, audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare grade of "F", reflecting a significant divide between critical reception and general audience expectations.

Roger Ebert awarded the film 3.5 stars out of 4, describing it as “a smart film” that functions more as a psychological drama than traditional science fiction. He commended its thematic fidelity to the source material while noting it was more accessible than Tarkovsky’s earlier adaptation. James Berardinelli of ''ReelViews'' echoed these sentiments, calling it “a thinking person’s science fiction film” and praising George Clooney’s emotionally nuanced performance. '' Time Out Film Guide'' described the film as superior to Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1972 adaptation.

Stephen Holden of ''The New York Times'' selected the film as a Critics’ Pick, observing that it attempted to blend the intellectual depth of '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968) with the emotional resonance of ''Titanic'' (1997). ''The Guardian''''’s'' Peter Bradshaw called the remake “a very impressive achievement” and praised its visual restraint and casting, particularly highlighting Natascha McElhone’s performance. ''Empire'' described ''Solaris'' as “a film of aesthetic and emotional beauty,” commending its meditative tone and philosophical complexity.

Other response

Soderbergh "said that he didn't intend ''Solaris'' to be a remake of Tarkovsky's film but rather a new version of Stanislaw Lem's novel".

While admitting that he had not seen the film, Stanisław Lem criticized what he had heard as departing far from his original intentions by focusing almost exclusively on the psychological relationship between the two main characters, while reducing the vast and alien ocean to a mere "mirror" of humanity:

Accolades

In 2010, ''Solaris'' made ''Time'' magazine's "Top 10 Hollywood Remakes" list, saying it was "expertly and exquisitely executed" and "manages to extract that all too rare achievement from a sci-fi film: emotion.

Soundtrack

The score was composed by Cliff Martinez in 2002 and first released by Superb Records on Compact Disc in 2002. After being out of print, it was re-released in a remastered edition in January 2011 by La-La Land Records. The soundtrack was praised by the BBC Music's Chris Jones as a "...brooding slow, meditative work".

Six vinyl versions of the soundtrack were later released by Invada Records. The first repress was introduced in 2013 on black vinyl, white vinyl, and picture disc. The second in 2017 on "Cosmic Coloured" vinyl, "Crystal Clear Vinyl With Heavy White Splatter" vinyl, and a new picture disc version.

See also

* List of films featuring space stations
* Ocean planet

References

External links

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Comment on Soderbergh's version
from Stanisław Lem's official website


from graphic artist Rick Sternbach's website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Solaris (2002 Film)
2002 films
2002 romantic drama films
2000s science fiction drama films
American romantic drama films
American space adventure films
Fiction set on ocean planets
Films scored by Cliff Martinez
Films directed by Steven Soderbergh
Films based on Polish novels
Films based on science fiction novels
Films based on works by Stanisław Lem
Films about psychiatry
Films produced by James Cameron
Films produced by Jon Landau
Films set on space stations
Films set on fictional planets
Films shot in Los Angeles
American nonlinear narrative films
American psychological drama films
American science fiction drama films
Films with screenplays by Steven Soderbergh
Lightstorm Entertainment films
20th Century Fox films
2000s English-language films
2000s American films
English-language romantic drama films
English-language science fiction drama films
Science fiction about first contact
Solaris