On November 8, the film Eternals, directed by Oscar-winning Chloé Zhao, is released. In the West, the film has been dubbed the worst Marvel project. In fact, it is the best MCU film for those who are tired of the monotonous projects of the cinematic...
The film Eternals rightfully sparked skepticism from the moment it was announced. A little-known team of 10 (!) heroes for a wide audience, indie director Chloé Zhao in the director's chair (at that time she had not yet received her Oscars for ), an unclear connection to the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, vague trailers — all these factors, if not spoke against the Eternals, then at least alarmed. And how pleasant it is that the final product dispelled all doubts. It also showed that the MCU can offer viewers something beyond the formulaic films that have become tiresome even for fans.
A story 7000 years long
At the center of the plot are the Eternals, beings created and endowed with unique superpowers by the powerful Celestial Arishem to protect Earth from the Deviants, who destroy intelligent life.
The Eternals, led by the wise and judicious Ajak (Salma Hayek), save people from the Deviants in various historical periods: in the era of Babylon and the Gupta dynasty in the 5th century AD, during the time of the Aztecs in the 16th century AD, and so on. But when their mission to eradicate the monsters seems complete, Arishem does not call them back. Therefore, the heroes are forced to remain among people and live each their own life until the Deviants unexpectedly return to Earth, once again threatening all existence.
Conversations, feelings, and conversations about feelings
Literally from the first scenes, Chloé Zhao's film feels like a breath of fresh air for those who have seen all .
Firstly, there is a non-linear narrative with a bunch of flashbacks and a dozen diverse locations. Yes, this might confuse lazy viewers. But if you carefully follow what's happening on screen, it becomes clear that each scene that takes us back many years brings something new to the story or the characters' portraits.
Non-linearity is not a gimmick to artificially complicate the plot, but a wonderful technique that, in the hands of a strong director, which Zhao undoubtedly is, becomes a true assistant in storytelling.
Secondly, the director is much more concerned with the characters and their conflicts than with the theme of yet another salvation of the universe (although that is also present) or the story of gaining power and the responsibility that comes with it, told for the 26th time. In this, the film resembles Guardians of the Galaxy, where we were also presented with unfamiliar characters, each with a fascinating background and individual personality.
In the best scenes of Eternals, nothing happens — only conversations, feelings, and conversations about feelings. The MCU has never seen such a level of intimacy. We literally look into the soul of each character, live through difficult decisions about love, loyalty, and humanism with them. Because of this, the film feels like a much more mature and independent work.
As for conflicts, compared to the rift that the Eternals team faces, what happened between the Avengers in Civil War seems like child's play. Not to mention the internal conflicts of each individual hero, which are well-written and organically woven into the overall plot. Throughout the film, you may change your opinion about many characters more than once. And these contradictions drive the story much more confidently than the growing epic in the action scenes.
Humor and audiovisual splendor
Eternals is a serious and, at times, dramatic film. But the authors skillfully wove humor into the proceedings, which somewhat lightens the overall pompous tone of the narrative. They joke about Superman and bloggers, make funny references to the rest of the cinematic universe, and avoid vulgarity. Every gag, every one-liner is in its place and timely defuses the atmosphere.
What is even more important is that the technical side of the film matches its content. The camera of Ben Davis (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Guardians of the Galaxy), in Chloé Zhao's favorite style, captures the last rays of sunset on the heroes' faces, and the music of Ramin Djawadi (Game of Thrones, Iron Man) gives the film monumentality. The film has many location shoots, where the cinematographer focuses precisely on the environment, admiring it and allowing us to be imbued with every frame under the composer's enchanting melodies. It's a pity that the Deviant designers were not as inventive.
Eternals, as a Marvel film, could not do without cool action. There isn't much of it, given the 2.5-hour runtime, but the episodes are quite inventive. This matches the superpowers of the heroes, which include matter transformation, creating illusions, mind control, and super speed.
Is it worth watching the film Eternals
Chloé Zhao managed, within the strict framework of a Marvel blockbuster, to create an interesting, intelligent, unpredictable (not all heroes will survive to the end of the story) and damn beautiful film.
We can express gratitude to her for the unconventional antagonists and bold decisions (and no, this is not even about inclusivity, but about script and directorial moves).
One could endlessly praise the film for its impact on the future of the MCU. For this, Zhao did much more than Destin Daniel Cretton with his . By the way, don't miss the 2 post-credit scenes.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings offers viewers the best fight choreography in the MCU, emotional conflict, Asian flavor, and the real Mandarin.
Open materialOne could devote several paragraphs to the excellent acting. How could it be otherwise, when such masters as Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek, in the company of young talents Richard Madden, Barry Keoghan and Gemma Chan, create charismatic and living characters.
But instead, it's better to just watch the film Eternals and let it charm you. It is capable of doing so.
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