Eternals feels like an entire saga wrapped up in a single runtime, which ultimately works against it. There’s a whole trilogy of stories to unpack that perhaps would’ve worked far better as pieces of a greater puzzle. The Eternals is showing in cinemas nationwide from November 5th.
Chloé Zhao was an unexpected choice to helm Marvel Studios’ Eternals. Coming off the success of her contemporary western, The Rider, she was beginning to make a name for herself on the indie film and Sundance circuit. However, suddenly, she was balancing her nomadic neo-western, Nomadland, and the cosmic epic, Eternals. So when Zhao took home Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress, expectations for Eternals rose from another MCU film to a Chloé Zhao superhero epic. The only question on people’s minds was: how does a director whose style is grounded in reality create a story that hinges on fictional characters, worlds, and struggles?
Zhao brings to this MCU super ensemble the reanimation of humanity in god-like beings, ensuring they are flesh-and-blood individuals rather than emotionless icons of the MCU. Her story is driven by love, embodied not only by the enchanting Gemma Chan’s Sersi and her clueless lover-boy Dane Whitman (Kit Harington) but also by the aeon-old flame she shares with Richard Madden’s Ikaris. Their connection feels palpable on-screen, like a burning hot flame – from the sensual stroking of a lover’s hand to a surprisingly intimate sex scene. Here, the love feels authentic as Zhao announces, “These people have feelings; let me show you them!”
READ MORE: SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS
For once, our superhero beings are free to feel attraction and embrace their sexuality in an MCU milestone. Zhao compels you to care about these deep-cut heroes by grounding them emotionally and developing a maturity that’s rarely, if ever, seen in the Marvel Studios formula. At the same time, Zhao brings intimacy by embracing real-world production through distinctive on-location filming, shedding the artificial studio atmosphere. Cinematographer Ben Davis plays with the light beams and golden hours of Mesopotamia, creating an emotional beauty to locations, something ironically missing in mythical lands like Asgard. But when this dovetails with scenes in the iconic Camden High Street and the gorgeously primaeval Canary Islands, Eternals achieves a deep sense of authenticity.
Zhao’s story unfurls over an epic runtime as we come to understand that the Eternals are not your typical heroes, each with moral ambiguity. For example, the narrative tension between their love for humanity and their duty to their original mission is evident throughout.
(L-R): Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), Thena (Angelina Jolie), Gilgamesh (Don Lee), Ikaris (Richard Madden) and Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) in Marvel Studios’ ETERNALS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
However, this undermines the narrative journey for several characters rather than elevating it. For example, Angelina Jolie’s Thena is relegated to a Super-Girl-Esque role. This battle between narrative tension and emotional core is ultimately where the issues in Eternals begin to show: its overstuffed suitcase of mythology unzips as the lore and story packed into it overwhelm the narrative arc.
However, despite this weakness, the Eternals still make a strong impression, particularly Lauren Ridloff’s Makkari and Barry Keoghan’s Druig, not only because of the relationship hinted at between them but also because of their superpowered potential. Both Makkari and Ridloff are deaf, and this becomes a superpower, enabling them to detect microscopic vibrations, which allows for super-speed and super-senses. Likewise, Druig is easily one of the most ambiguous Eternals and one of the first to speak out against their original mission.
Eternals feels like an entire saga wrapped up in a single runtime, which ultimately works against it. There’s a whole trilogy of stories to unpack that perhaps would’ve worked far better as pieces of a greater puzzle. For example, in the middle of the second act, we have a five-minute exposition dump by the nebulous overlord Arishem. The result is that even the most infatuated comic-book fans will sigh due to its heavy-handed nature. The result is a film that feels compelled to answer as many questions as possible, a symptom of the established cinematic universe surrounding it. I can not help but wonder if, given some breathing room and faith in the audience, Eternals would have been better received.
READ MORE: FREE GUY
That said, Eternals does not reveal its full hand, saving some of its tricks and surprises, each one a delight as the story progresses. While it may not fully commit to the potential consequences of the events at play, it does set up an endgame of surprisingly tense stakes that leaves you unsure of how Eternals will end, and let’s face it, that’s not easy to do in a superhero blockbuster.
Ultimately, Chloé Zhao has created an emotionally mature superhero epic by tapping into the cosmic beings’ internal struggles at its heart. Coupled with an on-location aesthetic, Eternals finds solid creative ground. Zhao’s film feels like a different interpretation of what a superhero film can and perhaps should be. After all, fewer quips and more passion are never a bad thing.
Follow Us