Films offer some of the best explorations of isolation and loneliness, argues James…
In space no one can hear you scream.
Id imagined blissful peace and quiet.
In reality, after two weeks it had well and truly turned into something resemblingThe Shining.
Instead he lost his mind.)
What I learned from this unfortunate experience is that human beings shouldnt be alone for long stretches of time.
(I recommend this websitesGeeks vs. Lonelinessseries as a touchstone.)
I raise you the likes ofThe Fly,The Invisible ManandDistrict 9to name a few.
Space is big and we are small.
Space is a bleak and unforgiving emptiness in which there are vast voids of nothing.
The poster has the helmeted head of a forlorn-looking Damon obscured by the dramatic tagline text Bring him home.
Damons isolated astronaut isnt the only space voyager whos had cinema audiences contemplating the cold void lately, however.
Bereavement and the interlinked loneliness are also very present in both versions ofSolaris.
The same goes for the unnaturally claustrophobic confines of the artificial environments that are spaceships and space stations.
Its true that you could be lonely in a crowded room.
Look to Doctor Manhattans self-exile to Mars inWatchmenas a potent example.
I can only think of two seemingly-content pop cultural space hermits and they fail to convince me.
We feel small, alone and helpless and spacegoing sci-fi flicks can reflect this.
Looking back, I wish Id not spent that winter cat-sitting in Wales.
Really, I should have just stayed at home and watchedMoon.
