Culture
Mike Hill Explores the Hidden Meaning Behind Contact
Contact is one of the most prolific science fiction movies of the ’90s. Here’s just some of the details that went into making it work.
When you look back at notable science fiction films from the 1990s, Contact is one that comes up immediately on the shortlist of the absolute best. Written by famed astronomer Carl Sagan and producer-director-activist Ann Druyan, the film is based on their book and film treatment of the same name. It’s with this pedigree in mind that Mike Hill looks into the film as well as its deeper meanings.
On his YouTube channel, Mike Hill takes deep dives into what went into creating some of the most memorable scenes and moments in cinema. For his video on Contact, he looked at the metaphors at work in the way the story is developed and told and how the three-act structure helps to inform the analysis of the film and the story it is trying to tell.
He starts by looking at a scene where Ellie (Jodie Foster) must die a symbolical death in order to begin anew and head off on her journey to rebirth before diving in deeper. Using the language of film as a model, this video is a stark and informative look into how to block and film a scene effectively so that it elicits emotion and meaningful development for its characters. If you’re even remotely a fan of film analysis, Carl Sagan, or the movie Contact, it’s well worth your time to watch the video.
