Eternals
“Eternals” may be the most resonate story about how heroes connect with Earth on an emotional level that we’ve seen out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That the heroes are not human is a big part of why you hire a filmmaker like Chloe Zhou for this project- there’s an innate curiosity about how humans survive amid struggles that you can feel in her Oscar-winning “Nomadland” that is essential for this story. I’ll admit- I shed an awful lot of tears watching this film.
The Eternals are celestial beings, created by Arishem, a Celestial who brought about the origins of the galaxy. The full nature of Eternals will be revealed throughout the film’s 157 minutes, but for our purposes, they are sent to worlds to fight Deviant creatures, and to help the beings of that world evolve and progress. On Earth, that involves a delicate balance of allowing mankind to work through its primal, violent nature, and allowing them to move slowly towards their ultimate accomplishments. By the very nature of the story, Zhou and her co-writers- Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo and Kaz Firpo- move backwards and forwards in time. It feels messy, but there’s not a better way for this story to be told, because each sequence feels deliberately placed for its place in the narrative. From the opening title cards to flashbacks over 7000 years, “Eternals” understands why each piece of exposition is required. And with a soundtrack that includes needle drops from Pink Floyd to go with a thrilling score by Ramin Djawadi- returning to the MCU for the first time since “Iron Man”- “Eternals” has a scope and energy we haven’t really experienced before.
What makes “Eternals” work is how it shows the ways these characters interact with Earth and humanity, but more than that, what comes out of them in those interactions. The film explores ideas of religious devotion to a deity while also turning the Eternals into the inspirations behind Greek mythology and other legends for man. Our main character is Sersi (Gemma Chan), who can turn matter from one form to another. When they came to Earth, she fell and love, and got married to, Ikaris (Richard Madden), whose powers are flight and laser vision. Eventually, they split apart, and now, Sersi is in London with Sprite (Lia McHugh)- who can show projections of people and things- and in love with Dane Whitman (Kit Harington). When they are attacked by a Deviant, which they thought they took care of centuries ago, it’s time to get the band back together.
It’s a familiar story shape for team up films, be it “Avengers: Infinity War” or “Zack Snyder’s Justice League.” “Eternals” hues a bit closer to the “Justice League” model in how it blends backstory and exposition with the modern narrative. Throughout, Zhou and a choice cast informs us of these characters, and the key moments along the way that bring them to where they are now. There are past MCU events like Thanos’s snap that are mentioned, but it’s fundamentally a stand-alone film, and that’s why it succeeds. We see the characters in battle against Deviants, as well as with themselves when their thoughts on how to deal with humanity, and challenging questions about their survival, come in to play. As Ajak, Salma Hayek is a stoic leader, whom is able to communicate with Arishem, but sometimes has to make tough choices when the health of the team is threatened. Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) is all charisma and just jumping into the fray- he’s very much the Tony Stark of the team- while carving out a very public life for himself. Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) is the machinist of the group, and he sometimes gets overzealous about whether or not he could that the rest of the team has to pull him back if they wonder he should. Makkari (Lauren Ridloff) is a speedster who has feelings for Druig (Barry Keoghan), who can control minds. Finally, there is Gilgamesh (Don Lee), a powerful warrior, and Thena (Angelina Jolie), who finds herself trapped within her mind when faced with the brutal nature of humanity, and is reliant on Gilgamesh to be there for her. What does being around humanity do to these demigods, if you will? Is there more to their purpose than just pushing them forward?
Zhou’s empathy for her characters is why “Eternals” is one of the richest of the Marvel films to date. Thena is a fascinating example- I’m curious if anyone else feels as though she is as good representation of PTSD or other mental health disorders as I think she is; it’s not a complex arc, but it makes the bond between her an Gilgamesh an strong one, and very different from what might have been just another romantic pairing- Jolie and Lee do a good job. The other character that stands out strong here is Phastos, whose jovial desire to help humanity is undercut when he witnesses what humanity has done with its technological accomplishments. That makes where we find him in the present surprising, and it brings out the warmth of Tyree Henry that makes him always a great presence in a film. I look forward to more of him in the future.
The film is ultimately about Ajak, Ikaris and Sersi, and what these three see in humanity, and what it means for their purpose on Earth. The battles are what they are, but when the movie centers in on character moments, especially with these three, it brings out Zhou as a storyteller and filmmaker in a way no other MCU movie delivers. Ben Davis’s cinematography has a startling beauty to it that only a more natural way of shooting and lighting can bring out. In moments like this, the Oscar winner for “Nomadland” comes out, and not only helps deliver one of the most empathetic films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but one that pushes the boundaries of the form in a direction I’m curious to see where we go now.
