Elysium

Elysium refers to the Greek afterlife. Entrance was initially reserved for mortals related to the gods and other heroes. Later, it expanded to include those chosen by the gods, the righteous, and the heroic, where they would remain after death, to live a blessed and happy life, and indulging in whatever employment they had enjoyed in life. It was also known as The Isles of the Blessed which was a single island that had shady parks. “…where life is easiest for men. No snow is there, nor heavy storm, nor ever rain, but ever does Ocean send up blasts of the shrill-blowing West Wind that they may give cooling to men” (Homer). “The good receive a life free from toil, not scraping with the strength of their arms the earth, nor the water of the sea, for the sake of a poor sustenance. But in the presence of the honored gods, those who gladly kept their oaths enjoy a life without tears, while the others undergo a toil that is unbearable to look at. Those who have persevered three times, on either side, to keep their souls free from all wrongdoing…” (Pindar). In a recent comic book, Elysium is where the Saints (warriors) traverse the Underworld to defeat its ruler, the ruthless Hades and rescue their kidnapped goddess. The Saints discover that the only way to kill Hades is to destroy his true body. The Saints then invade Elysium and carry on their mission after a difficult battle with the deity.

Blomkamp (District 9) wrote and directed this film which takes place in 2154. Citizens or people who are wealthy enough to live on Elysium are free from work, disease, and hunger. While the people on Earth, not citizens, labor in dangerous conditions. Damon (Good Will Hunting) is trying to turn his criminal life around when he is exposed to radiation at work. He has 5 days to live, so he takes a dangerous assignment – to download all the information from Fichtner’s (Grace Under Fire) brain into his own brain. This information will cause the computers that run Elysium to shut down and reboot with new mandates – to heal all Earth. Foster (Panic Room) is the woman in charge of the defense of Elysium, Copley (District 9) is her agent, and Luna (Milk) is on Damon’s side.

All in all, I say: RENT IT – if you like the metaphor. I warn you the camera work is horrible – they do close-ups during fight scenes which makes them blurring and annoying.