Review: Sea Fever at Sydney Film Festival
Sydney Film Festival – Australia’s premier international film festival – hasn’t let the virus bring it to a halt, and is currently taking place virtually. Addy Fong checked out one of the films on offer, Sea Fever:
Afraid of losing their life after becoming infected by a parasitic sea monster, a crew member retorts ‘Fucking redhead, none of this would’ve happened without you’ accusing a red headed individual of bringing misfortune to a group because of their hair colour. To many of us today, this might sound ridiculous, the idea that some people used to associate the cause of an unfortunate event with the colour of someone’s hair, but throughout history many groups have superstitiously believed that natural disasters and unfortunate events have been the result of a particular group of people and their actions.
These days, whether it be unconscious bias or elements of superstitious belief, prejudice continues to exists and is demonstrated by how we respond to those who differ from us. Neasa Hardiman’s Sea Fever is a film which addresses these prejudices, using the genre of science-fiction horror to portray the idea of the monster within us and embedded within our beliefs.
Written and Directed by Hardiman, Sea Fever is about a group of scientists who come face to face with a parasitic sea monster near the coast of Ireland. It’s similar to the feel of Ridley Scott’s 1979 Alien, with the story set on a fishing trawler and filmed mostly in the confines of the ship’s cabin; adding to the tension and claustrophobia felt throughout. The story centres around introverted scientist Siobhan (Hermoine Cordfield) who, after some persuasion from her supervisor to ‘get your hands dirty, make a few friends’ ends up boarding a fishing trawler, going on an adventure, and overcoming self-doubt.
Not for the faint hearted, Sea Fever can be categorised as a B-movie featuring blood and gore, practical effects and a somewhat predictable plot line about a sea monster terrorising a ship. I found the film to be an enjoyable watch despite its criticisms and associations with being a B-grade flick. Hardiman’s script portrays Shibon as a strong, intelligent and independent thinker who puts her trust in rational thinking and scientific knowledge. It’s refreshing to see such a strong female character shown on screen and I’m encouraged by the fact that Shibon’s character does not conform to traditional gender roles and stereotypes of being a submissive female who is emotionally distraught in the face of danger. Shibon’s femininity is not what defines her. Her strength, intelligence and independence is based on to her character and not her gender. On the surface, Sea Fever is a tale about a reluctant protagonist overcoming doubt and attempting to save those around her from the threat of a sea monster. However, diving deeper into and examining Hardiman’s script, the film explores themes of prejudice, bias, and how many of us may respond when faced with a threat.
Siobhan’s reluctance and separation from the world she is forced to be in is shown throughout the film, with cinematographer Ruairí O’Brien’s use of framing devices such as gates, fences and grids to illustrate the feeling of isolation and being trapped by visually separating Siobhan from her world and other the characters she is communicating with throughout the film. In addition to this her character’s physical attributes, being a female with red hair is the cause of much shame and embarrassment. Initially Siobhan covers up her hair and her body with a beanie and an oversized jacket concealing parts of herself and limiting her interactions with crew members to avoid standing out as a redheaded female on a fishing trawler, where most the crew on board are predominately male who believe redheads bring bad luck. Although this isn’t something to be ashamed of, having different appearance to those around you makes you stick out like a sore thumb. Speaking from personal experience sometimes you would rather stay hidden and not appear different in order to avoid unwarranted attention, which is difficult to do when you are a minority who looks different to the general population. It isn’t so much the look or physical attributes of a person that worries them but the thought that someone with a different appearance can become an easy target for groups to throw prejudices and hate towards, which is so toxic. Blaming others for certain circumstances based on the colour of their hair, the colour of their skin, or their gender is an aspect of Hardiman’s script touches on and hugely relevant in today’s context. Scarily, parallels between this film can be easily made with the current Covid-19 pandemic along with the response of many in how we’re dealing with and reacting to the current situation. Despite Shibon’s warning about the need to quarantine the ship in order to stop the sea parasite from infecting those on the mainland, many of the crew on board don’t listen to her and decide to press on, with destructive consequences. The release of Sea Fever during this time really hit home for me, Hardiman perhaps commenting on the inability of a select few to listen to expert advice, which leads to the destruction of many lives.
This feeling of helplessness and claustrophobia further felt throughout the film is created through the use of lighting, with practicals used to light the environment of the characters residing below the deck. This helps to create shadows which engulf the characters, becoming a visual representation of the fear that begins to engulf them. The cabin is cramped, dimly lit and feels claustrophobic. The crew spend their days running on 2-hour sleep cycles which have been associated with an individual’s attention, reasoning, and problem solving skills being impaired and causing both the decline of one’s emotional state and the development of hallucinations on board. The crew start to jump at shadows worrying about what’s on board and the threat of the monster on their lives. What is seen and felt by the cast in Neasa Hardiman’s story isn’t so much the monster’s presence on screen but the fear of the monster felt throughout the film’s duration.
The sound of creaking hinges and floorboards, door handles, dripping taps, and the deep rumble of the sea is used to help add dimension to the narrative and create the feeling of the dark, deep ocean environment in which the story takes place. Accompanied by Christoffer Franzen’s musical score with cellos used creating a rich dark mood and helps build the tension of an unseen and mysterious sea monster who emerges during the film’s final moments.
In a similar way the prejudice that exists in our society is often subtle and parasitic; it creeps in slowly and destroys us from within, sometimes when things are too late. Sea Fever touches on this, the refusal of some to listen to minority voices and the defensive reactions of many when faced with a threat. The film’s parasitic sea monster is frightening and thankfully contained on screen, the monster Haridmann has created is based on stories, folklore, superstition, and hearsay. These stories are a nod to rumours and patterns of thinking, which become difficult to dismantle as they’ve been embedded within human history and in how we treat one another. Beyond the sea monster, a threat which is addressed in the film is one which is much more real and confronting, one faced by many of us on a daily basis and attacks us without knowing or realising. We hurl words towards others when we feel threatened, grasp at words and use them like weapons in order to protect ourselves. For the fear isn’t of a monster who lies in the depths of the ocean but what lies in the depths of our hearts. When we throw out accusations towards certain groups of people this shows not only our prejudices but the fears we hold.
Sea Fever’s story is a visual metaphor illustrating the parasites that live within us, the threat isn’t the sea monster surrounding the boat but the parasite hidden in the bodies of the people on board destroying both the host and those nearby. In the face of fear and when faced with difficult circumstance, sometimes we can react in a way that is much more dangerous than any fear or threat we may be face, somehow making excuses and justifying any insults we carelessly hurl towards those who intend to help us.
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Find out more about the film at SFF here: https://ondemand.sff.org.au/film/sea-fever/
Sydney Film Festival continues until 21st June. Details here: https://www.sff.org.au/
Review by Addy Fong.
