Ten years ago, astronaut Mark Watney was left for dead on Mars in “The Martian.” Genius botanist Watney, brought to life with charm and grit by Matt Damon, had to rely on brains, resourcefulness and a wicked sense of humor to survive long enough for a NASA rescue. Every improvised potato crop, every jury-rigged system, and every quip he threw at the void of space turned a dire situation into a darkly funny survival story.
The film, directed by Ridley Scott, is an adaptation of Andy Weir’s 2015 bestselling novel. Scott is no stranger to sci-fi, as the visionary behind “Alien” and “Blade Runner.” Yet with The Martian, he explored a new orbit: comedy. The result is a rare and triumphant blend of tension, science and humor, which was so successful it became the highest-grossing film of his career. Beyond the laughs, it’s a story about ingenuity, resilience and the human spirit.
Using humor in a time of despair
In Weir’s novel, the first sentence of the book reads, “I’m pretty much f*****.” This humorous approach to a dire situation serves as the backbone for the novel and the feature film adaptation.
You could not have picked a better person to be stranded on Mars than Mark Watney. Having a strong sense of humor — with an emphasis on self-owns — when the chips are down became Watney’s strength. Instead of dwelling on his problems, Watney makes light of every positive or negative situation.
When Watney tries to mass-produce water to grow his potatoes, his formula is incorrect, leading to an explosion that almost leaves him deaf. “So, yeah, I blew myself up,” Watney says following the explosion. “Best guess, I forgot to account for the excess oxygen that I’ve been exhaling when I did my calculations because I’m stupid.” Mark nearly killed himself, and yet he’s quick with a self-deprecrating joke to lift his spirits.
In the wrong hands, Watney’s video diaries could have come off as silly and inconsequential. Scott uses these confessionals to his advantage, as they provide Watney a vehicle to explain his thoughts and feelings to the audience. They’re like comedy vlogs, and Watney is our host. Damon, an underrated comedic actor in his own right, fully understands Watney’s snarky humor. Whether that’s dipping a potato in Vicodin or ragging on his commander’s love for disco, Damon’s deadpan delivery makes these small moments even funnier. Damon even mixes in some physical comedy, like his ode to the Fonz when posing for a picture.
Watch On
Science can be boring, but ‘The Martian’ uses humor to enhance the explanations
Getting hit over the head with complex formulas and equations is no way to win over an audience. No one likes to be lectured. For Watney to survive long enough to be rescued, he must solve a series of complicated problems with multiple variables and challenges. Could “The Martian” have laid out these issues in a series of monologues? Sure, but the sci-fi comedy would have transformed into an educational video. Instead, “The Martian” embraces that humorous approach and lays out what Watney has to do in a line that anyone can understand: “’I’m gonna have to science the s*** out of this.”
According to Google, there are around 6,000 botanists in the United States. Explaining how to properly grow crops on Mars is a concept that the majority of the audience may not understand. You know what they will pick up quickly? That Watney can use poop as fertilizer to grow his potatoes. It’s a creative and funny way to develop an important storyline.
The scene explaining the Rich Purnell Maneuver embodies the tone of the movie. Rich Purnell, an astrophysicist played by Donald Glover, devises a plan to save Watney by having the Hermes accelerate around Earth to use its gravity to slingshot it toward Mars. The Hermes will then pick Mark up in Mars’ atmosphere and head home.
Again, listing the math behind this complex maneuver would put someone to sleep. Instead, Glover — using that signature charm — explains the operation with a stapler, a few pens, and some sound effects created by his mouth. The result is an easy-to-digest scene with some memorable dialogue (“What the hell is Project Elrond?”) that effectively explains a difficult scientific concept.
You might laugh at all of these concepts, but one of the strengths of “The Martian” is its attention to detail. NASA collaborated with the production for a realistic depiction of Mars and outer space as realistically as possible. It’s not 100% accurate, but you better believe that it’s possible to grow some poop potatoes on another planet.
A movie about humanity and the will to survive
Underneath the jokes about Watney’s hygiene and poop potatoes is an uplifting message about humanity. “The Martian” begins as a United States problem. NASA must figure out how to save its astronaut on Mars. As the movie progresses, it quickly becomes a global problem, with several countries, including China, stepping up to provide aid.
“The Martian” is not concerned with bureaucratic red tape or geopolitical relations. The sci-fi epic understands human nature and why other countries would care about an American problem. Scott has said that “The Martian” captures the idea that no one is ever alone. Even though Watney feels alone on Mars, his crew, NASA, and every human on Earth are coming up with ways to bring him home. And when the crew finally retrieves Watney, the entire world celebrates like their favorite team just won the championship.
The human race is capable of extraordinary things. Watney’s will to survive brings a sense of hope to a movie built on unity. In a world full of cynicism, “The Martian” offers optimism in its own, unique way.
Rent/buy “The Martian” on Amazon or Apple
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