GITS Script Reading & Analysis: “Cloverfield” — Themes

This week we are analyzing the screenplay for the 2008 movie Cloverfield.

You may access the 2007–06–08 draft [written by Drew Goddard] here.

Today we discuss the script’s themes. I found a great blog where Paul, a “Toronto-based freelance artist, designer, illustrator, photographer” did a great job pulling together clues related to the plot because as he notes:

Cloverfield is a unique experience inspired by Youtube generation. There is no “stop and explain” in this movie, we don’t know what is happening and or why and it keeps happening fast and furious.

So Paul went online and clicked through viral marketing sites to discover the following:

Origins of the monster:

The Japanese oil company TAGRUATO’s satellite (Chimpanz III) crushes into the ocean (shown at the end of the movie when Rob and Beth were on the Ferris wheel). TAGRUATO works with SLUSHO (a slush company), as the main ingredient for SLUSHO is found in the deep ocean. It awakened Cloverfield (the monster) from an underwater trench.

On the right side of he screen you can see tiny splash on the water:
[youtube.com]

People who were at the party in the beginning of the movie, were seen wearing SLUSHO shirts. Rob apparently was going to be the Vice President of TAGRUATO in Japan. Slusho is a very addictive drink, with signs of steroid drug like effects. Makes people stronger, constantly happy.

The main ingredient of Slusho apparently turns a tiny fish into a HUGE whale in Ganu’s (he found the nectar) dream, which explains the size of Cloverfield. The main ingredient is a deep sea nectar.

Monster first attacked Chuai oil/seabed nectar drilling station, then followed the tanker to New York:
[youtube.com]

For animals/fishes/insects to survive in the deepest ocean (very high boiling temperature), they naturally have very high heat resistance. This explains how Cloverfield is able to withstand numerous bombs and attacks from the army.

Actually Cloverfield is a codename for the military operation and refers to the field formerly known as Central Park. Clovers are usually prone to grow at places after bombing. Thus the term “Clover” and “field” referring to park.

In reality Cloverfield is named for the boulevard in Santa Monica where the Bad Robot offices were located during the мaking of the film.

Marlena’s death (the chick that blew up):

The parasites on the monster have a way of feeding of it. They have an agent that bursts blood vessels. On something the size of a skyscraper — it would have the impact only on the localized capillaries — using the same agent on a human — probably every blood vessel in the body will burst — explains the bleeding from the eyes and the dizziness.

Before she “blows up,” a dead soldier with his stomach already burst passes them as they first enter the military HQ. Then a captured spider creature is shown, so that’s a foreshadow to what happened to her.

Camera battery:

The events take place over less than 7 hours and the whole movie is 84 minutes. So 84 minutes of film over 7 hours means the camera was off or not filming at some point. Lithium-ion can last a long time. Probably more like 4 hours tops on a stock battery. More than the light or night vision it’s the LCD viewfinder that flips out on the side of cameras that drain the most, and it appeared that Hud was using the scope viewfinder.

H.U.D. is also short for Heads-Up Display, much like the way the film was shot.

Last words in the movie after credits: “It’s still alive…help us”
[youtube.com]

About movie concept:

Think about how much isn’t solved in the movie and then think about how much information they have put out there for viewers to research and either make their own conclusions or find the definitive answer (assuming there is one)… people get online to find out things about movies, before and after they have watched them, that it’s genius to have created this online world within a movie world. Disregarding all the information: Slusho, Taragato, the anti-Taragato organizations would be dismissing what half the concept is about.

See you in comments to discuss themes in Cloverfield.

For Day 1 of our analysis of Cloverfield, go here.

For Day 2 focusing on structure, go here.

For Day 3 focusing on characters, go here.

The last script for 2011 is Buried [Contained Thriller] for December 12–16 [which you can download here].

NOTE: THIS SERIES AND THE USE OF SCRIPTS IS STRICTLY FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES!

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