Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'The Black Hole'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

You have to love it when film companies take big risks, regardless of the reward simply for the love of the art. These types of films usually end up being the cream of the Oscar crop if they hit it big enough, and sometimes they end up being a failure.  

There was one such ‘risky’ gambit that I saw during my youth that I had to add to my personal collection many years later, simply because of how radical a departure it was for the company that released it, Disney, but I also felt the need to own it due to how dark and philosophical it turned out to be. And the motion picture in question that pulled this off, was the 1979 Sci-Fi surprise...The Black Hole.

In the void of space, the U.S.S. Palomino is charting everything that it can find. But when they venture near a massive black hole, they find the impossible...the U.S.S. Cygnus. Thought lost years ago this massive vessel is impervious to the gravitational effects of the gravity well before it. The seemingly derelict ship however, is full of life and a captain that has a scientific theory about the nearby black hole that is so incredibly dangerous that it may cost the entire crew of the Palomino their lives.  

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​I wasn't kidding when I said that this film is incredibly dark because it deals with so many heavy themes. Religion, death, mental illness are the main three themes that are often at the fore front of this movie and well...it was a shocking turn to see Walt Disney Studios release a live action film that featured such heavy ideas. Yet the film works. The themes are consistently validated as the story plays out and they are ideas and ideals that hang in your brain long after the credits have finished rolling.  

Add into that some pretty savvy special effects and a cast that features screen legend Anthony Perkins and you're left with quite a wild ride. In fact, I would venture to say that this film was ahead of its time. As since we love our science fiction to be filled to the brim with powerful themes these days. Yet there is one other incredible aspect of the film that took me by surprise...it's realism. Granted there are science mistakes abound because this is film. But despite those minor glitches, this film presents space travel as it should be presented...extremely dangerous.  
 
The ships are in no way invincible titans that can take a beating as they do in other stories, oh no. These ships are fragile and frail, much like the humans that run them. Regardless, I highly recommend this film. It's a refreshing piece of science fiction and while at times the effects are dated and exuberant a la Star Trek: The Motion Picture this movie will keep your attention and leave you thinking. 

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