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November 2010the current 9‘Hereafter’ will spark conversationby Timothy LongEver wanted to feel and see what it islike to be in a disaster? If so, “Hereafter”is the movie to see. The ClintEastwood-directed movieabout death and the mysteriesthat surround it further cementsthe legend Eastwoodhas forged among moviegoersfor decades. The engaging story,written by Peter Morgan, isgripping as it displays the chaosthat everyday life can be.From the start, after the signatureEastwood short credits, all theway through the last scene, “Hereafter”makes filmgoers gasp at its unexpectedness.As San Francisco native George(Matt Damon) tries to live a normallife for the first time since childhood,seemingly unconnected events makeeach character think about death andthe issues that surround it. George liveswith the everyday tension between hisability to communicate with those whohave passed and his desire to get awayfrom what’s perhaps his destiny. Frustratedwith his special ability and thedrama that comeswith it, George triesdesperately to convincehis brother (JayMohr) that “It ruinsmy chance I have at anormal life. I feel likea freak.”MCT CampusHe seeks normalcyby listeningto Charles Dickens’novels on tape and by learning to becomean Italian chef, but he can’t escapethe moral question: Is having this abilitya curse, or a blessing that can help others?Is it our job to help others or do wehave a right to ourselves? Damon, bestknown for the Bourne Trilogy, shows hisability to play a role outside of a spy film,much as he achieved in “Invictus,” oppositeMorgan Freeman.The opening scene gives a glimpseinto bedlam. Instead of seeing anotherperson go through something, viewersactually go through it as well, emotionsand all. Not many movies recently havebeen able to achieve this feat. Not manyfilms accurately illustrate catastrophicevents that surrounded us, like the devastationof the earthquake in Haiti orHurricane Katrina.The pace of “Hereafter” screams classicEastwood, with slowness building upto climactic scenes. Sound effects help tocapture the essence of the drama unfoldingalong with a masterly soundtrack,strategically placed to not overwhelmthe scenes, but rather supplement them.The visual effects of the film are muchcrisper and higher-caliber than any ofEastwood’s previous films. With thelook of the expensive graphics of blockbuster2012, the scenes look real, ratherthan displaying obvious studio effects.This is amazing, considering the tight$40 million budget. The sound and visualeffects allow “Hereafter” to invokeheart-wrenching feelings in each scene.The cinematography includes openshots, allowing for a look at the background.This open, wider feel showslandscape in the background to set thetone. The color and setting of the film,including architecture, help to give thefilm a realistic atmosphere.“Hereafter” invokes mind-swirlingthoughts, from the doubt that deathdeals to survivors, leaving them withmany unanswered questions, to watchinga loved one die or having a neardeathexperience ourselves, each ofthese situations make us think of lifein a more sacred light. Most of all, thefilm shows us that the fear of death hasa way of making us re-evaluate prioritiesin life.Subtitles in the first half of the filmthat a bit of getting used to, but “Hereafter”is a film of few flaws. It’s a successfrom its acting to its sound and visualeffects, to its top-notch cinematography.“Hereafter” will spark conversations thatmany feel afraid or weird to talk about,making it an insightful film for all to see.www.longviewcurrent.org