No matter how deep humanity gets into space, it will still remain our greatest mystery. Almost all of the world's population will never make the trip, so it will always remain an enigma. But there are certain images that space conjures like loneliness, isolation, the infinite, intangible things. In a daring artistic endeavor, psych-pop genius Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips switches to the film medium to try to explain existence through a very simple question. What would Christmas be like on Mars?
The story of Christmas on Mars"" is simple enough. Fellow Lip Steven Drozd plays the role of the hero Major Syrtis aboard the Spaceship Bethlehem. The film's cast is composed entirely of Coyne's siblings, Drozd's friends, and Steve Burns (who hasn't seen much screen time since ""Blue's Clues"").
Syrtis is in charge of putting on a Christmas pageant to usher in the birth of the first child in space, which has been programmed for Christmas Day. The film loosely follows this plot for its duration, and Coyne's tendency to meander detracts from its themes. All the asides just make Mars more confusing and less enlightening.
The weak character interactions don't help either. The inexperienced cast aboard the Bethlehem actually further dilutes the story rather than fleshing it out. The time in space has supposedly driven most of the Bethlehem crew into a panicked state, and others into insanity. This puts Syrtis' pageant in jeopardy and the plot is very clear, but the weak dialogue and jagged character interactions bring down the film as a whole.
The acting is awkward and the dialogue is sparse and dense. At times it's even gratuitously profane and, frankly, boring. Even Coyne dressed as a Martian is more yawn-inducing than interest-piquing.
From a director like Stanley Kubrick, character interaction like this could work, but unfortunately, this is Coyne's first attempt at making a movie and the disjointed dialogue suffocates the strong artistry and atmosphere of the film.
Although Coyne's decision to keep the plot rolling at a post-office pace detracts from the excitement of space, it makes for a curiously despondent future that feels suspiciously retro. The film was shot in grainy black and white, which gives the feel that the movie is just an accurate adaptation of a vivid radio play. The Mars compound that Syrtis and his fellow astronauts reside in is cold and pseudo-futuristic, the complete opposite of Kubrick's ""2001: A Space Odyssey."" Coyne's reverence for the galactic masterpiece is very clear as he borrows the image of the space baby and utilizes the totalitarian silences that dominated Kubrick's vision of the great beyond.
""Christmas on Mars"" is a visual film, and its best moments happen when no one is talking. Coyne's fondness for vivid imagery and realistic atmosphere ultimately carry the film far beyond the broken dialogue.
""Christmas on Mars"" builds its foundation on the nativity, but is drastically updated for the new millennium. Aboard the Bethlehem, the old world is burning out and the arrival of the child symbolizes a new beginning. The baby offers hope for the future of Syrtis and his crew, and the film ends by underscoring the hopeful future that is central to everything the Flaming Lips have ever created. Coyne is scared about time marching on, but instead of panicking, he embraces it.
The film is slow-moving and relies heavily on imagery and emptiness to get its point across. Aside from a few bursts of brilliant color, the movie is strictly black and white, feeling almost like a space noir. The parallels to Kubrick abound in some absolutely terrifying silences, both of which are actually very strong symbols in the film noir.
Grade: B
