Armageddon

Annotation for KRRR! 2019

In the second half of the 1990s, Hollywood offered a number of films in which heroes tried to save the Earth, with Michael Bay's Armageddon probably being the most characteristic of the period. For the then thirty­‑year­‑old director, it was his third collaboration with legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer, after the action hit The Rock (1996). They tried to combine many of the things that were successful at the time: a disaster film, melodrama, a dozen stars, music video aesthetics and the comeback of the legendary band Aerosmith. The result was an extremely successful and in many ways crystal­‑clear blockbuster. This time, saving the world lies in the hands of heroic oilmen with the faces of Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Owen Wilson and others. A meteorite the size of Texas is heading towards Earth, and the oil rig crew is supposed to install nuclear bombs in it to prevent the disaster. After intensive training at NASA, they head straight into space, where they experience a drama not unlike a combination of other recent Hollywood hits, Independence Day (1996) and Apollo 13 (1995).

While in terms of promotion, cast, and choice of subject matter, Armageddon is an quintessential example of a Hollywood blockbuster, Michael Bay's approach is far from a pure fulfillment of classical norms. On the contrary, he can boldly be ranked among creators like Zack Snyder or Paul W. S. Anderson, who often subordinate the coherence and comprehensibility of their films – both causal and spatial – to their aesthetic impact. And it is precisely this directorial ferocity that is so inspiring in this, in many ways, very overwrought film.

Bay is not afraid to disrupt traditional spatial connections just to create a pleasant and stylized view of everyday action. Thanks to this, throughout the film, there are striking low­‑angle shots and unexpected framing angles, constant camera pans give rhythm to otherwise static conversation scenes, filters with reflections disrupt the colour spectrum of Hollywood fictional worlds, and slow­‑motion in the frame, combined with heroic music, spectacularly emphasizes individual situations. With all this, Bay disrupts the principles of the invisible Hollywood style and changes the viewer's experience, albeit within the limits of classical storytelling.

Armageddon is a blockbuster that constantly pushes viewers to intensify their experience. It subordinates all other aspects of the film system to this impressiveness, which is why it can seem naively captivating. But the disruption of traditional stylistic norms also makes it a very inspiring Hollywood ride in the 70mm format, ideal for the Krnov screen.

Dan Krátký