EDEN is a look at what happens when people have to live near one another. We try and teach toddlers to share and play nice, but when adults are asked to do the say thing their actions are far worse . If Eden does anything it makes us question why “love your neighbor as yourself” is damn near impossible when survival is paramount.
Synopsis: Based on a factual account of a group of outsiders who settle on a remote island only to discover their greatest threat isn’t the brutal climate or deadly wildlife, but each other. | 2h 9m | Rated R for some strong violence, sexual content, graphic nudity and language
The film takes place in the late 1920s around Dr. Friedrich Ritter (Jude Law) who was a philosopher and cultural writer. Ritter and his “wife” Dore Strauch (Vanessa Kirby) left Germany and settled in the isle of Floreana which was part of the Galápagos Islands. Ritter would send back articles tearing down the social systems of the day and promoting his utopian lifestyle; which honestly looked worse than camping. They lived off the land with only a few conveniences. What started out as Utopia ends up with murder and disappearances. Some of which have never been answered.
The problem with touting your wonderful life is that others want the same thing. When a newly married couple (Sydney Sweeney and Daniel Brühl) and their young son (Jonathan Tittel) show up on the island wanting the same freedoms, Ritter finds his solitude infringed upon. Ritter is eccentric and pompous He does everything to try and make them leave, only to find they are better at homesteading the land than he is. They manage to exist together until a rich baroness (Ana de Armas) shows up as well with her entourage and a vision of opening a hotel on the island. Which has no running water or electricity. Good plan. The Baroness is not used to having less and is willing to take everything that isn’t hers.
Ritter decides to pit the Baroness against the other couple to try and get them both to leave. The chaos and tension increases from all sides as hunger, shelter, health and convenience all take precedent over civility. These are the moments that are hardest to watch but also the best parts of the film. If any praise for this film is out there is would be for the performances of Law and Sweeney as well as the directing of Ron Howard.
We have seen this story in countless ways with all ages, races, and religions. Eden is at times a slow film with repetitive hardship. Much of the earlier parts are made up of foreshadowing and focusing on the hardships of life on the island. Once the Baroness shows up it gets a bit juicier. If this had not been a true story I would think the writers were using each group as a metaphor for society. Anti-society meets family value meets sin and debauchery. These are all apparent in our three island inhabitants. Fans of psychological thrillers and the acts of human nature will love these aspects of the film. Those wanting more survival and hunger games elements will be only slightly sated.
Ritter is an intriguing character and Law has no problem giving us all facets of the person. Law has a wide range and is able to go from smiling and charismatic to dark and brooding with little wrinkle or effort. Ritter struggles with his own thoughts and beliefs. Having all the distractions just makes it worse and we watch him spiral into darkness.
Sweeney may be ready for some award buzz with her supporting role as Margaret. She is almost unrecognizable in the role of 1930s homesteader. Margaret is the strongest character in terms of work ethic, wisdom, and survival. She is not enamored with the island or anyone on it. She understood her assignment. Wife, mother, family. Those are powerful roles and we see how they rise above everything else. Sydney was not afraid to get her hands dirty in this role and show us her layers.
The rest of the cast do what they need to in order to move the story along. Some might say that the Baroness is the standout character. I am a huge fan of Armas but I also feel like this character is the most cliche and predictable. Maybe it was the fact that I didn’t want to hate her character as much as we do because it was Anna. The Baroness is certainly the wild card and things ramp up quickly when she arrives. I just felt that even based on true accounts the character felt needed more than wanted, for the story to work.
EDEN is an adult film with adult content. An interesting story and one that will hit heights with some viewers and leave others frustrated. The last half is certainly the better portion. But even that feels rushed with a lot happening quickly. For those who want more of the story there is a 2013 documentary called “The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden”. This documentary utilized home movies of the original settlers, interviews with modern-day islanders, and voice performances from actors like Cate Blanchett to tell the story of the unsolved disappearances on Floreana.
I am sure there will be some award buzz around this one just because. If you follow that circuit you may want to watch for just context. It is in no way a bad film. It just didn’t all come together quite right.
About The Author
