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Deep Blue Sea

Wed, 04/22/2009 - 05:16 — Smitchel
Category: 
Film
Synopsis: 

Imagine completely isolating yourself at an underwater research facility surrounded by water on all side…and oh yeah, you are being pursued by your own genetically enhanced monsters with razor sharp teeth perfectly capable of tearing human flesh in an instant. These water gliding monster are indeed the world oldest and most perfect killing machines, sharks. This is exactly the case in the movie Deep Blue Sea. Dr. Susan McAlester is a scientist bent on discovering how to cure Alzheimer’s disease after having watched a loved one suffer. Dr. McAlester proposes to go about this process of curing by testing on mako sharks, the fastest breed of sharks. Sharks never go blind or show any hint of memory loss which in contrast to humans is a monumental. Dr. McAlester proposes to use a hormone enhancer to increase the shark brain to five times its normal size which will produce more protein. The protein will in turn be used to reactivate human brain cells. However, there are objections to this procedure. Financial backer Russell Franklin threatens the research and the facility with certain objections about the validity and timeframe of the results; his concerns are not unfounded. Since the sharks brains were not big enough to harvest sufficient amounts of the protein complex, Dr. McAlester violates the Harvard Genetics Compact. By using gene therapy, the doctor increases the shark’s brain mass to get more protein. As a side effect, the sharks get smarter. Combining the world’s oldest killing machine and advanced intelligence is just asking for trouble, and that is what she and the members of her unsuspecting crew get.

Context for time depicted: 
The same as the context for production.
Context for time of production: 

The movie touches on the theme of genetic engineering. Genetic engineering is the alteration of genetic material with a view to producing new substances or creating new functions. The technique became possible in the 1950s, when scientists discovered the structure of DNA and learned how these molecules store and transmit genetic information. However there is still controversy and questions surrounding genetic engineering. If scientists can cure genetic disorders, they can also design individuals in accordance with the cultural and intellectual fashions of the day. This is somewhat like the process that was illegally performed in the movie except with sharks.

The movie also touches on Alzheimer’s disease. Although the exact causes of Alzheimer's remain a mystery, plaques of a protein called beta-amyloid build up in the brains of people with the disease, and are toxic to nerve cells. In the movie, protein and the memory saving was a so desired that two scientists compromised the Harvard Genetics Compact and the Chimera Policy in order to gain it.

Assessment: 
Despite its gruesome and gory killing surface, Deep Blue Sea is a film rooted in science. As far as Dr. McAlester’s physical appearance she is exactly the opposite of what the public would envision a typical mad scientist, or even just a typical scientist, to be: an attractive woman. Despite her physical appearance not coinciding with the expectations, she certainly fits right into the mad scientist category. She tampers with an animal that most would consider an off limits subject without the genetically enhanced intelligence and the abundance of water surrounding an isolated facility. Her goal to cure Alzheimer’s disease globally in the form of one simple is motivated by her experience with her father who painfully had to continue reliving his wife death because the memory loss cause by the disease. While her intention is to benefit the greater good of mankind, her pathway and nobles intentions were definitely compromised by the many deaths of fellow crew members that ensued. Her lack of foresight bespeaks her maturity level. One would think as soon as a good friend had an arm severed by razor sharp teeth Dr. McAlester would realize that the sharks are actually dangerous and need to be exterminated or at the very least powerfully tranquilized; unfortunately, this is not the case. When another crew member attempts to kill the shark, she hurriedly leaps in to save the creature. The good doctor does not truly realize how much has been sacrificed until multiple deaths occurred…or is it when the actual data and proof is destroyed along with a shark? However, in the end when the largest, smartest female shark tries to break loose into the deep blue sea, the doctor finally takes responsibility and uses herself as a distraction, thereby sacrificing herself to a most gruesome and painful death.
References: 

"D E E P B L U E S E A." D E E P B L U E S E A. Warner Brothers. 09 Apr. 2009 <http://deepbluesea.warnerbros.com/cmp/frameset.html>.

"Genetic engineering." Gale Encyclopedia of Science. Thomson Gale, 2001. NA. General OneFile. Gale. Remote Access. 17 Apr. 2009
<http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>.

"Seeds of disease." New Scientist 191.2571 (Sept 30, 2006): 20(1). General Reference Center Gold. Gale. Remote Access. 17 Apr. 2009
<http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>.

Toumey, Christopher P. "The Moral Character of Mad Scientists: A Cultural Critique of Science." 1992. JSTOR. Science Technology and Human Values. Simpson Library, Fredericksburg.

How would this be used?: 

This movie can be used to illustrate the many different appearances a scientist can have whether normal or mad. Dr. McAlester is a woman. Her stance as mad or bad can be questioned. Also the movie, relates very well with Frankenstein and The Island Dr. Moreau because it shows clear repercussions to questionable science experiments. The film can also relate into Bacon’s “New Scientist” because Dr. McAlester was acting for the good of society and not just for personal gain even if her motivation drove her too far. The move can be used as an example for how much science should be willing to sacrifice: a few human lives for a multitude, any human life, and finally the lives of the innocent animals. The movie also plays very well into the playing God question. In the movie the as financial backer sees the shark being raised up on a platform, and he says “What in God’s creation?”, and the assistant scientist replies “Not his… ours.” The movie reveals many moral implications but still leaves enough room for debate.