Elizabeth Eck ’22
When I first got the idea to review Contagion for the last edition of Untucked, the world was a darker place. We were still wallowing in the darkness of April and lamenting the loss of both the freedom to roam around our towns and in-person human interaction. Many had already turned to this film, released in 2012, as a herald of what was to come from the novel coronavirus. The movie paints a bleak picture of a virus, with those sick succumbing to it in just a few days. For those who have not seen the film, I must admit that the parallels between COVID-19 and the movie’s MEV-1 are striking. We see representatives from the CDC trying to convince local leaders to lend their arenas to house the sick, people rioting as food and supplies run low, and even fears that a foreign power may have created the virus to terrorize the world.
But just as we use Contagion to confirm our worst fears, it can also be seen as a harbinger of the good times to come. There are still glimmers of hope throughout the movie. Flowers are placed on graves, vaccines donated, and school dances are still held. Kindness and love are still present, even in the middle of a pandemic. From the healthcare workers on the front lines, to the man taking care of his family, they adapt to the new life they have been forced to live, just as we are now.
The best thing about Contagion is that it is not real. While we may be experiencing similar circumstances, the death rate of COVID-19 is much lower than the fictional MEV-1. We are able to communicate through screens with each other, and celebrate birthdays (even though the celebrations are all six feet apart). And best of all, we can go outside and breathe in the fresh spring air. If we had to quarantine in wintertime, we would all be losing our minds. The new life outside reminds us of our own rebirth from the doldrums of virus. Though we may be apart, we are constantly rebuilding and reshaping.