The Theory of Everything (2014)

The Theory of Everything is an edifying, sprawling yet theatrical movie depicting the arduous love between the profound genius, Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) and supportive wife Jane (Felicity Jones). Physicist Stephen Hawking has had a colourful life, one of calamity , over victory, love and at times, the deepest isolation. The movie captures each of those elements in a distinct and cinematic way through the consummate use of music, colours and facial expressions.

The opening scene conveys a young and able-bodied Stephen Hawking at University. The colour blue prevails in this scene, as there is a strong filter edited over . This adds to the essence of fear in the ambience in this “too-perfect” life, foreshadowing that something may go wrong in the near-future. Through the first couple of minutes, the love story between Hawking and his first wife Jane is abrupt, the sweep of their relationship gives the movie grip and unity. As we go in to more of the movie there is a frequent act of a more eminent foreshadowing; a lurching walk, and a shaking hand until the climatic scene of when Hawking falls, which worsens his disease. This climax is built up through the use of speed, we first see Hawking quickly, ungainly walk to his class, his walking promptly increases in speed until he collapses where everything is pictorially slowed down.

The thing of note, is the lack of focus towards the children of Hawking as they had a prominent effect on his and Jane’s life. It would have been interesting to see the 3-dimensional impact the whole family had as a result of the platform and disability Stephen Hawking had. The movie had also failed to note on the composite reasons for the divorce of Jane and Stephen and delivered the scene quite abruptly with lack of perspectives and depth.