Ron Howard’s Inferno, based on the novel by Dan Brown, comes a decade after The Da Vinci Code, the first film in the Robert Langdon series, premiered. A mystery thriller much like The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, the film brings into question the ethics and morality of mass genocide for the greater good of mankind.
The film brings back the talented Tom Hanks as Professor Robert Langdon, an expert on symbology, as he becomes the target of yet another manhunt upon waking up in a Florence hospital with no memory of the past few days and only horrific visions to guide him. With the help of Dr. Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones), Langdon uncovers a conspiracy to unleash a deadly plague.
Unlike the previous films, Inferno thrusts viewers straight into the action. We experience the film in the same way as Langdon does, lost, confused and unsure of what’s going on. This confusion can be frustrating at first but follows through with thrilling action and an intriguing plot as pieces of the story begin to fall in place.
The story, whilst interesting is nothing completely new. Over the past decade, we’ve seen a number of fictional tales depicting the idea of population culling and its benefits to society. The notion of unleashing a virus to wipe out the ‘weak’ is one that brings about the question of whether this is a morally just action. Bertrand Zobrist (Ben Foster), a transhumanist scientist, believes that this is the only way to solve the imminent crises of global overpopulation and orchestrates an elaborate scheme riddled with puzzles of which Langdon must solve in order to save the world. Together with the help of Dr. Brooks, Langdon races against time to get back his memories, stop the virus from being released, and escape from the threat of assassination.
Much like in The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, this film is filled with references to ancient art and poetry, highlighting the works of Dante Alighieri, simply known as Dante, a famed Italian poet of the middle ages. As a fan of classical literature and art, this was particularly intriguing for me and brought back memories of my personal studies of classical history.
In addition to literature, Inferno places a spotlight on the incredible beauty of Italy and the intricately detailed architecture of Istanbul, which certainly caught my eye. Without a doubt, one of the best features of the film is its visuals. With great camera techniques, incredible graphics depicting the horrors of hell and a focus on the spectacular views, Inferno certainly made me appreciate fantastic visuals in film. That, and it inspired me to want to return to Florence one day.
As a film, Inferno isn’t the best thriller I’ve seen. Without the puzzle and riddle aspects, this film is rather predictable in the way in which the story plays out. However, one of the ways in which the film saves itself is by including fantastic twists that no one could have possibly predicted. At every turn, it was difficult to tell just who were the good guys and who were the baddies. This spectacular use of twist is certainly attributed to the actors and the writing. As viewers, some moments will truly shock you.
Inferno may not be completely mysterious but it certainly is an entertaining film to watch, particularly if you are a fan of classical art and literature, have a fondness for beautiful sights and love a good plot twist. Just don’t expect to be completely blown away.