MovieChat Forums > Sunshine (2007) Discussion > Searl did not have to die.

Searl did not have to die.


After the trio blast out of the Icarus I and arrived at Icarus II, one of them could have returned to Icarus I towing a gold suit for Searl. Sure, the return back to Icarus one would've been slow, but it was possible. The weight of the extra suit would not have mattered because of the weightlessness of outer space. They could've tied a rope to the astronaut or solarnaut in case they need to pull him/her back to Icarus II.

Just saying.

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No, they couldn't, because the airlock of Icarus I had been severely damaged; once they broke the seal of the outer door (when they got out of Icarus I), it couldn't be closed again and be repressurized. Your idea was explicitly dismissed when Harvey suggested that he (and not Capa) should take the one space suit, and that he would go back to Icarus II and do "everything in his power" to save the others: it couldn't be done.

From http://www.subzin.com/search.php?title=Sunshine&title_id=M239356899&search_sort=Popularity&type=All&pag=33:

Searle: What happened?

Mace: Airlock's destroyed. There's only one suit. Capa's taking it.

Searle: Why Capa?

Mace: The rest of us are lower priority.

Harvey: I'm not a low priority.

Mace: You're a comms officer on a ship that has no communication.

Harvey: I am the captain. The mission needs a captain to hold it together.

Mace: Harvey, Capa's the only person outside of Icarus who can operate the payload. There is no choice.

Harvey: No, there's no choice for you. Capa, I order you to remove that suit. Get out of the suit. That is a direct order. I assure you, when I'm onboard Icarus II that I'll do everything within my power--

Mace: To what? Shuttle back with more suits? The airlock is ripped in half. Once we break that seal, how are we gonna re-pressurize?

(I may have the characters of the first four lines incorrect; but that doesn't affect the point of the discussion between Harvey and Mace.)

Furthermore, since the computer was down, the airlock seal could only be operated manually from inside Icarus I (behind the inner door), that's why Searle had to stay behind. And Searle didn't mind, he was thrilled at the prospect of getting to the observation deck of Icarus I and experience the Sun from up close with his own eyes.

Narrative-wise, Searle, like any of the other team members, had to die because he had made a mistake earlier and hence had to redeem himself by sacrificing his life for the greater good.


______

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There was probably no way Searl could have gone back to Icarus II. But why on earth did Searl kill himself right after being left alone on Icarus I. He could have lived on Icarus for years. There was enough oxygen and food. Only the main computer was damaged, as much as I understood, so the ship could not fly. But who knows, perhaps he could have repaired it. Or perhaps, there was some hope for a rescue mission later.

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Searl was kind of borderline Pinnbaker in a way. He was edging in that direction. And honestly why on earth would you want to live on a ship without any life with you. You would go crazy. Searl was just becoming more philosophical thus why he kept turning down the sun shield to feel more and see more of the power of the sun. He was mentally kinda losing it. Pretty much the bottom line, no one was supposed to survive the movie.

((Damn the remakes, Save the originals.))

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Exactly. Searle was heading in the same direction as Pinbacker, becoming obsessed with seeing the sun (God) unfiltered, to the point where he was beginning to burn like Pinbacker did. Fortunately, Searle remained sane enough to help his crewmates escape, even as he stayed behind to experience what was, for him, seeing the face of God.

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Actually Searl should have been shoved out of an airlock long before, since it was his stupid argument that made everyone forget they had a specific mission and diverting to Icarus 1 wasn't it!

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