Super-viruses and bugs send populations into a panic whenever they are faced with something that spreads like wildfire and is contagious. It takes health organizations and the government to react to such developments, which can take time, money and the talent of various scientists and doctors that could stretch across the globe. In this article, you will encounter trivia and facts concerning the 2011 movie, ‘Contaigon.’
The Plot
Following a business trip to Hong Kong, Beth Emhoff mysteriously dies from an unknown infection. The same day, her young son also dies from some of the same symptoms. However, it seems that her husband is immune to the sickness. The deadly infection starts to spread throughout a host of major cities around the world , all centered on one starting point that researchers and scientists must pinpoint in order to come closer to creating a cure. The group effort involves numerous doctors and administrators at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. It takes several days for researchers to get a better understanding of the infection. The first thing that must be done is to identify the type of virus they are dealing with and to find a way to control or overcome it. Under regular circumstances, the process can take many months, but the infection is spreading too quickly , affecting millions of people worldwide. As panic settles in, societal order starts to crumble and cities quickly meet with chaos.
Characters in the Movie
Contagion is packed with a recognizable cast of characters. One of the first people you see infected in the movie is Gwyneth Paltrow , who plays a businesswoman named Beth Emhoff that travels overseas and brings the deadly infection back to the states. Her husband, Mitch Emhoff, is played by Matt Damon, who appears to be immune to the virus and is concerned with protecting his daughter from the infection. Jude Law plays Alan Krumweide, who is an online reporter/investigator that is interested in reporting on the spread of the virus and the way the government handles it. Trying to find a cure and keep the media under control is Dr. Ellis Cheever (played by Laurence Fishburne). In the film, the character makes a few personal and morale decisions that step outside government protocol.
Trivia and Facts , ‘Contagion’
”¢ The director of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health was a consultant for the film and said that the virus in the movie was created based on some of the traits of the Nipah virus from Malaysia that emerged during the late 1990s. This virus is spread from pigs to farmers.
Ӣ As a way to promote the film, Warner Bros. Pictures Canada constructed two giant Petri dishes treated with bacteria and fungi, and set them in a Toronto storefront window. As days passed, the bacteria and fungi specimens grew to spell out the name of the film alongside biohazard symbols.
”¢ ‘Contagion’ is the first film that Steven Soderbergh has released in IMAX format.
Ӣ Consultant Ian Lipkin had the scene where the female virologist injects herself with the vaccine shot again because her scientist character was wearing tights, which was inappropriate for that atmosphere in the lab.
Ӣ In the film, the disease is highly lethal and affects a highly large number of people and has a short incubation period. However, if this infectious disease was real, it would need a long incubation period and become less lethal in order to allow transmission to occur.