A Battle of Morality
“Ender’s Game” gives an ethereal sense to the viewer of wanting to be immersed into space. Writer-director Gavin Hood allows for the film, based on Orson Scott Card’s 1985 novel, of the same name, to be more than just an action flick for teenage boys. Hood explores the ethics of war through the emotional and psychological thoughts of the main character, Ender Wiggin (played by Asa Butterfield).
The film takes place in a not-so-distant future of 2086, after the Formics, an alien species also known as buggers in the book, attack Earth in two separate invasions. In the second invasion the human race is almost destroyed, which is more of a focal point in the movie than in the novel, but thanks to Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), Earth’s greatest commander, the world is saved. Since the attacks of the Formics, nations have come together to form the International Fleet (I.F.) where children are recruited based on their strategic abilities and retention of advanced knowledge.
Having read the book, it felt to me as if some scenes in the film are rushed and various character developments and relationships are lacking because of it. However, Butterfield still channels the complex emotions of Ender Wiggin and subtly displays, as time progresses, an increasing regret for allowing Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) and the I.F. to manipulate him for their gain. Throughout the movie Graff constantly tries to justify pushing Ender so hard to the point where it seems like Enders could lose all his capacity for empathy at any second. Graff doesn’t seem to care about Ender’s well-being, and emphasizes that there won’t be a world to criticize him if he doesn’t take such extreme measures.
In “Ender’s Game” the initial enemy is the Formics but underneath the surface the teachers and authority at the Battle School are the true enemies. Mazer and Graff manipulate Ender by indirectly choosing who his enemies are through isolation and promotion. This conduct raises many questions of whether to agree with the authority’s tactics or to feel for Ender’s loss of his childhood. The movie shows necessary tactics in the intergalactic war, parallel to the methods used in present-day wars. This asks the audience how much they would be willing to disregard their moral code to save humanity.
The most breathtaking parts take place when Ender and his army are in the Battle Room where they do an advanced version of laser tag in zero gravity. While these scenes appeal to action-seekers, they also are a treat for other viewers because of the visually stunning cosmos-like surroundings.