Few spectacles in nature are as mesmerizing as a solar eclipse – and much of North America is about to experience one, with an annular solar eclipse due to occur on Saturday (October 14) which will be visible across a large swath of Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, northern California, and Oregon.
Of course, filmmakers have not been slow to appreciate the cinematic possibilities of the solar eclipse. Here are ten movies that show the magnificent event in all its glory.
10. The Seventh Sign
This largely forgotten 1988 horror flick is only notable for being an early starring role for Demi Moore, with Michael Biehn as support. In a world in which signs of the impending Apocalypse are all around, Moore and Biehn are stunned to find a solar eclipse presaging the sixth sign of imminent doom – a catastrophic earthquake.
9. Little Shop of Horrors
Frank Oz’ 1986 horror comedy has maintained a strong cade of fans over the years. The famous houseplant that threatens destruction – improbably christened Audrey II – is brought to life during a solar eclipse.
8. Barabbas
Alongside Ben-Hur and Spartacus, 1961’s Barabbas was one of a handful of sword-and-sandals epics that wowed audiences in the 1950s and early 1960s. Starring two-time Academy Award winner Anthony Quinn in the lead role, and Hollywood luminaries such as Ernest Borgnine and Jack Palance in support, the film is today chiefly famous for the remarkable crucifixion scene – filming was timed to exactly coincide with an actual solar eclipse.
7. Dolores Claiborne
This 1995 adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name sees Academy Award winner Kathy Bates turn in a mesmerizing performance as Claiborne, who is trapped in a violent relationship. The climactic scene occurs during a solar eclipse: among the strangely darkened environs of a backyard, Claiborne confronts her husband over his physical abuse of his daughter.
6. Darkness
In this 2002 supernatural horror, a solar eclipse is not merely used as an atmospheric backdrop but is an integral part of the story. The film revolves around a family’s move to a house in rural Spain in which children are sacrificed once every forty years during an eclipse – and the new owners’ realization that the last sacrifice ended one child short.
5. Dragonslayer
This 1981 example of sword-and-sorcery romp boasted some big names, including Ralph Richardson, and a pre-Star Wars Ian McDiarmid, and represented the big-screen debut of Peter MacNicol, later to become famous for his work in comedies such as Ghostbusters II and Bean. His character’s hero’s journey comes to an end with a showdown with the dragon against the backdrop of a solar eclipse.
4. Judy Berlin
This overlooked 1999 independent drama is notable as the last film role of two-time Academy Award nominee Madeline Kahn. The film tells the story of the inhabitants of a small town in the hours before a solar eclipse. When the eclipse begins, a series of revelations regarding life and love hit the main characters during the darkness. The film also stars The Simpsons cast member Julie Kavner and was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 1999.
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey
Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 masterpiece contains a solar eclipse, though not from a perspective that most of us would recognize. The science fiction epic begins with a shot of the Moon, with Earth and then the Sun emerging beyond it, all set to Richard Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathrustra. The result was one of film’s truly unforgettable opening sequences.
2. Ladyhawke
It’s more magical shenanigans in this 1985 cult favorite, which stars Matthew Broderick in only his second film appearance after his breakthrough role in 1983’s WarGames, Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Alfred Molina. The eclipse comes late in the movie’s final act and is interpreted by Navarre (Hauer) as a sign of divine intervention.
1. Apocalypto
Mel Gibson’s 2006 survival film about the trials of a Mesoamerican hunter attempting to escape the clutches of his tormentors certainly has its fair share of detractors and has come in for sustained criticism for its religious subtexts. However, there’s no denying its epic feel, and nowhere is this more obvious than in the extraordinary scene in which the sacrifice of the hero is interrupted by an eclipse.