Film Club Review

Steven Spielberg’s 1993 classic film Jurassic Park remains one of cinema’s defining blockbusters. It is so influential that it barely even registers as science fiction anymore. Beneath the dinosaurs and spectacle lies a world that is packed with futuristic ideas; genetic splicing, automated cars, immersive computer systems and even virtual reality! In 1993, these concepts were revolutionary, but today, many slip past the modern audience unnoticed. Whether that speaks to the film’s immense cultural influence or its startling scientific foresight is difficult to say. 

What makes Jurassic Park endure the test of time is how these technological marvels are constantly placed in opposition to nature itself. The film is driven by recurring motifs of chaos, unpredictability, reproduction and humanity’s futile attempt to control nature itself. Spielberg never allows the audience to forget that despite all the innovation on display in the film, nature ultimately refuses to be mastered by mankind and, as they say, “finds a way”. 

The screenplay is marvellous, introducing its major characters with so much clarity and personality without ever descending into a dull exposition. Each individual character feels distinct rather than just another archetype. Sam Neill’s portrayal of Alan Grant stands out most prominently. He is an eccentric hero who understands extinct creatures more intimately than children of his own species. Yet by the film’s conclusion, even Alan is drawn back towards a more instinctive, paternal role, reinforcing the film’s broader themes of natural order and human connection. 

At first glance, this emphasis of “returning to nature” could risk reinforcing traditional or even conservative gender expectations. However, Laura Dern’s Ellie Sattler complicates that reading entirely. Ellie emerges as one of the film’s most essential figures: intelligent, independent and courageous. Even subtle choices in costume design, such as dressing her in blue rather than traditionally feminised colours like pink, help contribute to Spielberg’s rejection of simplistic gender coding. Her practical costume design and active role within the narrative distance her from the passive female stereotypes common in many Hollywood adventure films, both then and even today.

More than three decades later, Jurassic Park still feels astonishingly modern. Its visual effects remain groundbreaking, but the film’s true strength lies in its ideas; humanity’s obsession with control, the ethics of scientific ambition and the uncomfortable reality that nature will always find a way!

Written by Mr Starr and Rory Visser