Fear Spreads Faster Than Germs

The movie starts by showing how a few sick people, who go about their daily routine, can easily contaminate thousands of people. The point of the introduction is simple: A deadly virus can spread around the world in a matter of days. This realistic yet terrifying scenario is a very effective way to grip the audience and to cause a state of fear. During these scenes, the camera focuses for a few extra seconds on common objects that can transmit germs such as drinking glasses, just long enough for the viewer to realise: “Hey, I sometimes touch these things! That could be me! Aaaah!”

Most of those who are infected with the virus do not live long. In a series of heartbreaking scenes,one of the main characters, Mitch Emhoff (played by Matt Damon), sees his wife and his son lose their lives to the virus. Viewers watch-ing this tragedy play out are led to think “Hey, that’s the most terrible thing that could happen to me! AAaaah!”

This movie was released only two years after the out-break of H1N1 and the media hype that surrounded it, so that fear is still latent in many people. These scenes from Contagion reactivates the “fear virus” that was planted in people… and adds some. After a few minutes of panic-in-ducing scenes, most viewers will say “Oh my God, someone do something about this virus! This guy lost his wife and child, that’s awful! AAArgh!” Heroes do step up to the plate and take charge of things… and it just so happens that they were involved in the making of the movie.

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