Over the past couple of days, a science fiction short has been making the rounds on the internet, and we've got it right here for your viewing pleasure. Turn down the lights, adjust your sound, and full screen this puppy, as you're about to watch The Leviathan come to live before your very eyes.
A big thanks to Vimeo for hosting this self-described proof of concept teaser, which manages to create a believable and epic world in a matter of minutes. The Leviathan basically tells the story of 22nd century energy harvesting methods. In order to attain light speed, fuel is harvested from the eggs of what looks like a space whale, and those in charge of gathering this energy sources are, naturally, slave-laboring grunts you typically seen in this sort of sci-fi project. After some quick introductory cards, and a really cool sequence setting up the scope of the film's world, the bulk of the short involves the harvesting crew's battle with the titular creature. The end result of the entire sequence is a really engaging action set piece that teases greater things from the full film.
The Leviathan comes from the minds of Fight Club screenwriter Jim Uhls and Academy Award nominated short film director Ruairi Robinson. While Robinson's name may not sound familiar, you've probably heard of his prior short films, as they tend to pop up on the occasional list of best sci fi shorts on the Internet. One such short, The Silent City, even featured the acting talents of an up and coming Cillian Murphy. You can see that short below, and it's highly recommended that you do.
Robinson's experience isn't limited to shorts you can find on the internet, as he also directed The Last Days Of Mars, and was at one point in line to direct the constantly-stalling live action adaptation of Akira over at Warner Bros. Though he's far from being the first, or even the most recent, short form director to wow everyone on the internet, you have to admit that The Leviathan shows the same form of promise Neill Blomkamp and Carl Rinsch once did with their gig winning shorts. Let's hope The Leviathan fares better than 47 Ronan, or either of Blomkamp's follow ups to District 9.
You can see more of Ruairi Robinson's work at his website.
