ElysiumExploring ‘Elysium’ Beyond the Screen

3 star

By Mark Salisbury
Titan Books, $39.95, 175 pages

Mark Salisbury takes readers on a visually rich exploratory journey into the designing aspect of the 2013 futuristic sci-fi film Elysium. Essentially a picture book about the artwork involved in director Neill Blomkamp’s film, Elysium: The Art of the Film includes exclusive interviews with the director and other members of the team that created the Matt Damon and Jodie Foster staring Elysium, an “analogy and allegory” about the class-based world on planet earth.

“I get the most kick out of visuals.”

The book has the highest possible visual appeal with more than 170 glossy pictures of the design and artwork involved in the film combined with informative text and quotes from interviews. There are some interesting tips in these pages on what counts when designing set for sci-fi films. Still, its readership is likely to be limited, mostly confined to those who enjoy sci-fi films and/or set designing for films.

Whether or not one is an action and/sci-fi fan, Salisbury’s book is to be read after watching the film, both to enjoy the book better and to avoid spoilers about the film.

Reviewed by Ernest Dempsey

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