A blind concert violinist gains more than sight after a double corneal transplant operation in "The Eye."
After two decades of blindness from a childhood tragedy, Sydney Wells (Jessica Alba) undergoes surgery that restores her sight but creates frightening images that only she can see. With the aid of a neural specialist (Alessandro Nivola) and her older sister (Parker Posey), Sydney tries to cope with her new situation, whether it’s the result of a psychological breakdown or a supernatural occurrence.
Production Highlights from The Eye
- The Eye is based on the 2002 Chinese-language horror film The Eye (Gin Gwai) written by Jo Jo Yuey-chun Hui, Oxide Pang, and Danny Pang.
- A Lionsgate and Paramount Vantage film, The Eye tests the boundaries of perception and reality through something called cellular memory, an actual scientific phenomenon in which transplant recipients display the characteristics of the donor. Although supernatural elements are woven into the plot, the story begins with science.
- Through a combination of lighting techniques and new lens design, the film allows the audience to see through the eyes of the main character. Make-up effects and special visual effects added in postproduction help give the illusion of the frightening supernatural events that Sydney witnesses. Her apartment is designed to accurately reflect how a blind person would live, and contains subtle differences intended to frighten the viewer, such as curving hallways that obscure what’s ahead.
- Production of the film began in an abandoned semi-conductor plant that was converted to a soundstage, and on ten locations around Albuquerque, New Mexico, including the Old Santa Fe Railyard, the Albuquerque National Dragway, and Isleta Pueblo. Filming then continued in downtown Los Angeles, among other locations.
The Actors in The Eye
- The French directors David Moreau and Xavier Palud were first impressed with Alba (Good Luck Chuck) because of her eyes.
- Besides looking right for the part, Alba trained for months to learn how to play the violin for her role, visited a female musician who has been blind since childhood, and spent time living at the New Mexico Commission for the Blind (NMCB) where she received training under the guidance of a certified orientation mobility instructor.
- Like Alba, Nivola (Junebug) spent time researching his role and learning about his character, including studying neural psychology and other details about that area of medicine.
- Posey, with more than 50 films to her credit including the recent Superman Returns, plays Sydney’s sister Helen, who feels responsible for the childhood accident and encourages the surgery. When things go awry, she feels doubly responsible for her sister’s suffering.
- The Eye
- Directors: David Moreau and Xavier Palud
- Run Time: 97 minutes
- Rating: PG-13 (violence/terror and disturbing content)
The copyright of the article Production Highlights from The Eye in Horror Films is owned by Leslie C. Halpern. Permission to republish Production Highlights from The Eye in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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