Trapped Between Life and Art: Behind Oxygen
When Oxygen was released, it offered viewers a tension-stuffed, claustrophobic thriller. Directed by Alexandre Aja, it follows a woman, Elizabeth Hansen, who regains consciousness and finds herself in a cryogenic chamber, memories lost, and oxygen rapidly running out. In addition to being a taut sci-fi survival story, it also has an underlying emotional narrative. Behind the scenes, the filmmaking was also a true story of endurance, inventive problem solving, and personal loss.
Elizabeth Hansen: Survival and Identity
The film is almost entirely carried by Mélanie Laurent, who plays Elizabeth. Given that Laurent is the only actor in the chamber for almost the entire film, the part demanded not only emotional authenticity but also considerable stamina. Elizabeth’s character undergoes a profound transformation, moving from panic and confusion to courageous self-discovery. In this journey she Gabrielle made the audience realize the sense of air pressure that is almost suffocating, the frustration of being utterly alone, and the terror of losing one’s memories.
For the conceptualization, Laurent collaborated with the director on the physicality, breath work, and emotional pacing. She also mentioned in interviews that shooting the scenes in the confined chamber was psychologically challenging and, at times, it even created authentic panic and vertigo. The claustrophobic atmosphere was, of course, not solely a part of the narrative. It was a lived experience, erasing the boundary between the reel tension and the actual fear.
Equipment in Confined Spaces
The detailed realism of the production design incorporated a range of innovative and creative approaches. However, it also created the logistical challenges of a compact cryogenic chamber set. This design allowed little space for cameras, lighting, and for the crew to move. Cinematographer Maxime Alexandre had to find creative ways to work within compact angles and his lighting design to create the illusion of claustrophobia while also capturing the intricate work of Laurent’s face.
For long periods of time crew members had to move in the small space with their gear which, in part, due to the gear and the small space, made crew members stand uncomfortably close to the actress. This made the atmosphere feel even more claustrophobic. The production notes comment on the level and quality of detail work created time stress for the entire crew.
Health and Endurance Challenges
Shooting the scenes in the chamber set proved to be physically challenging. Laurent described the set’s cold temperatures and confined spaces as draining. To avoid simulating the gasping of breath Covid victims, Elizabeth had to carefully control her breathing, bringing on faintness and even passing out in some instances. There would be days when the physical strain was so great that it was impossible to get multiple takes, resulting in the shooting schedule being revised.
Others in the crew also had to deal with problematic discomfort. The set’s lighting and camera operators had to hold awkward stances for a long time. The costume and makeup teams also had to control their movements while the rest of the team was physically exerting themselves, as Stress and exhaustion were the primary causes of sweat that made the costume continuity difficult.
Budget Pressures and Creative Compromises
Although Oxygen was made on a shoestring budget compared to large-scale sci-fi productions, the filmmakers had a vision of producing a slick and immersive Oxygen. The director, Alexandre Aja, was forced to judiciously allocate the limited resources as the chamber set, even though limited, had complex moving parts, touch screens, and holographic effects that had to be precisely coordinated.
Feeling budget constraints means your brain must be more on versatile ways to problem solve. For instance, instead of doing multiple setups with multiple cameras and rigs, people were doing setups with one, moving the camera and rig over and over to get the different angles. The visual effects team were working with tight budgets, balancing the need to overspend with the need to keep the effects realistic and not bonkers looking. Because of this, there is some creativity that has to used. All these pressures and the need to keep the effects realistic resonate with Elizabeth when relating her story, resourcefully working with what she has, and creatively finding ways to problem solve when there are extreme limitations. This creates a more subtle relationship and parallel to the challenges of the reel and real, her story.
Emotionally Charged
Sustaining Elizabeth’s emotional slopes over multiple days of shooting was, according to Mélanie Laurent, uniquely arduous. The sense of panic, the despair, the emotional revelations, they had to all be repetitive and exhausting. Out on set, she described, she could not get rid of “living Elizabeth’s fear,” an emotion that lingered on after the scene was shot. It did not help that the set was physically confined, which forced the actor to live out her character’s suffering. Marzo described one of the hardest tasks was to shoot and record voice over during her scenes. So, when it was her time to act, Mathieu Amalric and Malik Zidi were not able to spend time with her. Having to record lines that had to match Laurent’s emotional range and timing was stressful. It all had to align, and if not, even more strained target postproduction was to blame.
Audience Reception and the Weight of Expectation
Oxygen captivated audience attention with its intriguing premise and was notable for its minimalist and immersive approach. Speculation was rife on how a nearly one-character thriller could maintain tension for more than 90 minutes. Positive responses justified the efforts and the commended focus of production team and the performance of Laurent.
In every recognition of the film, there was also understanding of the huge emotional and psychological burden. The audience’s enthusiastic engagement with the suspense afforded a unique connection between the on-screen tension and the off-screen exhaustion, and the sweat, fatigue, and anxiety of the cast and crew.
Personal Sacrifices and Creative Rewards
Everyone involved in the production of the film had to make personal sacrifices. Laurent had to make personal sacrifices to prepare for the role of Elizabeth. The crew also exhibited extraordinary collaboration under challenging circumstances with limited resources in terms of space, budget, and technology. The authentically felt claustrophobia, tension, and urgency of the film was a result of these collective sacrifices.
For Alexandre Aja, the experience cemented his reputation as a director who is able to combine psychological complexity with high-stakes tension. For Mélanie Laurent, it was a demonstration of versatility and stamina, as she was able to carry a lone, complex narrative. For the audience, it was a riveting, immersive thriller, with every frame conveying the real and the reel seamlessly.
Oxygen is not just a story about survival; it is, above all, a testament to human resilience. The production challenges mirrored Elizabeth Hansen’s journey: the confined spaces, the dwindling resources, and the constant fight to retain clarity and composure. The real struggles of the cast and crew directly contributed to the film’s tension, emotional intimacy, and resonance, illustrating rather vividly the interweaving of life with art.
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