Directed by Johan Renck, Spaceman is based on a novel written by Jaroslav Kalfar and takes on a quest where our protagonist, while feeling lost in the infinite darkness of outer space, releases certain things about himself. Jakub had committed some mistakes, and now that he was on the verge of losing that one precious thing that meant the world to him, he realized how wrong he was to make the choices that he did. So, let’s find out what happened between Jakub and Lenka and whether they reunited in the end or not.
Spoiler Alert
Why did Lenka stop talking to Jakub?
Jakub Prochaska had been in space for more than 6 months, and though it was his life’s dream to go on that mission, he had started feeling a bit lonely of late. It was a very obvious thing to feel, and the experts in the control room knew that a time would come when his mental health would deteriorate. The vastness of the space made Jakub feel lonely. The darkness that surrounded him made him aware of the darkness that lay within him. The silence spoke to him, and he was forced to implore the conundrum that lay within him. He knew that humans were innately ironical by nature, but he always ran away from his own truth, and it was as if he liked being delusional. When all was lost, he started a quest to understand himself in a better manner and also why he was stuck in such a situation.
Things were not right between Lenka and Jakub for a very long time, and when Commissioner Tuma asked Lenka why she had left her husband at such a crucial time, she calmly replied that she had separated way back; the only thing was that she wasn’t able to accept that fact. Lenka needed her husband to be with her, but he was never around. Probably, he had some commitment issues; probably, he didn’t want to take the responsibility that came with marriage, or maybe his mission was more dear to him than anything else in the world. But whatever it was, Lenka slowly started moving away from him until the day came when she decided to stop all communication and never talk to him again. In the past, Lenka suffered a miscarriage, and she begged Jakub to be there as she was not feeling well, but the man had other priorities, and Lenka felt belittled by his attitude. He loved her, and she had no doubt about that fact, but in situations like these, he always ran away from his responsibilities. She was giving birth a second time, and once again, Jakub was in space, and Lenka came to the conclusion that instead of getting hurt, she should shut all the doors once and for all. Lenka, at times, felt confused, as she didn’t understand what Jakub wanted. He promised her things but never lived up to his words. He said that he would be there for her, but he was never around when she needed him. Jakub was in touch with Peter from the control room, and the latter realized that if he didn’t talk to Lenka, there was a possibility he would do something to harm himself. So Peter went to Lenka, and he requested that she just listen to him. Lenka did as she was asked, but she was still very sure that she didn’t want to be with him unless and until he knew what he wanted.
What realization did Jakub have in space?
It could be said that Hanus, the spider, was a personification of Jakub’s subconscious mind. The spider was trying to understand human beings and how they felt about what they did. In the process, it ended up releasing certain things about humans as a species. Jakub, over a period of time, realized that Lenka was his safe haven, and for reasons unknown to him, he also left her behind. Now that he was out, all by himself, in outer space, he felt more vulnerable than ever. He felt insecure, and he just couldn’t get rid of his fear. The spider made a very intriguing observation about human beings; he asked Jakub why human beings always realize the importance of a thing when it is long gone. The spider asked him that for so many years, Lenka was right in front of him, and he didn’t give her any importance then, but now that he felt that she could leave him, he understood her importance in his life. Jakub came to the realization that he never made an effort to understand Lenka, to be there for her, or to do something for her. But now that she was going, he was ready to move mountains for her. Jakub, after he was rescued by the Korean cosmonauts, told Lenka over a call that human beings were a complete waste and that she deserved somebody better than him. The spider told Jakub that his loneliness was self-inflicted and he had nobody else to blame for it other than himself. Jakub resided in that thought for the longest time, but in the end, he realized that it was his fault that Lenka had chosen to go away from his life, and it was now that he realized that she meant the world to him.Â
Will Jakub And Lenka Come Back Together?
At the end of Spaceman, we see that Jakub was rescued by the South Korean spacecraft, and from there, he made a call to Lenka. He told her that had he known everything that he came to know after his travels, he would never let her go for his mission. He asked her if she wanted to see him again, and her silence was indicative of the fact that she was ready to give him another chance. That’s where Colin Day and Johan Renck have taken some creative liberties, as in Jaroslav Kalfar’s novel; this was not how things ended between the two of them. In the book, Jakub never got back with Lenka, as he realized that maybe it was best for her if she was left alone. He watched her, and he resisted his impulse to go and talk to her. He knew that he could bring her back into his life, but he realized that the need of the hour was to be selfless, and he knew that he wouldn’t do justice to her if he did that. So he shelved his regrets, made peace with his grief, and walked away from her life, even though every element of his body told him to just go and express his love towards her. I believe that the ending in the novel sounds more realistic but at this moment I want to be optimistic and the fact that Lenka and Jakub can be together makes me happy. So I hope that they were able to reignite that flare once again and spend their rest of lives together.
