Tag: science-fiction

BCM325 – Live Analysis of Ready Player One and Arrival

This is the final live film analysis post for class BCM325. Over the past two weeks we have watched Steven Spielberg’s 2018 gamers dream, Ready Player One, and Denis Villeneuve’s 2016 alien “arrival” masterpiece, Arrival. Once again these films have been analysed through the lens of class themes and ideas.

Ready Player One

I am going to preface in saying, I’m not the biggest Ready Player One fan. It is pretty fun, but the endless amount of references get a bit tiring after a while and at times feels like that’s all the movie has going for it (other than the soundtrack). I will say on a re-watch, and more specifically, re-watching it through the theme of cyberspace made me appreciate it more. Cyberspaces are the places we inhabit digitally. We spend a good portion of our lives in cyberspaces , whether that be on our phones, computers or televisions. In Ready Player One we are thrown into a world where VR gaming is so advanced that most people choose this cyberspace over their reality. Here is what I had to say about it:

  • 1 references/member-berries the movie. Not the biggest fan of this movie but within the context of this class It fits in quite well with the themes it explores.
  • 2 Can see why everyone is escaping reality to this VR world. Reality in RP1 looks so ass. Caravan/trailer park high-rises, the worst kind of dystopia.
  • 3 The VR in this world isn’t too far from our own, with not only the headsets being a thing we can all go out and buy right now, but the treadmills for running and haptic suits becoming more available too
  • 4 Explores not only the possible future of virtual reality but the current state of it and gaming as a whole. VR/gaming to escape reality, make friends, be someone else, immerse oneself, have fun in.
  • 5 In my own experience with VR, I have an oculus headset and certain games can be the most immersive experiences I’ve had with entertainment in my life.
  • 6 Playing Half Life Alyx for the first time and messing around in the first area with whiteboard markers on a glass window and picking up things and throwing them off a balcony was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. It’s easy to see why these people are addicted to this world (just wish I didn’t want to spew every time I used a headset).
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  • 7 I do like how they mention the fact that best friends can be people you’ve never even met before in the OASIS. I’ve had people I’ve met through gaming that have turned out to be really good real life friends. I remember meeting someone on CS:GO a few years back and then catching up with them at IEM (CS:GO tournament) in Sydney a year ago. Pretty interesting that someone you’ve never even seen before can become a genuine friend.
  • 8 IOI is an interesting antagonist. A group of people only studying pop culture and engaging with this game so they can own it. Lifeless and goes against everything the game stands for. Big gaming corps feel the same lately with Nintendo and Sony being the absolute worst when it comes to old IP.
  • 9 Alright I do kind of get annoyed at the constant barrage of references but ill eat my own words, cause it is pretty sick seeing battle toads, the Akira bike and the swordfish from cowboy bebop here
  • 10 As much shit as I talk about this movie I actually kind of enjoyed it on a re-watch, Yeah its references the movie but I guess its within context of the story. Pretty fun movie with a decent story and genuinely sick concept for a VR game world.

As stated, I did have fun with this movie on re-watch, and the theme of cyberspace helped me to see things from a new perspective. I really like the point I brought up about my own experiences with VR and how immersive the worlds it has to offer can be. Half Life Alyx still remains one of, if not the most immersive and impressive gaming experiences I’ve ever had. I was completely sucked into that world. So I have an understanding of how the technology from the film is a very possible future tech. I would spend hundreds if not thousands of hours in that world (if it didn’t give me motion sickness). But I think the main point I’d like to touch on is the escape from reality. At its core, this is what cyberspaces are. Online, you can be someone else, have a different personality, make new friends, immerse oneself. Our daily lives often revolve around these cyberspaces and we spend a large portion of our time in them, just as the characters of Ready Player One spend their time in the Oasis. Whether we like it or not, we rely on our cyberspaces for a good portion of our wellbeing, whether it be communications, information, personal data, and escapism.

Arrival

I fucking love this movie so goddamn much. I hadn’t watched this since it first came out in cinemas back in 2016, and re-watching it hit me so hard. What a beautiful movie and a completely fresh take on the stale genre of alien invasions. Alright I’ll stop glazing over the movie now. The themes we viewed the film through were Time, Death and the Anthropocene. Time and death are thoroughly explored in the film with the aliens sense of time being non-linear through language. They can see their lives from beginning to end at any given time and travel to different times in their lives. Here is what I had to say:

  • 1 Based on a short story, ‘Story of your life’ by Ted Chiang, Arrival tells the story of a linguistics professor who is tasked to discover how to communicate with a newly arrived extra-terrestrial life form. The film delves into the nature of language, time and memory.
  • 2 The design of the Ship and its surroundings are so haunting but beautiful at the same time. Especially accompanied by the score. Its suspenseful and mysterious. Absolutely love the atmosphere and cinematography of this film.
  • 3 Love the divide between characters in the movie and what they think the motivations of the extra-terrestrials are. Some are so keen to jump straight into violence just because they don’t know the reasons they’re here. Others want to communicate and gain an understanding.
  • 4 This is the key theme of the movie, Language and furthermore, understanding. So many problems whether it be smaller scale issues with love, relationships, and everyday encounters, to larger issues like politics and war can be better resolved with trying to communicate and gain an understanding instead of just attacking, ignoring or disregarding the intentions and feelings of others.
  • 5 Almost saying something about how we communicate with each other and how some can be so quick to ignore the opinions of others instead of trying to understand them. I’m sure the state of the world would be better if more people tried to understand one another.
  • 6 This same theme is explored with what other countries our team is communicating with in regards to the aliens. All English speaking countries. Whether its through an ease of speaking the same language or the cultural differences, the characters we follow aren’t trying to communicate with foreign countries and are doing the same thing they are doing with the aliens. Seeing them as threats, for example China.
  • 7 She we-wiring her brain 😶 IYKYK
  • 8 Louise’s conversation with Whittaker’s character describes what were talking about amazingly. If all you ever see is an opposition that’s all you understand. If all I gave you was a hammer, everything is a nail.
  • 9 Its all coming together ahhhh. Louise now sees understands their language and in turn, sees time the way they do. She is no longer limited to seeing things presently but can see her life from beginning to end, in turn bringing peace. Fuck man this shit so emotional.
  • 10 I fucking love this movie, such a different take on an alien invasion (arrival) movie. Instead of aliens wanting to destroy or conquer earth they’re here to help us sort out our differences through communication. its so different from the genre tropes and makes it so emotional and resonant. The human side of the narrative is so powerful and as Louise says as she now understands their language and in turn can see her life from start to finish, she still welcomes all of it. Bruh I’m fucking crying fuck off 😭

I lied , I’m gonna glaze again because this movie emotionally resonates with me so much. Re-watching it after a not having seen it since release helped me to see so much more of what was going on with the themes of time and death. I really think I’ve hit some of the key themes on the head here with the non linear memories of ones entire life and the idea of language being a barrier for clear communication. The language and communication barrier between humans and aliens used as a metaphor for human to human communication is so well executed. The Anthropocene (originating from human activity) theme is something also explored through humans inability to communicate with each properly in ways that benefit not just human life, but all life on earth, thus ensuring a stable future to come. I do wish I talked more about love and the eventual death of all living things. With the daughter character dying Louise knowing the outcome, she still chooses to live her life and welcomes all things that come with it. That’s so fucking beautiful.

BCM325 – Live analysis of Ghost in the Shell (1995) and The Matrix

In class BCM325, we have once again been asked to analyse two films in the context of course content and themes. These two films being Mamoru Oshii’s animated Sci-Fi masterpiece, Ghost in the Shell, and the Wachowski’s 1999 mind-bending and ground-breaking blockbuster, The Matrix. These two films explore similar themes of AI and share the same cyberpunk DNA (The Matrix even pays homage to Ghost in the Shell with the famous green coding opening).

Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Firstly, we were asked to watch Ghost in the Shell, and view it through a lens of the Cyborg. The theme of cyborgs and cybernetics as a whole is a great topic to view this film through. The core of this movie is cybernetics. Cybernetics and our ever evolving technology can spread through all aspects of our individual and social lives meaning it is apart of us now whether we like it or not. Ghost in the Shell asks us, is this a next stage in human biology or are we becoming less human because of it? Here is what I had to say about it:

  • 1 iconic “making of cyborg” opening credits show the “shell” being made, bringing to mind the ship of Theseus thought experiment, are we really human if our body is completely cybernetic/artificial? What makes us human? A soul/ghost?
  • 2 The title perfectly describes what Kusanagi is, Ghost in the Shell, the shell being her completely cybernetic body including her brain and the ghost being her consciousness. Does this still make her human?
  • 3 A scary thought to imagine the idea of someone being able to hack into someone else’s consciousness.
  • 4 I told ChatGPT that I’m currently watching ghost in the shell and its brings to mind the ship of Theseus , I asked what is your opinion on being human if your body is fully cybernetic?
  • ChatGPT – The Ship of Theseus is a classic philosophical problem that raises questions about identity, continuity, and change. In the case of Ghost in the Shell and the idea of having a fully cybernetic body, similar questions arise about what it means to be human. From a philosophical standpoint, being human often involves a combination of physical, psychological, and social elements. These elements include having a biological body, consciousness, emotions, relationships, and a sense of self. If one were to replace their entire biological body with cybernetic components, it raises questions about whether they would still retain their humanity. Some might argue that as long as the individual retains their consciousness, memories, emotions, and ability to interact with others in a meaningful way, they would still be considered human. Others might argue that the loss of the biological body fundamentally changes the essence of humanity, as there is a unique connection between our physical bodies and our identities. In the world of Ghost in the Shell, the characters grapple with these questions as they navigate a future where technology blurs the lines between human and machine. Major Motoko Kusanagi, for example, struggles with her own identity as a cyborg and what it means for her to be human. Ultimately, the answer to whether one can remain human with a fully cybernetic body is subjective and may vary depending on individual perspectives and philosophical beliefs. It’s a question that invites deep contemplation about the nature of humanity, identity, and the impact of technology on our understanding of ourselves.
  • 5 touching back on this after the puppet master hacked into the garbage mans ghost. The ability to simulate dreams and create an entire false past for someone make this idea all the more scarier. In a world like this id wonder why every human wouldn’t be going through an existential crisis. Not only having to deal with the fact people are becoming more machine than human, biologically at least, but the idea that your very existence could be a false reality.
  • 6 I love this shot and what Kusanagi says after it. Even though her body is 100% cybernetic, she still has human emotions. Fear, anxiety, isolation and hope. When she floats to the surface she imagines becoming someone else which she has already done by giving up her original body, but yet something still remains that makes Kusanagi, Kusanagi.
  • 7 The puppet master doesn’t even have a body, is purely consciousness that hacks into minds and uses them for his own purposes. Would this make him an evolved human? If Kusanagi can still be considered human what would that make The puppet master?
  • 8 “longing to remain yourself will constrict you” Does the absence of individuality make Kusanagi less human or just a higher evolved one?
  • 9 Modern cybernetics like neural link come to mind when looking at and hearing Kusanagi communicate without speaking as well as being constantly connected to the net. Cochlear implants are another example of modern cybernetics.
  • 10 The puppet master states its form is incomplete as it cannot reproduce or die. it wants to be diverse and individual, It seems its longing for death shows its desire to be human.

I’m actually quite proud of my analysis of this movie. I absolutely love and adore Ghost in the Shell and will often come back and revisit it pretty often. Its such a heady and existential watch and looking back at my analysis I can really tell how much I engage with the ideas of not just the movie, but the theme of cyborgs as well. The Ship of Theseus point I brought up as well as ChatGPT’s response to the prompt I gave it sums up my overall interpretation of the film and its themes. If the major has replaced all biological components of her body and replaced them with a fully cybernetic one, does that still make her human? Is being human more than just having a biologically human body? Is a soul or consciousness or “ghost” what makes us human? Is the major still the same major because she has kept her ghost? These are all extremely engaging questions which are so interesting to explore. As I state in a later comment, Kusanagi still has human emotions ie fear, anxiety, and hope, so in essence, I still consider her human. This is what makes this film such an interesting watch and why the viewing point of cyborgs is so engaging to watch it through. The lines between what makes someone human becomes increasingly blurred, and with our ever evolving landscape of technology, this movie becomes more prominent in the conversation.

The Matrix

The second film we were asked to watch was The Matrix. The concept we viewed this film through was that of the “decision”. Decisions are a key aspect of this film, the red and blue pill are core to our hero’s journey, and the subsequent decisions of breaking free of the AI controlled world he was living in. Here is what I had to say about it:

  • 1 Reality is questioned in this 1999 dystopian sci fi blockbuster directed by the Wachowskis, which still has a lasting effect on not only the cinema of today, but on people’s philosophies and world views.
  • 2 The book Neo hides things in is titled Simulacra and Simulations, A theme heavily explored in the film. The idea that we are just living in a simulation and our current reality is not our actual reality. This coupled with the line “do you ever feel like you’re not sure if you’re awake or still dreaming” is a strong introduction to simulation theory. The idea that humans are likely living in an extremely powerful computer program, directed by an entity outside of our physical comprehension. Considering this film came out 1999 at the dawn of the internet and was already dealing with this theme is impressive.
  • 3 The simulated reality of the matrix can be seen as a mirror to not only 1999 but our current world, with people feeling like they’re stuck in a world that they don’t belong in and which feels unreal. Emphasized by the color palette and the production design, we are (as we were back in 1999) stuck in a world that puts monetary gain over all else. It’s no wonder people believe this can’t be our reality.
  • 4 The dichotomy between the red and blue pill is amazing and is still used in metaphorical terms to this day. A choice between a blissfully ignorant “reality” and a painful truth of seeing the world for what it really is.
  • 5 The choice of free will and determinism. Neo’s journey so far has been that of gaining free will in a world that chains us with determinism through vices and distractions.
  • 6 I love that the film uses Alice in Wonderland as a metaphor for the film’s actual reality. Following the white rabbit, the rabbithole, and the actual reality.
  • 7 On a side note, I’d have the biggest existential crisis and panic attack of my fucking life if I watched this movie high 💀
  • 8 Neo waking and seeing the real world, Humans being used as energy sources. From slavery in one world in the form of monetary exploitation through taxes and debt to harvesting the energy from every human being. Same but different.
  • 9 A heap of cyberpunk themes here. The aesthetics of the real world, the ship, hacking, the construct which allows hackers in the simulation to gain enhanced abilities. AI is also a key theme here with it playing the main antagonist
  • 10 Unchecked artificial intelligence grew into something uncontrollable and threw the world into chaos. Without the energy (solar power) from the sun they now use humans for energy sources. Once again for a movie made in 1999 to be dealing with these themes when in 2024 we have the advancements of AI is crazy.

Once again, I’m pretty happy with what I had to say during my live analysis. The dichotomy of the red and blue pill and how that metaphor is still used to this day to describe reality and ignorance. I also love the choice of free will comment I brought up. Once again, this touches on the decisions topic we viewed this film through, and how Neo’s choice to undergo a journey to discover reality, and in turn himself and his place in the world, instead of staying in a blissfully ignorant false reality. Being a huge fan of cinematography and production design, I brought up the colour palette of the film and how it reflects the lifeless nature of the matrix and the way it places profits over all else, just like the current world we live in. I do wish I touched more on the decisions topic and the arguments between free will and determinism, and overall the choices Neo makes but I at touched on the crucial one. The red and blue pill.