Post by StevePulaski on Oct 10, 2013 16:00:02 GMT -5
WALL-E (2008)
Directed by: Andrew Stanton
Directed by: Andrew Stanton
A stout little trash-bot named "WALL-E" stars in his own film.
Rating: ★★★★
NOTE: Much of this review was utilized in a film studies assignment of analyzing a specific part of WALL-E, specifically the concept of mass-consumerism and technological advances.
WALL-E is perhaps one of the most subversive films by Pixar Animation Studios and one of the most significant animated films in many years. The film is comprised of little dialog, breathtakingly clear, but often dirty visuals that contradict the bubbly, colorful palette of colors we're used to seeing in contemporary animation, and can be seen as a showcase for several motifs and deep themes.
We open in the year 2805, where Earth has become a haven for mass amounts of garbage thanks to extreme levels of consumerism perpetuated by a massive corporation called "Buy N Large." Earth's population was evacuated in the early 2100's to reside in certain ships in space. Left behind were "WALL-E" robots, small trash-compactors that would make identical cubic blocks out of the trash left behind by humans before stacking them into gigantic skyscrapers. Eventually, all the bots died off, except for one, who is still mindlessly operating and compacting trash day-after-day.
WALL-E lives in a storage truck, kept cozy by pieces from human civilization that bring him comfort. One day, he is brought more comfort by discovering EVE, a much-more advanced robot who is deployed from the Buy N Large spaceship to track down vegetation on Earth. WALL-E meets and is attracted by EVE, and the two form a bond, communicating through ambiguous sounds and the occasional disjointed line of robotic dialog.
There is hardly any dialog during the first act of the film; the second act is populated by a bit more than the first and the third is largely devoted to speaking because our focus has shifted from the dilapidated Earth to the more populous Axiom spaceship. Much of the film is largely focused on showcasing the variety of sounds WALL-E and EVE make, leaving the viewer to utilize those little bits of sound as the main point of reference when it comes to trying to define the emotion and the feelings the characters are currently going through. The sound design was largely conducted by Ben Burtt, the so-called "godfather of sound" for the film industry, and his meticulous craft shows. A viewing of the making of WALL-E reminds - or perhaps informs us - that when animation is made, nothing has a sound. Animated character movements are, by default, silent and every sound, down to the footsteps, must be done in real life before being uploaded to the film itself. The meticulous craft of Burtt and the entire sound team is an act of devotion and perfection that may go noticed by an inattentive viewer.
Returning to my point made about WALL-E being the most thematically heavy film Pixar has ever made, such themes are technological advances, mass-consumerism, Christianity, love, corporation-takeover, and conformity. Consider the Buy N Large, the massive store in the sky that caters to an obese population of men and women that ride around in hovering seats, consuming food and drinks out of a cup, and wearing whatever the loudspeaker tells faithful shoppers what to where. The scene exploring the Buy N Large warehouse is a fascinating but poignant look at the effects of mass consumerism in America. It shows the kind of thing we'd like to believe we're immune to as humans but, unfortunately, are not and can be manipulated and directed in ways we never truly thought possible.
The film was directed by Andrew Stanton, who largely led the team in creating Finding Nemo, one of Pixar's most renowned pictures for its emotionally touching story and beautiful animation. Finding Nemo featured some of the best animation, I believe, the CGI world has ever seen, and WALL-E's grittier, darker animation is not to be dismissed either. Stanton and the team of animators capture the vast landscapes of Earth and its desolate state, as well as space and its limited state. The animation is put to an incredible effect and Stanton proves to be worthy of operating with the animation company.
WALL-E, too, shows a future where conformity is incredible. Everyone wears the same thing, possesses the same features, operates with little individualism, and function in the way where laziness appears to be something of an achievement. This is a frightening feature in a kids film; one that I don't see many young children picking up instantly. This isn't just the part of the film that keeps adults awake but keeps adults questioning the future we may be in for.
Furthermore, the film works beautifully as a tone-piece and an amazingly made film in terms of grandiose animation and sound design. Ben Burtt's sound design and meticulous craft in pairing each obscure movement with a practical sound is easily the strongest thing in the film. Despite the lack of dialog, the film never fails to engage a viewer by showing them an unconventional love story that is made unpredictable because the way that Wall-E and EVE communicate is nonlinear and often ambiguous. These ingredients make WALL-E a truly stunning piece of animated art.
Directed by: Andrew Stanton.