HUMANITY AND TECHNOLOGY – THE MOVIES

Hello there…I’ve been watching a lot of films, in advance of the Awards season.   Although I basically am against pitting talent against talent in this way, it does make for an interesting time.   I think most women watch the awards shows for the clothes and that many men may not want to bother, however I do think the advance of the technology and the action stuff often interests them.

THE REVENANT
Copyright © 2015 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. THE REVENANT Motion Picture Copyright © 2015 Regency Entertainment (USA), Inc. and Monarchy Enterprises S.a.r.l. All rights reserved.Not for sale or duplication.

THE REVENANT is an extraordinary film and beautifully made…what actors and crew sometimes go through to get that perfection!   You can’t begin to imagine…  I have done a bit myself…we endured bitter, damp cold in Ireland making THE LION IN WINTER and the Director Tony Harvey, (on the right) insisted that the air conditioning be kept on full blast on stage, in the middle of winter.  The castles were very cold and drafty  in 1186, hence the wearing of cloaks inside and out.   There were no windows, just open gaps and outside,  when filming,we had handwarmers, (like little Zippo cigarette lighters) which Katharine Hepburn supplied, bless her…always caring for her co-workers like children.  I don’t believe THE REVENANT had such a fairy godmother and it seems that the actors and crew endured unbelievably harsh conditions, it’s a miracle that they did not lose Leonardo DiCaprio in the making of it…submerged in icy water, eating raw meat and sub zero temperatures.   I know one or two actors who would have politely declined and let their doubles and stunt doubles get on with it.  It does look very beautiful and I understand it was all shot with natural light….courtesy of Academy Award Winning DP: Emmanuel Lubezki,  so at least the poor “sparks”  (electricians)  did not have to haul massive arc lamps around and no-one had to worry about a noisy generator interfering with sound.  Some of the crew must have liked the Director  Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, despite putting them through such a tough shoot.  It’s a survival story and a very human one, we see the very best and the very worst of human nature.

In complete contrast EX-MACHINA is all about Artificial Intelligence, with the beautiful talented Alicia Vikander, playing an Android and how, before too long we humans will be surplus to requirements, which I find rather depressing.   Oh I know the technology is exciting and fascinating.   I just don’t understand why we want to re-create, what is already a perfect blueprint.   Cheap labour?  Slavery?  Perfect relationships? Perfect sex?  ..all too boring to me.  I watched the fascinating LISTEN TO ME MARLON the documentary about the extraordinary actor, Marlon Brando, which starts with him warning us actors that we should be prepared to give it all up, as films will be made with digitally created performances in the future.  Where’s the humanity, will you change our eyes (the soul of performance) digitally?? Directors, Editors….in my humble opinion it cant really be done.  I have this discussion often with many of the young film makers, I work with now.  Time will tell.

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, Marlon Brando, 1951