In film production, there are various concerns that the producers must consider in order to effectively send the message to the target audience. Of course there must be an interesting story which is well plotted to keep the viewer in edge but the producers must also remember to provide a proper setting that will convince the viewers that the story is credible. More so, the acting performances and the director’s style are important in ensuring that the films produced will captivate the audience enough to remain yearning for more. A review of Alex Garland’s debut film titled Ex Machina produced in 2014 reveals that misce-en-scene is very important because the viewers depend on what they can see to relate with the storyline.
Mise-en scene interprets the visual theme and involves the arrangement of the scenery and the props incorporated. It is the location of the action and everything that the viewers can see on the frame. Even without the audio enhancements, the viewer can interpret what a character is doing to understand the story. In the scene where Caleb becomes suspicious that he could be an android like Kyoko, for example, he uses a knife to check whether he is really human. A viewer does not require audio explanation for what is going on and can understand the protagonist’s indifference and dilemma.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Ex Machina dwells on the issue of human-robot interactions and the director has ensured that the viewer is furnished evidence that will help in differentiating them. The act of Caleb cutting himself, for example, is a proof to both the protagonist and the viewers that he is human. This is a good move because hybrid robots are being produced to resemble humans in appearance and consciousness. These robots are referred to as humanoids. Caleb did not know that Kyoko was a humanoid until Nathan told him. All the same as Caleb is introduced to the robots, the viewer can make out their unique characteristics where there are light flashes in their ‘heads’ and ‘bodies.’
Sometimes the director will make use of certain props that will highlight a character personality as a feature of the cinematic language. Nathan’s drunkenness, for example, leaves the viewer concerned about the effectiveness of his judgment. Every time he is presented holding a bottle, the viewers is left to question whether he ever sobers up. This will further explain Ava’s warning to Caleb that Nathan is not to be trusted. As the project owner, it would have been better if he was not cruel to the robots. But his unfeeling nature attract resentment from Caleb and robots alike.
Lighting is another element of the cinematic language that the director has extensively employed to communicate the visual message to the consumer. At the scene where Nathan invites Caleb to the table for a toast to their endeavor, the setting is dimly lit as it would be the case in a dinner setting. It informs the reader that the relationship between the two is more than employer-employee. At the scene where Nathan informs Caleb that Kyoko only understands dancing, the music is accompanied by a change from normal light to red lights and disco lights as should be the case in a discotheque. Special lighting to communicate to the viewer’s eye appears to be Garland’s style such that the viewer will always refer to the lighting transition for interpretation.
The film is an eye opener to a future where man’s intelligence might end up being the weapon he uses in his self destruction. As the film ends, it is the robots that triumph both physically and intellectually. Ava has fitted perfectly in the crowds and is capable of interacting with them like a real human. It is also able to fix itself and survive in a world where it will be generalized as a ‘she.’ Eventually, it appears that the robots will gather all the intelligence that there is and use it against humans. It is also apparent that the robots may take revenge on humans because they have not taken their confinement kindly.
The question of trust in human and amongst humans is also an issue that the film seeks to address while exalting artificial intelligence. Nathan has been presented to highlight man’s selfishness such that they will strive to maintain the status they want whether or not it hurts others. The idea of erasing a robot’s memory because of its smooth interaction with humans is cruel and an act of jealous. The idea of robots hitting back is understandable because they have been furnished with intelligence to know that there is more out there. Theirs, therefore, is a fight for freedom while man merely confines them to serve selfish interests. The film thus reminds man remain morally upright or else he is doomed to be overrun by artificial intelligence.
The director’s style is quite interesting especially in the use of light for visual communication. His recognition that audio accompaniment is not enough to tell the story, and that the films are made to be watched before they are consumed in other ways makes him a great director whose fans will have something to look out for in the films that follow. His story should also be taken as a reminder to man that artificial intelligence may end up presenting unpleasant situations. It calls for control on the amount of intelligence that the robot is instilled with.
