Oblivion (2013)

nTitle: Oblivion (2013)

nDirector: Joseph Kosinski

nCast: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, AndreanRiseborough

nReview:

nJoseph Kosinski proved himself to be a very stylish directornwith great command over the look and design of a film with TRON: Legacy (2010)na film that at first I wasn’t a big fan of, but has sense grown on me. There’snjust no denying its visual splendor and the awesomeness of the designs involvednin that picture. The look of the sets, the vehicles…the wardrobe, there’s nondenying it all looks very slick, very avant garde. So of course, I wasnextremely curious for his sophomore project, the sci-fi film Oblivion, a film thatnfirst started out as a graphic novel written by Kosinski that never got printed. Still, he used that unprinted graphic novel as a sales pitch to studios. Disney didn’t bite (they wanted the film to be PG) but Universal did. So as you can see, we’rentalking about an extremely talented individual here. This Kosinski guy isn’tnjust any run of the mill director, he not only writes graphic novels, andndirects films, he’s also got a background in 3-D architectural design, whichnprobably explains why the sets on his films look so freaking awesome andnfuturistic. It’s pretty obvious that Kosinski siphons all that knowledge intonthe look of his films. What worries some people is that his films might benstronger on the visual department then on the story or depth department, isnthis true?

nWell, if TRON: Legacy and Oblivion are any indications,nKosinski’s films are solid on both counts, visual and thematic. TRON: Legacynwas a film that criticized oppressive governments that want to turn everyoneninto a robot in their attempts at creating a “perfect society”. This is nonlight subject matter; in fact, films of this nature have a strong subversiventone to them. I included TRON: Legacy in an article I wrote about SubversiveCinema a while back. Actually TRON even went as far as commenting on how thensystem controls the media, the entertainment of the people in order to send outna certain message or point of view. Oblivion is the same type of subversivenfilm, it hits on the system and the way things are set in our way of life. Sonif you ask me, Kosinski is setting a patter as a subversive filmmaker, which isnsomething I love. You gotta have guts to stand up to the system and tell itnlike it is in this world. Too often people prefer to live life ignoring thenrealities of the world we live in and “not asking too many questions”. So thisnisn’t just an empty special effects heavy film that looks pretty. Nope, this isnthe kind of film that says hell yeah ask questions! In fact, ask as many as younhave to and get to the truth. Look at the other side of the coin, not just thenside “they” show you.

nFirst up we meet Jack and Victoria, a couple which typifiesnthe American marriage. Victoria for all intents and purposes is the house wifenwho stays at home while the man, played by Tom Cruise, goes out to get the jobndone. Their purpose is to be “an effective team” in service to the system sonthey can retire and go on to live in paradise, enjoy the good life. This couplenhas all the comforts of modern technology, but no connection with nature or thenplanet they live in. In this way Kosinski comments on how technology has distancednus from the finer, simpler pleasures that our world offers us like sitting on anfield of grass, basking in the sun, listening to good music, reading a good book.nJack is a character who longs for these things in a world that denies them tonhim. The system wants to keep him busy, producing, being “effective”, whilentruthfully, Jack longs for baseball games and a homey, warm cabin by the lake. Henwants to live life next to his loved one. In this sense, Oblivion reallynconnected with me and my personal view of life. I, like Jack, and many of younout there I’m sure, long for a life with less buildings, less cars, lessnmachines and more contact with nature, more freedom to enjoy the wonders thisnworld holds for us. But getting the “job done” and surviving in this worldnalways gets in the way.

nBut there are lies in this world. This is one of those filmsnin which the main character is not who he thinks he is, his entire life is anlie. There’s a bunch of these movies out there that have a main character whosenwhole life is a lie. I’m doing an article on these types of films so keep anneye out for that, but basically, the message is that you are being lied to bynthe system, and when I say the system, I mean the powers that be, the media,nthe government, the big companies that rule everything, big money, the man, younknow what I’m talking about. It’s the idea that we’ve been taught one thing,nwhen in reality, things are entirely another way. Take for example the idea ofngod, as the being who created us, religion as a whole. Is it all real, the ideanof an old man floating up in heaven, sitting on a golden throne room with anbunch of angels flying around singing songs to him? The film also addressesnthis issue, and blasts it into Oblivion. This is a film that is tired of thenlies, and wants to unmask them, it longs to unmask the powers that be and shownthem for what they are.

nTake for example war, and the way the media will immediatelynmake you think that people from a certain country are evil or your enemies. I’vennever agreed with this because there is a distinct difference that we as peoplenneed to realize, governments are not the same as the people they rule.nSometimes a government will do something which its people do not agree with, butnwe cannot vilify an entire ethnicity, an entire country for the madness thatntheir government commits. Oblivion speaks of these themes saying if we look atnthings closer, if we search for the details, for the truth, we’ll realize thatnwe are them, and they are us. Like that scene in Stanley Kubrick’s Full MetalnJacket (1987) where two enemies at war with each other, end up in close hand tonhand combat and end up looking at each other in the eyes and suddenly realize: whatnare we doing here? Why are we killing each other? Who has programmed us and putnus here? Most of the time, soldiers gonto a war and they don’t even know why they are there, same as the character ofnJack in Oblivion, who does his job, but doesn’t even know for what purpose. He’snjust here to get the job done. Like a soldier who simply follows orders, without knowing why he’s doing what he’s doing.
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nAs you can see, Oblivion is a pretty deep movie. Yet, itsnstrength in design is not to be ignored. I mean, visually, conceptually, thenfilm is a wonder. Hell, yes, this movie is cool looking! I personally enjoyednthese robot drones that appear on the film, they look so robotic, and thensounds these robots emit make them come off as so evil, so cold and inhuman! I’mnpretty sure this is exactly what they aimed to project with these drones and innmy book they achieved it. True, Oblivion does have themes and situations thatnwill remind you of other sci-fi films you have seen. Some moments reminded menof The Matrix (1999) and The Terminator (1984) others of Wall-E (2008) andnIndependence Day (1996). It even pays homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1969) innsome points, but at the same time, Oblivion is a film that gives you lot’s ofnsurprises, new ideas and twists keep popping up all the time, so while it doesnhave similarities with older films, it keeps things interesting and flowing.nThis was a well made movie, it’s brainy, intelligent sci-fi, with greatneffects, great moments of action, and heavy themes. A grade A sci-fi film with anrebellious streak to it and lot’s to say, highly recommended.