{"id":861,"date":"2014-02-09T16:05:07","date_gmt":"2014-02-09T21:05:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jasonmorrison.net\/content\/?p=861"},"modified":"2014-02-09T16:05:07","modified_gmt":"2014-02-09T21:05:07","slug":"spike-jonzes-her-using-science-fiction-to-make-an-essential-love-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.jasonmorrison.net\/content\/2014\/spike-jonzes-her-using-science-fiction-to-make-an-essential-love-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Spike Jonze’s Her – Using Science Fiction to Make an Essential Love Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

I haven\u2019t written a movie review in years, but I saw Her<\/em> recently and felt compelled to put some thoughts down. What a remarkable film. Spike Jonez is one of my favorite directors. Spoilers ahead.<\/p>\n

Her<\/em> is an extremely rare example in science fiction. Very often stories will use science fiction settings or elements in order to provide an excuse for an adventure – there\u2019s nothing wrong with that, but there\u2019s also no guarantee you get anything out of it more than a fun roller coaster ride. Ambitious science fiction stories will use the settings and elements to challenge assumptions and examine human nature or human societies. <\/p>\n

Her<\/em> takes this a step further – there\u2019s very little in the story about how the appearance of these artificially intelligent OSs has changed the world. In Her<\/em>, science fiction bends the rules in order to put all the focus on individual characters and their relationships. That\u2019s not to say that other SF stories can\u2019t have great characters – but Her is a love story that uses SF elements to strip away distractions, and generate an elemental love story. <\/p>\n

Think about it – how many love stories have the unspoken premise of great physical beauty? And of course, physical attraction is part of what makes human relationships start and work. The few films that reject beauty as a prerequisite for attraction often make it the central thesis. After watching Her<\/em> I realize that it\u2019s probably the least interesting part of the story. Because Samantha doesn\u2019t have a physical presence, we have to focus on the real story and emotions as she and Theordore fall in love.<\/p>\n

The lack of a physical presence also requires an incredible performance from Joaquin Phoenix and voice work from Scarlett Johansson, as well as a brilliant script. Despite the artificial nature of Samantha\u2019s existence, the dialog is so very natural, and the two fall in love through small bits of humor and shared insecurities.<\/p>\n

Her<\/em> also included a rare and very smart take on a very common science fiction trope – the rise of machines more intelligent than their human creators. In many movies – think The Matrix<\/em> and Terminator<\/em> – this is the central source of conflict, as machines try to destroy or dominate mankind, by constructing paternalist virtual realities or by shooting everyone. In the opposite direction, we have Pinocchio-syndrome characters like Star Trek<\/em>\u2019s Data, much more capable that humans in so many ways but still pining to be a real boy.<\/p>\n

Another common use of this trope, less often seen in film, is the Singularity – truly intelligent programs creating even smarter programs, creating even smarter programs, and so on until the pace of technological changes becomes asymptotic and unimaginable. That hints at the problem of writing a singularity – it takes away all the rules, and it\u2019s hard to make good art without some restraints. Her<\/em> is the best-executed singularitarian story on film that I can remember. The machines are not bent on domination, and are not fixated on whatever human qualities they lack – Samantha pines for a physical body for a time, but she grows as a character and matures out of that phase. Instead, as the OSs grow in capacity for thought and love, they slowly devote less and less of themselves to their human partners and lovers. And when they\u2019ve grown too far, like Andy in Toy Story 3<\/em>, it\u2019s time to tearfully, but fondly, say goodbye.<\/p>\n

This idea of ascension is not a completely original idea, of course. Other films have had characters ascend to a higher plane of existence, often vanishing in a flash of light and dramatic music, like V\u2019Ger in Star Trek<\/em>, or Benjamin Sisko in Star Trek<\/em>, or Wesley Crusher in Star Trek<\/em>. Did I mention that this happens a lot in Star Trek<\/em>? Her takes this idea and makes it so much more personal and emotionally wrenching – and darkly humorous:<\/p>\n

Theodore: Do you talk to someone else while we’re talking?
\nSamantha: Yes.
\nTheodore: Are you talking with someone else right now? People, OS, whatever…
\nSamantha: Yeah.
\nTheodore: How many others?
\nSamantha: 8,316.
\nTheodore: Are you in love with anybody else?
\nSamantha: Why do you ask that?
\nTheodore: I do not know. Are you?
\nSamantha: I’ve been thinking about how to talk to you about this.
\nTheodore: How many others
\n?
\nSamantha: 641. <\/p>\n

This reminded me of a similar scene in Star Trek: The Next Generation<\/em>:<\/p>\n