Cloud Atlas is a film that defies adequate description. I can’t say whether one will like or dislike it as it is beyond the goal of approval. Without trying to sound overly dramatic, it is one of the most incredible epic spectacles I have ever seen. That being said, I’m not even sure if I will ever see it again. It’s not a film that requires a second viewing as I think one will become more lost as they try to figure it out further. I’m not even sure if my review will do it justice, because it is like nothing I have ever seen produced. I now view the Wachowski brothers (well brother and sister) and Tom Tykwer, who all directed this film, as true artists and genius visionaries.
If you read the various audience reviews, you see a lot of anger. Confusion breeds frustration. This is not a film for someone going in expecting a nice understandable linear story. It is a non-linear 3 hour epic pondering on the nature of karmic existent or in other words; the Meaning of Life. I say this knowing full well how pretentious that sounds. This film reminds me of the intellectual version of those 3-D computer generated images where you can’t see the form until you stop trying to see the picture and just let your eyes go. Once you are able to do that the picture begins to appear, but always seems elusive. Apply that same concept to one’s attempt to understand this film. Just let go and enjoy the ride.
If I must condense this film to a description, I will say that it is an examination on how we are all connected and the actions of kindness or menace by an individual will cause ripples that can be felt across generations and impact lives in the past, present, and future. It is also an exercise in Karma as it shows that we are destined, across lives, to repeat mistakes until we make the choice to learn from them even if we aren’t conscious of the lesson. The film features 6 intertwined vignettes starting from the 1800’s and going so far into the future that we can barely understand the concepts being discussed. We witness everything from a dying man on a frigate in the South Seas to a reporter uncovering a story in 1970‘s San Francisco. We witness a servant clone who yearns for freedom in a japanese anime style version of the future in a place call neo-Seoul. We view even farther into the future where mankind has reverted back to savagery and speak of things we barely understand. What they all have in common are people seeking to escape oppression and having their lives profoundly affected by acts of kindness. Even when we don’t understand the nature of what they are talking about, we understand the universal yearning for freedom and kindness.
Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Hugh Grant, Jim Sturgess, and Xun Zhou appear as people of different races, ages, nationalities, and even sexes (sometimes they are not even human) as we see them in their different incarnations across time. The make up special effects are so incredible and the acting is so good that one doesn’t always realize which actor is which. We see the soul of one man transformed across time from a killer to a man who finds salvation through his choices. He reaches a symbolic Nirvana as the film progresses. Others have their own spiritual journeys, both positive and negative, and it is up to the viewer to determine what it means. I was not always sure what the commonality or connecting thread was, but there were deja-vu moments and connection throughout, whether it’s a reoccurring birthmark or a melody that strikes a chord of recognition.
I think the worst thing a viewer can do is go in and try to figure the film out. Much like the 3-D images, you will only become more frustrated the harder you concentrate. Let go and live the film moment to moment. I was never once bored during the 3 hour marathon. I was riveted as each scene unfolded and just enjoyed the spectacle as it revealed itself. Go to a coffee house afterward and try to piece the meaning together. Don’t worry, the film will be mulling in your head for hours if not days afterward. This is why philosophical art house discussions were made. You will be able to endlessly quote any philosopher you want as I’m sure something they said will apply to this meditation on the meaning of life.
I’m not going to recommend this movie to anyone as I understand why this would not be many people’s cup of tea. If you think you can intellectually let yourself go over a course of 3 hours without an obvious path for your mind to travel down, then you may be profoundly affected by this film. I truly believe you have to see this in a theatre as it is the only way to become lost in the spectacle. Regardless, it is a magnificent piece of film making. One that has moved me more than any film in my recent memory.
I give this film ***** stars (the most I’ve ever given).
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