Not long ago my husband and I watched the last film in the Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy trilogy (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight). We found these films to be incredibly captivating despite the fact that they are almost exclusively dialogue-based.
Her is, of course, a very different kind of animal. But it’s similar to the former in that the whole film portrays a dialogue between Theodore (a human being) and Samantha (an Operating System). So I was surprised to find myself becoming distracted through parts of it, and losing interest. When trying to understand the reason, I realized that for me, the interaction between Delpy and Hawke is what made the films. Their words, yes, but also their expressions, their body language, their chemistry, their laughter, their humanity…
First things first: I think Her is brave in predicting the technology to come. It was very interesting to see the keyboard disappear. However, though I imagine voice recognition will become more and more common, I wonder if having no keyboards would work in open-concept office environments where workers are seated very close to one another. I also wonder about this usage in any sort of public setting. If everyone were talking to their computer, it would get very loud and distracting, not to mention privacy would be compromised.
It was also fascinating to watch Theodore play 3D video games that simulate real-life. It made me wonder if I will experience this very “real” video game format in my lifetime, and what that might mean for someone who is playing a game that involves violence, for instance.
As for Samantha…I found her charming, and it was great fun hearing an operating system speaking so casually and spontaneously. I can see how anyone could, like Theodore, temporarily fool himself into thinking she is relatable on a human level. But as we see throughout the film, even the smartest coding is still coding. Samantha, although she has “emotions”, can read a book in two seconds and can compose music, still understands her own limitations. We are human not just because we can make witty remarks, but because we come from other humans before us, because we have families and pasts and experiences. It is human to want to feel a loved one in your arms and see them smile. All of the things that we prize most as human beings just aren’t to be found in an OS. Though technology can do many things, especially as we move forward, I think this film is a reminder of how sad life can be when we want technology to fix problems that are not within its scope.
Her is, of course, a very different kind of animal. But it’s similar to the former in that the whole film portrays a dialogue between Theodore (a human being) and Samantha (an Operating System). So I was surprised to find myself becoming distracted through parts of it, and losing interest. When trying to understand the reason, I realized that for me, the interaction between Delpy and Hawke is what made the films. Their words, yes, but also their expressions, their body language, their chemistry, their laughter, their humanity…
First things first: I think Her is brave in predicting the technology to come. It was very interesting to see the keyboard disappear. However, though I imagine voice recognition will become more and more common, I wonder if having no keyboards would work in open-concept office environments where workers are seated very close to one another. I also wonder about this usage in any sort of public setting. If everyone were talking to their computer, it would get very loud and distracting, not to mention privacy would be compromised.
It was also fascinating to watch Theodore play 3D video games that simulate real-life. It made me wonder if I will experience this very “real” video game format in my lifetime, and what that might mean for someone who is playing a game that involves violence, for instance.
As for Samantha…I found her charming, and it was great fun hearing an operating system speaking so casually and spontaneously. I can see how anyone could, like Theodore, temporarily fool himself into thinking she is relatable on a human level. But as we see throughout the film, even the smartest coding is still coding. Samantha, although she has “emotions”, can read a book in two seconds and can compose music, still understands her own limitations. We are human not just because we can make witty remarks, but because we come from other humans before us, because we have families and pasts and experiences. It is human to want to feel a loved one in your arms and see them smile. All of the things that we prize most as human beings just aren’t to be found in an OS. Though technology can do many things, especially as we move forward, I think this film is a reminder of how sad life can be when we want technology to fix problems that are not within its scope.