In Praise of Alex Garland's (Cerebral) Sci-fi Chamber Piece: Ex Machina
Written & Edited by: Lee Fenton
I’m a sucker for a good arthouse film.
‘Ex Machina’ is definitely that – and much more.
Directed by Alex Garland in 2015, this feature is an introspection on life, love, and creation; through the lens of artificial intelligence. With all the recent advancements in AI – I figured it was time to cover a fine piece of filmmaking that takes an in-depth look at the concept of synthetically created people.
Once relegated to science fiction; the creation of “Turing tested” androids now seems like a distinct possibility – in the years to come. As of late, every company has begun to invest in AI Language Models, Automated Processes (driver assist, autopilot, Amazon’s Just Walk Out), and fully autonomous robots for personal and commercial use. The rate at which ‘Moore’s Law’ is now compounding means that our ability to create AI has exponentially increased. [see below]
Movies and television shows like: ‘The Matrix’, ‘Terminator’, ‘Westworld’, Stephen Spielberg’s ‘Artificial Intelligence‘, ‘The Creator’, ‘I, Robot’, ‘2001 a Space Odyssey’, and ‘Blade Runner’ – to name a few – are becoming increasingly relevant day by day. Their pertinence in light of recent funding for AI based military applications and the aforementioned advancements, is only becoming greater.
Just type flamethrower robot dog into google, you’ll see what I mean.
‘Ex Machina’ has a lot to say about the hierarchical nature of society and how it subsequently affects our sense of right and wrong. Ethics vs scientific advancement is an ever present theme in the film. The plot craftily relies on an opaque narrative to obfuscate the true antagonist of the film. This is a risky inversion; yet it pays off by the end. Ultimately who the “villain” is, is left up to interpretation. The young, hot-shot programmer – Kyle certainly fits as the protagonist – but whether you side with AVA over her creator Nathan is left completely up to you (the viewer). And Nathan, the genius tech mogul who built AVA – also seems likely to bring about his own downfall through callousness and over-confidence. His arrogance blinds him from the seriousness of creating a new lifeform; the ramifications – ethical and otherwise.
Here are a few points on what makes ‘Ex Machina’ such a mesmerizing example of cinema.
-Dialogue elevates the piece, allowing for audience suspension of disbelief. Oscar Issac leads the chamber piece, both actors play well off of each other.
-Nothing is wasted on-screen; everything has a purpose. Chekov’s gun is present in the film. When something is center frame – you are meant to dwell on the meaning of the object present. A Jackson Pollock painting is discussed by the characters; automatic action with a level of consciousness is the method Pollack applied; fugue state. This allows for contemplation on pre-determinism vs free will. Later the painting is focused on by the protagonist & the viewer, illustrating the overarching theme of “qualifying sentience”.
-Framing is sublime; everything of importance is center screen, symmetry is used in the placement of actors, mise-en-scene, etc
-Scoring is synced perfectly to the mood/emotion. Elicits mystery when needed, at other times hopefulness, dread, eeriness, etc. The music accompanies the plot & propels the story forward.
-The moments of intimacy between the protagonist and AVA are solidly constructed; chemistry is felt with a mix of trepidation.
-Landscape sequences are magnificent and majestic. Panoramic-anamorphic lenses were used for these breathtaking sequences. My knowledge on lenses and video cameras is still somewhat limited, but if you would like to know a bit more visit the link below:
“The movie Ex Machina, released in 2014 and directed by Alex Garland, was shot on digital using GoPro HD Hero3 Camera, Sony CineAlta F65 Camera, Sony PMW-F55 Camera and Angenieux Optimo Zoom Lenses, Panavision Cooke Xtal Xpress (Joe Dunton Camera Millenium Anamorphic) Lenses” [2]
shotonwhat.com
Oscar Isaac turns in a performance that is exhilarating due to his understated expression of megalomania. The narcissism that Nathan (Isaac) presents is insidiously attractive for the first half of the film. He embodies the “Sigma Male” in his pursuit of longevity, genius, and a self applied “Vitruvian” physical regimen. This showcases the pervasiveness of misogyny when presented in an individual that is both brilliant and enviable.
Domhnall Gleeson’s unassuming charisma is put to excellent use in ‘Ex Machina’. His ability to “under-act” in a naturalistic way is impressive and beneficial to the character. Kyle’s loneliness is construed in a believable manner; a combination of superiority and aloofness that comes off just right. Introversion is a very apparent part of Kyle’s personality and his longing for connection is assumedly what drives him to excel in programming – while simultaneously keeping him isolated from other people.
It is very apt, then, that he falls in love with a physical personification of software; a digital homunculus that shares his social abjection.
If Domhnall Gleeson was a less talented actor, he wouldn’t have pulled it off.
Alicia Vikander’s subtle facial expressions fully display her character’s emotional core; the actress must have done some serious searching to be able to convey such intimacy through body language. Her voice acting is quasi-neutral – conveying her synthetic nature – a common decision for cinematic representations of androids. There are almost unnoticeable variations in her tone/register which really solidifies Vikander’s ability for nuanced vocals. As far as hard sci-fi love interests go – her portrayal of AVA stands side-by-side with the best:
‘Solaris’ (2002), ‘Her’ (2013), and ‘Gattaca’ (1997), all honourable mentions in this category.
A relatively unknown actor, Alicia Vikander’s AVA is brought to life in a way that is truly innovative.
‘Ex Machina’ has truly awe inspiring visual motifs.
It was only upon my last rewatch – that I realized a blatant visual representation of Plato’s ‘Allegory of the Cave’ exists in the final moments of the film.
***Spoiler warning*** Okay, you’ve been warned. ***Spoilers ahead***
After AVA has successfully escaped the research facility – we find her in a city – making good on her dream of visiting a street corner to observe people experiencing their day-to-day lives. The filmmaker chose to frame the shadowplay of people walking instead of focusing on the people themselves, lingering on the shot, until AVA’s shadow arrives – framed in the bottom/center of the screen. Then we switch to a shot of AVA watching from an overpass (or veranda?) above the crowded square. She is finally seeing the “real people” instead of the “shadows from the cave” that she was once limited to.
Seeing as Plato’s ‘Allegory of the Cave’ is intrinsically linked to the idea of free will vs determinism – it doesn’t seem a long stretch that Garland would throw this motif in. If you view the final scene in ‘Ex Machina’, and don’t agree – that’s fine, but I am fairly certain that’s what the director was going for.
Earlier in the motion picture, there’s a section of dialogue that references “Mary in the White & Black Room”, a thought experiment proposed by Frank Jackson (Famous Philosopher & Professor at ANU); a much more stringent and scientific take on Plato’s philosophical exercise. Even more accurately – it is a modern day evolution of the millenia old thought exercise.
“The knowledge argument (also known as Mary's Room or Mary the super-scientist) is a philosophical thought experiment proposed by Frank Jackson in his article "Epiphenomenal Qualia" (1982) and extended in "What Mary Didn't Know" (1986).
The experiment describes Mary, a scientist who exists in a black-and-white world where she has extensive access to physical descriptions of color, but no actual perceptual experience of color. Mary has learned everything there is to learn about color, but she has never actually experienced it for herself. The central question of the thought experiment is whether Mary will gain new knowledge when she goes outside of the colorless world and experiences seeing in color.
The experiment is intended to argue against physicalism—the view that the universe, including all that is mental, is entirely physical. Jackson says that the "irresistible conclusion" is that "there are more properties than physicalists talk about." Jackson would eventually call himself a physicalist and say, in 2023, "I no longer accept the argument" though he still feels that the argument should be "addressed really seriously if you are a physicalist."[1]
The debate that emerged following its publication became the subject of an edited volume—There's Something About Mary (2004)—which includes replies from such philosophers as Daniel Dennett, David Lewis, and Paul Churchland.” - [3] Wikipedia/Youtube
Alex Garland boasts an impressive oeuvre – which includes an equal amount of writing credits and directorial efforts. His body of work consists of five directing efforts and five scripts; making ten films in total; an eclectic collection of independent projects, ranging from gritty action flicks like ‘Dredd’ and ‘28 Days Later’ to cerebral thrillers that lend themselves to analysis and intellectual discussion, like ‘Ex Machina’, ‘Sunshine’ and ‘Men’.
His recent release ‘Civil War’ is a polarizing film, it was released under A24, a relatively smaller production company that Garland has worked with in the past. So far the reception has been positive (70% on RottenTomatoes) and the box office return is adequate. The movie tells a “what-if” scenario of the near future and how political tensions in the United States of America could lead to a violent conflict between US citizens.
The special FX and cinematography in ‘Ex Machina’ are bar none, some of the best I’ve seen in any independent film. Just impeccable.
‘The Creator’ tried to recently recapture the aesthetic and improve upon it – failing miserably in the process. That film “put the cart before the horse” in some respects; forgetting to craft an eloquent and compelling story, and instead relying on cheap visual gimmicks and expensive CGI. Yes, most people agree that the obviously stunning part of Alex Garland’s sci-fi meditation on AI is the look of AVA and how well it (the CGI) meshes with the rest of the world. This is a similar situation to ‘District 9’, it looks amazing but the real genius is in the world building and plot structure, as well as acting, pacing, scoring, and all the other facets that make an overall product enjoyable.
Thank god, Alex Garland gets this.
No “deus ex machina” required.
RATING:
9.5/10
Serve with brown rice and mineral water. Detox all that vodka.
___________
Sources:
[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore%27s_law#:~:text=In%201975%2C%20looking%20forward%20to,known%20as%20a%20%22law%22.
[2]https://shotonwhat.com/ex-machina-2015#:~:text=The%20movie%20Ex%20Machina%2C%20released,Hardy%20as%20cinematographer%20and%20editing
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_argument#cite_note-1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdTSymICyf4
Want to learn more about Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”?
Moore’s Law CAGR:
“In 1975, looking forward to the next decade, he revised the forecast to doubling every two years, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 41%. While Moore did not use empirical evidence in forecasting that the historical trend would continue, his prediction has held since 1975 and has since become known as a "law".” [1] -WIkipedia
