Talking To The Screen
Waking Life :2001
'Waking Life' was claimed by all indie movie lovers to be the most underrated movie of
the year. In my opinion it was the most overrated movie of the year. Remember how
some people loved 'Blair Witch' and others just didn't get the hype? Well that's how I
feel about 'Waking Life'. What's everybody so excited about? I'll explain.
'Waking Life' is basically a series of vignettes, about a dozen of them, that follow a main character through a series of dreamscapes, in which he interacts with a variety of characters. The central theme to all of these is the lucid dream. A lucid dream is a dream in which an individual is aware that they are dreaming, and due to that, have the power to shape the reality in which they exist (until they wake up). Lucid dreams do exist, and can in fact be stimulated in experimental conditions.
The most striking feature of 'Waking Life' is the fact that it is animated. Bob Sabiston developed a program that constructs an animation based on film images. It looks as if you traced over a photograph. At points in the film the visuals look nearly photo- realistic, at others they look completely cartoon-y. Also, as the film is all animated, Richard Linklater (director/writer) has a lot of artistic freedom to play with the visual elements of his dreamscapes.
These two elements, the animation and the captivating theme, should be enough to guarantee an enjoyable film. However, Linklater seems to have forgotten something here. A story. A hook to keep the viewer involved from one vignette to the next. For the first two-thirds of the film, the protagonist doesn't talk, so he's not going to do it. The scenes have one quality in common (apart from the reality/perception/lucid dream theme); they all sound like one half of a conversation you have with one of your stoner friends. It's absolutely brilliant and engaging at the time. (Because you're high too.) But if you stop and actually think about what's being said, you find it's just circular psuedo- philosophical dribble.
There are, however, some truly brilliant moments in the film. I still think about the last scene from time to time. It really captured my imagination. However, it's all based on a quote?someone else's idea, not Linklater's. Also the scene about the 'god moment' is a really nice comment on spirituality and the divine. Beyond that there's some animated, but mostly uninspired commentary and synthesis of philosophy that Linklater read in preparation for writing the film.
I don't exactly recommend 'Waking Life' but it does have its merits. Visually, it's very exciting. In terms of content...well...it falls short.
'Waking Life' is basically a series of vignettes, about a dozen of them, that follow a main character through a series of dreamscapes, in which he interacts with a variety of characters. The central theme to all of these is the lucid dream. A lucid dream is a dream in which an individual is aware that they are dreaming, and due to that, have the power to shape the reality in which they exist (until they wake up). Lucid dreams do exist, and can in fact be stimulated in experimental conditions.
The most striking feature of 'Waking Life' is the fact that it is animated. Bob Sabiston developed a program that constructs an animation based on film images. It looks as if you traced over a photograph. At points in the film the visuals look nearly photo- realistic, at others they look completely cartoon-y. Also, as the film is all animated, Richard Linklater (director/writer) has a lot of artistic freedom to play with the visual elements of his dreamscapes.
These two elements, the animation and the captivating theme, should be enough to guarantee an enjoyable film. However, Linklater seems to have forgotten something here. A story. A hook to keep the viewer involved from one vignette to the next. For the first two-thirds of the film, the protagonist doesn't talk, so he's not going to do it. The scenes have one quality in common (apart from the reality/perception/lucid dream theme); they all sound like one half of a conversation you have with one of your stoner friends. It's absolutely brilliant and engaging at the time. (Because you're high too.) But if you stop and actually think about what's being said, you find it's just circular psuedo- philosophical dribble.
There are, however, some truly brilliant moments in the film. I still think about the last scene from time to time. It really captured my imagination. However, it's all based on a quote?someone else's idea, not Linklater's. Also the scene about the 'god moment' is a really nice comment on spirituality and the divine. Beyond that there's some animated, but mostly uninspired commentary and synthesis of philosophy that Linklater read in preparation for writing the film.
I don't exactly recommend 'Waking Life' but it does have its merits. Visually, it's very exciting. In terms of content...well...it falls short.