CLOUD ATLAS,

US, 2012, 172 minutes, Colour.
Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant, Ben Whishaw, Jim Sturgess, Susan Sarandon, Keith David, James D’ Arcy.
Directed by Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski.

First, a warning. As the Warner Bros logo comes up, be aware that you are going to have to focus and concentrate for the next 172 minutes. After introducing us to its six story strands, with dates and places, the film becomes easier to follow as the stories interconnect.

But where to begin a review? A brief synopsis would take more space than an ordinary review! This is a film which blends different movie genres, world history from the 19th century into the far future, a shift from Earth to a far planet, and raises so many questions through its storytelling. There are the perennial themes of love, freedom, identity, boundaries and prejudices, conspiracy, revolution, civilisation and the primitive, good and evil, malice and self-sacrifice.

It is not surprising that many audiences have responded well to this quite epic and spectacular version of the Booker Prize-nominated book (2004) by David Mitchell. It is also not surprising that the film has not done so well at the boc-office, many finding it too hard, and many dismissing it as pretentious. This is not hard to understand. But, this review will be on the side of Cloud Atlas. The stories can stand on their own, but they are intercut throughout the film, often using similar incidents or visual references from one story to the other.

It is fascinating to watch the different stories and the evocation of their period and the use of the familiar movie conventions that have been used to portray these eras. One story is set in 1849 in the Pacific islands and on board a ship going back to America. It shows the capitalist west’s attempts to exploit the natives, even with the help of the missionaries. But, it is also a story of malice, a greedy doctor, treating an ill American on board the ship home. A key character is an islander who has been flogged by his people but has stowed away on the ship. This story looks like one of those historical dramas.

For the 1936 story, set in Edinburgh and Cambridge, there is an enclosed atmosphere reminiscent of the dramas of those days, with a focus on an ambitious young man, a homosexual, who ingratiates himself with a renowned composer and shares his creativity but is denounced by the composer.

There is a 1973 story that looks like one of those conspiracy movies of the time, like The China Syndrome, where a reporter is investigating an energy company that has nuclear plant plans in the context of the fuel crisis of the period. There are chases on the streets of San Francisco as a hired killer pursues the reporter.

When we get to 2012, there is a lighter touch. A thuggish London writer (Ray Winstone-screen-character-type) is drastic in getting rid of an arrogant critic. But, his books become successful and his publisher capitalises on the notoriety – but it backfires when the thug’s family want plenty of royalties and the publisher’s brother interns him in a home for the elderly. There are some comic consequences.

And into the future, the 22nd century, New Seoul, a city which brings to mind the visuals of the underground city in the Matrix series – which is not surprising because the Wachowskis are the directors. This is a dictatorship with a cyborg generation primed to serve the humans. But, revolution is in the air.

And, then, on a galaxy far, far away, survivors of a cataclysm (The Fall), eke out their existence, plagued by a band of gaudily painted but deadly warriors.
Yes, the synopsis needs quite some space.

One of the features of Cloud Atlas, which contributes to the themes, even of reincarnation and déjà vu, is that the main actors take up to half a dozen different roles. It is only at the final credits that we realise that some of the minor characters were played by the main cast, unrecognisable, sometimes crossing race and gender barriers. This is fascinating in itself, but it also raises questions about good and evil, continuity and discontinuity in the behaviour of people throughout history.

Tom Hanks is the principal actor and shows quite vast diversity in his performances: the fearful warrior in the future, the wheedling doctor in the past, a scientist in 1973, the mercenary hotel keeper in the 1930s, several others but an outstanding impersonation with the thug Brit author in 2012. That is the kind of film Cloud Atlas is.

The rest of the cast obviously relish the invitation to be so different in the one film. Hugh Grant has been off-screen for some time, but is cleverly diverse in his roles, from the nuclear executive in 1973 to the mean brother of the 2012 publisher. So is Jim Broadbent who is the 1930s composer as well as the hapless publisher of the present (and the 19th century ship’s captain). Halle Berry has some good opportunities, better than many films she has been in since winning her Oscar in 2001. But, very striking is Hugo Weaving, who has a lot of roles, ranging from the 1973 assassin to the Nurse Rached manager of the home for the elderly and an especially sinister devil character who torments and tests Tom Hanks in the future. Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw, Susan Sarandon and Keith David also have very interesting characters.

So, what is it all about? History, for one. The continuity, the discontinuity, the transitions, even in the 20th century, what is similar, what is different, the wide range of manifestations of good and evil. There is a great deal about freedom, anti-slavery, anti-sexual orientation bigotry, anti-fascist military control, anti-superstition… One character remarks that boundaries are conventions to be crossed. There is a great deal about love, relationships and how necessary they are for any kind of survival.

Obviously, this is a tour-de-force for the two American directors, and Tom Tykwer from Germany. It is visually spectacular with an enormous range of special effects for the different eras (especially for New Seoul). In terms of making actors different in their roles, even disguising them, hair and make-up are admirable.

One of the main difficulties in responding to Cloud Atlas is that it is basically storytelling rather than overt reflection and philosophising. Sometimes we feel we should be ‘thinking through’ what the story means as we watch it, but that takes away from the senses’ and emotional experiences we have. Is it necessary to tease out the intellectual meanings afterwards, or is it better simply to remember the stories, the characters and how we responded as we looked and listened? Something of both?

1. The impact of the film? Themes? Issues? Visual impact? Aural impact?

2. The adaptation of David Mitchell’s novel? Making the literary visual? The arrangement of the stories? Intercutting? Cumulative effect?

3. The scope of the themes: cosmic, historical, philosophical, religious, ethical and moral?

4. The careers of the directors? The interests? Combining for screenplay, musical score, direction? The musical score of the Sextet for Cloud Atlas?

5. The stories in themselves? The sextet? The range of times in history? The stories in themselves, their importance, serious and/or slight? Together, intercut?

6. The editing, the decisions about the connecting of parts, places, motifs, images?

7. The cast, the range of actors, the range of different roles for each? The continuity and the contrast with their characters and performances? Transcending race, transcending gender? The audience absorbing complex issues of humanity, human nature, good and evil?

8. The past, the classic narrative of historical films? The style of the 1930s, more interior, dramatic? The conspiracy thrillers of the 1970s? The modern story, the contemporary tone? The futuristic film, in Korea? The directors and their work on the Matrix series? The future galaxy? A new Genesis? The combined effect of these stories?

9. The line connecting them? Adam’s diary in the 19th century, read during the 1930s, Sixsmith in the 1970s, the niece receiving Frobisher’s letters? Listening to Frobisher’s music in the 21st century? The film of the publisher’s plight in the 22nd century? The future and the holding of the Korean fabricant as a goddess? The nature of this continuity?

10. Love, freedom, truth? Good and evil? Malice and self-sacrifice? Reincarnation, fascism, capitalism, consumerism? Hope? The blend of the serious and the comic?

11. The opening the narration by Tom Hanks as Zachry? Zachry’s story, the story of The Fall, the battle, the inheritance and the grandchildren? Listening to the stories at the end?

12. 1849. The Pacific islands, primitive style, the natives, Maori body decoration, Polynesian? Contracts, the missionaries? U.S. and exploitation? The alleged civilization? Superior attitudes, the meal conversation? The missionary and his wife? Adam and his mission? Adam's health, going to the Doctor, the Doctor willing to help? The treatment? Adam witnessing the whipping? His collapse? The voyage home, the slave stowing away, the captain and his attitude, the sailor and his rifle ready to shoot the stowaway, the captain praising his unfurling the sail? The Doctor and his evil intentions, wanting the gold, poisoning Adam? The stowaway saving Adam? The return to America, the dinner, formalities, the father and his ambitions, Adam burning the contract, leaving San Francisco with his wife, her willingness to defy her father? The classic style of filming, the recreation of the period?

13. The 1930s. An enclosed world, Robert, his relationship with Sixsmith? Homosexuality in this period? Robert escaping through the window, his father disowning him? His writing the letter to his friend? The narration in his letter and voiceover? His going to the composer, the composer's illness, his creativity, admired music? His reading the diary of Adam, but the end missing? The composer's wife, youthful, the sexual relationship? Robert’ downplaying it to his friend? His audition with the composer, being dismissed, playing his melody, their work together? The issue of ownership? The composer denouncing Robert, his sexuality, ridiculing him? Robert and the gun, killing the composer? Taking the music, going to Edinburgh, writing the letter? In the Scott memorial, seeing Sixsmith? His going to his lodgings, the mean-minded manager of the lodgings, the attempted blackmail, finishing the letter, getting in the bath, his comments about suicide and courage, shooting himself? Sixsmith arriving too late?

14. 1973. Luisa, her work as a journalist, the nuclear company, its promotion? Trapped in the elevator, the discussions with Sixsmith? Offering the card? Her investigations, the head of the company, suspicions of her, her searching for evidence? The smooth talking company executive? The call from Sixsmith, his murder, finding the body, the documents? The member of the company who knew her father, his taking her side, the threat of the assassin? The assassin, the car chase through San Francisco, on foot, through the building, the Mexican woman and her resenting being called ‘wetback’, attacking the assassin? Luisa surviving? seeking out of the niece of Sixsmith, getting the documents, giving her the letters? The energy crisis of the time, capitalist conspiracies, the use of violence?

15. 2012. The publisher, the gathering, the superior critic, the thug and his speech, the fight, the critic’s death? The notoriety of the event, many books sold? The thug's family wanting loyalties? The demand and the publisher, his not having the money, phone calls and people refusing? His plea to his brother? The brother and the rivalry? Going to his home, the phone call, being taken to the institution? The nurse, his signing the documents, his room? His learning the truth, his being trapped? The treatment by the staff? Humiliating? The plan and the escape, the threesome, the older man with his ideas, the lady, the Scotsman and his repetition of ‘I know’? The plan, trapping the nurse? The nurse and her being similar to Nurse Rached? Attitude and treatment of the patients? Trapped in the room, using a mobile phone? The guard, closing the gates? Tricking the relatives to come, taking the car, crashing through the gate? Celebrating in the pub? The heavies coming from the institution, the Scotsman rousing the other Scots, their attack on the heavies? The publisher, his memories of the past, the girl that he loved, being found by her parents? And the happy ending with her in old age?

16. 22nd century. New Seoul, the futuristic city, artificial, dark, night lights, transport? The military government? The archivist and his interrogation of the fabricant? The manufacture of the fabricants, their being replicants, their role in society, pandering to humans and the wealthy, sensuality, being put down here for rebellious behaviour, destroyed? The story of the fabricant, her encounter with the leader of the revolution? The action sequences, walking across heights from building to building, the weapons, her reliance on the leader, rescuing her several times, their love? His taking her to see the general? The explanation of the situation? The opposition, the military, the death of the general, the death of the leader? Her being taken, interrogated, explaining revolution to the archivist? Being taken to her death, the recycling of the fabricants and their being fed to their successors, her telling the archivist that he knew the truth?

17. Zachry in the future, the attack by the painted warriors, his inability to save the boy, his shame? The arrival of the Prescient, her knowledge and powers, her stories from the past, the survivors of The Fall? The memories of the leadership of the fabricant, her speeches on the television screen? Zachry and his being tormented by Old George, a devil figure? The prescient woman and her saving the group, the deal with Zachary, his taking her to the mountain, the climb, the dangers, the risks, their arriving at the top, finding the remnants of the plant, the past technology? The raids, the painted warriors? Zachry and finding his wife dead, his grief, the appearances of Old George? Taking a stand with the woman, their skill in destroying the raiders? Cutting the throat of the warrior? Survival?

18. Zachry as grandfather, the woman as grandmother, the children listening to the stories, asking where Earth was? The images of the galaxy? Zachry’s final comments about stories?

19. The overall impact of the film and what the audience took from it?