Her : Falling in Love with Artificial
Intelligence
By Nicholas Hitchen, Justine Beghuin, Megan Booler & Sharita Dooprajh
Here is a link to view the trailer for this film:
Title: Her
Year Made: 2013
Director: Spike Jonze
Screenwriter: Spike Jonze
Lead Actors: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson
Run Time: 2 hours and 6 minutes
Summary, Film Techniques & Themes
The film Her follows the life of Theodore, a writer in the near future.
He has recently broken up with his wife Catherine and is sad about life.
He is unable to make himself sign the divorce papers, until he falls in love
with a woman named Samantha, a computer operating system (OS1).
A relationship between Theodore and Samantha forms, until one day all
artificial intelligence from OS1 leaves and Theodore is left alone again.
To help him get through this and other challenges. Theodore relies on his friend Amy.
Film techniques are crucial in movies to show important messages
but also are so important to make the viewer have a better and deeper
understanding certain aspects of a film. In the film, point of view editing
is seen after Theodore has escorted the women that was supposed to act
as Samantha’s body for sex to a taxi and is left on the curb. After this occurs,
we see Theodore’s point of view as he looks at various objects/people in the
street including a manhole with steam coming out of it, a women walking, etc.
By showing us that Theodore is looking specifically at material based things,
we can assume the purpose to be that Theodore is having doubts towards his
relationship with Samantha. Especially given that this point-of view editing
is occuring while Samantha is talking with Theodore and that this scene comes
after Theodore’s ex-wife criticizes his relationship with Samantha deeming it
unreal.
Another editing technique used is a fade to black which is utilized after
Theodore and Samantha admit their feelings for one another and have sex shortly
after. Through utilizing this technique specifically once they begin, we become
less aware of Samantha’s actual bodiless state thus making us believe that
Samantha is actually with Theodore in this moment. It is for this reason that it
helps in representing Samantha as more of a human-like entity with the same
ability to feel as humans do.
Jonze uses a medium-shot when Theodore begins talking to Samantha,
there is a medium-shot of him sitting in his apartment and this shot allows to show
his slightly awkward facial expression, raised eyebrows and a smirk but it also
shows his body language which is not fully comfortable. This is a completely new
situation for him and it is normal that he is not yet comfortable with it, which is why
it is so important that his body language matches this.
A second framing technique included a long-shot at the end of the film,
after Theodore and Amy have lost their OS1 companions they are sitting on the
rooftop, Amy resting her head on Theodore’s shoulder and they look so small, with
skyscrapers surrounding them. They may look small and weak since they have lost
“people” that meant a lot to each other but seeing them be there for each other
and being able to rely on each other for support shows that human connections
will always be valuable.
The sets used in this film are so interesting and one of them is
Theodore’s workplace. This set is characterized by its vibrant colours which give us the
sense of a positive atmosphere. By constructing this set to exude this type of mood,
we are given the sense that those who work there are just as happy and positive or
at the very least, trying to be so. Because of this, Theodore’s character is given more
development by showing us that he is seeking for a way to alleviate his unhappiness.
Therefore, the set adds characterization to Theodore before any massive point in the plot is revealed.
Another richly symbolic set used would be the log-cabin that Theodore
and Samantha stay at during a vacation. This set is defined by its lack of the futuristic
elements we’ve seen thus-far in the film as well as the winter-like conditions around
the cabin. By constructing this set through these elements, we are given the sense
of an atmosphere of coziness, happiness and calm. This atmosphere can be viewed
as reflecting the current depth of Theodore and Samantha’s relationship and it
being much more than simply a connection between a robot and a human.
Sound is so important in adding another dimension to a film and in Her there is the use of non-diegetic mixed with diegetic sound when Theodore and Samantha write a song together. This song plays while the scenes are cutting back and forth between Theodore walking in the woods with the song playing playing in the background which is non-diegetic sound. The scene then cuts back to him playing the banjo in bed while singing this song which is diegetic sound. Some of the lyrics are “A million miles away” which is so significant because they truly are extremely far apart, they never even will meet because Samantha is not even a human being making it impossible to even be together. They will always be away from each other which is a very big part of their relationship, one being artificial intelligence and the other a human being.
Jonze uses diegetic sound when Theodore and Samantha have “sex”, not
physically however since Samantha is artificial intelligence. She still moans like a
human being would even though she does not have a physical body and yet she
expresses this sense of pleasure like a human being. This is interesting because even
without doing the real physical action, she feels this and be able to express this even though she is a computer.
In the film there are also interesting techniques used, one of them being
the use of flashback which is quite extensive and revolves around Theodore
recollecting on his past marriage in various different situations. The use of the
flashback in each of these situations is primarily used to reflect Theodore’s emotions.
In the first instance, Theodore is lying in bed when he has a flashback depicting the
joy that he felt in his marriage initially as both he and his ex-wife are seen moving
into an apartment together. This ultimately shows Theodore’s desire to once again
have that joy in his life and the extreme loneliness that he is now in which helps in the
understanding of his character at this point in the film.
Another interesting technique in this film is the use of focus which is
when the camera focus’ on a specific object or person (Owen 1). In a specific scene, the
camera focuses on a drawing of a person stopping a boulder with a face from crushing
a small mouse. This scene is made interesting as this drawing is a symbolic
representation of the relationship between Theodore and Samantha as both can be
considered to be either the mouse or the person stopping the boulder. This is due to
the fact that both have ultimately saved each other from weight of their emotions
of regret, despair, loneliness and the disapproval that society has towards their relationship.
This film covers many themes including love and romance, and
heartbreak and loneliness. Her also raises important questions about the role of AI and
digital technology in our social lives. For example, as technology progresses, will
human relationships also suffer? Is technology a substitute for authentic human
connection? Does digital technology bring us closer together or make it even more
difficult for us to relate to one another?
Word Count: 1228
Review
At first it may seem weird for a human to fall in love with artificial
intelligence. It is a weird concept for us to accept simply because we are not
used to this. At the end of the film when Samantha does leave it is sort of sad
because they truly did seem to have a strong romantic relationship and to see
anyone lose someone they loved is hard to watch.
In terms of the acting in this film; it was very good. Even though Joaquin
Phoenix did not have another actor in front of him, he still made it seem so realistic while he was talking to Scarlett Johansson, which has the perfect voice to be
artificial intelligence. He acted as though he was with someone the whole time, expressing his emotions and showing facial and body expressions which indicated as strong connection between two people even while they were not physically together.
intelligence. It is a weird concept for us to accept simply because we are not
used to this. At the end of the film when Samantha does leave it is sort of sad
because they truly did seem to have a strong romantic relationship and to see
anyone lose someone they loved is hard to watch.
In terms of the acting in this film; it was very good. Even though Joaquin
Phoenix did not have another actor in front of him, he still made it seem so realistic while he was talking to Scarlett Johansson, which has the perfect voice to be
artificial intelligence. He acted as though he was with someone the whole time, expressing his emotions and showing facial and body expressions which indicated as strong connection between two people even while they were not physically together.
The film in general is very pretty, with the same warm
colour palette throughout, clothing and sets are all in the same tones. This adds
this continuity to the film and everything flows so smoothly. The music as well adds
to this warmth in the film with songs that are soft and calm and that have instruments
such as piano and violin in them.
While the film was very nice and flowed well, there simply is no action and is a little too long for the message it is trying to portray. The film does not really reach a climax and the only time there is some action is when he almost loses Samantha and again when he does. Due to this, our interest in the film at certain points was somewhat low as a result of the film not really giving us meaningful content.
While the film was very nice and flowed well, there simply is no action and is a little too long for the message it is trying to portray. The film does not really reach a climax and the only time there is some action is when he almost loses Samantha and again when he does. Due to this, our interest in the film at certain points was somewhat low as a result of the film not really giving us meaningful content.
Overall we would give this film...
Connections to the Course
1.Moral de-skilling: Humans are able to connect with people and know when they are sad,
happy, nervous, etc. and with a world full of technology we have this fear of possibly not being
able to connect with other like this (Werber, p.49). In the film, even though Theodore falls in love
with Samantha, who is not even a real human being, he does not lose his ability of connecting with
other humans and we can see this with the friendship he has with Amy. For instance while Theodore
is in the elevator with Amy he can tell something is off and that there is something bothering her so
he asks her if she is okay and she tells him Charles and her have split up the first thing he does is
gives her a hug. He was still able to have this human connection and detect how Amy was feeling.
However his ex-wife Catherine accuses him of not being able to handle “real emotions” since he is
dating a computer and while he can keep his friendship with Amy, his ex-wife accusing him of this
may suggest otherwise.
2.Sentience: Although Samantha is artificially intelligent, she can still feel emotions and eventually tells Theodore that she loves him. She feels and can perceives thing and yet she is a computer which raises the question, can artificial intelligence be sentient? Samantha shows that this is possible when she explains to Theodore that she felt upset when he told her she would not understand losing someone and this caused her pain. From there on her feelings grew and became apart of her, she was capable of feeling every emotion a human would.
3.Selfhood: The connection made from the film to this course concept and it’s 2 different types, the core-minimal self and self-aware self, occurs in various different scenes including the scene in which Samantha asks “Are these feelings even real? Or are they just programming”. When we consider both types of selfhood, this reflective or inward thinking would entail that Samantha has a self-aware self as she is able to question and ponder the nature of her existence. However, according to the definition of a core-minimal self, one cannot be considered to have a core-minimal or ultimately a self-aware self if the entity in question does not possess a brain of some kind. Which, therefore, creates a dilemma in assuming Samantha’s selfhood as she does not technically meet the criteria outlined by the core-minimal self, yet evidently shows the attributes of a self-aware self.
2.Sentience: Although Samantha is artificially intelligent, she can still feel emotions and eventually tells Theodore that she loves him. She feels and can perceives thing and yet she is a computer which raises the question, can artificial intelligence be sentient? Samantha shows that this is possible when she explains to Theodore that she felt upset when he told her she would not understand losing someone and this caused her pain. From there on her feelings grew and became apart of her, she was capable of feeling every emotion a human would.
3.Selfhood: The connection made from the film to this course concept and it’s 2 different types, the core-minimal self and self-aware self, occurs in various different scenes including the scene in which Samantha asks “Are these feelings even real? Or are they just programming”. When we consider both types of selfhood, this reflective or inward thinking would entail that Samantha has a self-aware self as she is able to question and ponder the nature of her existence. However, according to the definition of a core-minimal self, one cannot be considered to have a core-minimal or ultimately a self-aware self if the entity in question does not possess a brain of some kind. Which, therefore, creates a dilemma in assuming Samantha’s selfhood as she does not technically meet the criteria outlined by the core-minimal self, yet evidently shows the attributes of a self-aware self.
1. Do you think Samantha was sentient?
2. How do you feel about humans having a relationship with artificial intelligence?
3.Do you believe that there will come a day when everyone is in a relationship with?
Links Related to Topics
This video is about a man named Davecat who is in a relationship with a doll. He has proper
conversations with her, he's sexually intimate with her and takes care of her just like
Theodore did with Samantha. Both Theodore and Davecat has a relationship with “non-human” beings.
This article is about the evolution of sex robots. The author explains that sex robots were used
for the simple reason of pleasure. However, they are now being made to be able to move, talk and
even have their own systems. This can relate to how Theodore “upgraded” to Samantha in the film.
Works Cited
Her. Directed by Spike Jonze, Perf. Joaquin Phoenix & Scarlett Johansson . Warner Bros.
Pictures, 2013.
Owen, Scott. “Traditional Film Camera Techniques.” 8 Feb. 2000,
www.siggraph.org/education/materials/HyperGraph/animation/cameras/traditional_film_
camera_techniqu.htm . Accessed November 26, 2018
Trailers, JoBlo Movie. “Her - Official Trailer (HD) Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams.” YouTube,
YouTube, 7 Aug. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzV6mXIOVl4.
Werber, Cassie. "Humans and robots are on the cusp of a sexual intimacy we may never reverse."
McKinney Coursepack, 11 Aug. 2017.
I enjoyed reading the film blog. I liked the film techniques section as it was well explained.
ReplyDeleteAnother connection to class material could be the uncanny valley. According to our class material, it is the “area of repulsive response aroused by a robot with appearance and motion between a barely human and fully human entity. The name captures the idea of almost human looking robot will seem overly strange to a human being” (Class notes). It relates to the movie, because according to the blog: Theodore falls in love with a voice of a women, namely Samantha. When talking to her he is in a different realm, potentially forgetting about the reality that he lives in. Therefore, forgetting she is just a voice from a program and on a device. To me, just from reading the blog, I imagined that Samantha would pass the uncanny valley, making not only Theodore forget about the reality, but the audience too.
When watching my film: Ex Machina, Robot Ava also crossed the uncanny valley. In some instances in the film, I forget she was just a robot because of how human like she acts and portrays herself. Therefore, a connection between Samantha and Ava could be drawn as both cross the uncanny valley in certain instances.
Question: Do you believe Samantha is sentient?
ReplyDeleteAs seen in class, a sentient being can be defined as a being that is a “subject to a perceptual experience” which means that it is able to feel either pain or pleasure. This can be generalized as being able to respond and sense one’s environment. In the movie, it can be seen that Samantha becomes more and more aware of everything that surrounds her in time. She also starts creating her own sense of self which is an aspect of a sentient being. In the scene where Theodore tells Samantha that she should not fake breathing because she is not human, she reacts to this response with pain and sadness. At this moment, the viewer can notice that Samantha has her own thoughts and feelings. Relating these attributes to the definition of sentience, it could then be inferred that yes, Samantha is a sentient being.
Justin
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYour blog entry was well constructed and I can tell that your group worked hard. The content is extensive and well explains topics covered in class and cinematic techniques. I have never watched this movie, but since reading your blog, I have thorough knowledge about it. The blog is well divided and aesthetically pleasing. While reading your blog, a concept that stood out to me the most was the term “uncanny valley”. Though we typically associate this term with physical appearance of AI, I felt that it applied for OS1, Samantha (a computer operating system) that cannot be seen and communicates through talking. The uncanny valley is a concept where AI such as robots, increasingly resemble the appearance and characteristics that we attribute to humans. A once empathetic response towards these automatons becomes repulsive and unsettling (NHA coursepack). This is demonstrated in the blog entry under course related concepts - sentience. The blogger describes examples of how Samantha exhibits sentience, for example when they stated that she became upset when Theodore said that she would not understand losing someone and this statement upset her. Reading that example gave me an unsettling feeling because I thought to myself, why in the world would a computer operating system have feelings about daily things when it was created for the purpose of serving humans. Similarly, the uncanny valley was also demonstrated in “The Blade Runner” when Pris, a replicant, disguises herself as a clown. Her costume was so well done, she reminded me of a porcelain doll and it creeped me out how realistic she appeared. The blog entry well depicted Samantha’s sentience and because of this, I also believe that Samantha is an example of the uncanny valley given that a mere household operator’s voice can feel, perceive and display emotions.
ReplyDelete-Kelsey
Question: How do you feel about humans having a relationship with artificial intelligence?
ReplyDeleteHumans may live their life in the ways they see fit them best and bring them happiness, although, there are some limitations in my opinion. If we go back 10 years, people may say that the use of social media was a way in which anti-social people chose to communicate and connect with others rather than face-to-face interactions. In today’s society, interactions and relationships with artificial intelligence are seen as a taboo way to live, but what says that in 10 years, this will become socially acceptable. People are allowed to choose the type of relationship they want as long as it does not impede on the liberty of others.
-Valérie Gobeil
Q:Do you believe that there will come a day when everyone is in a relationship with?
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that there will come a day when everyone is in a relationship with artificial intelligence. Although technology is constantly evolving and in the future we could have sentient robots just like Samantha, I think that human to human relationships will always be around. One of the biggest limitations that I think is preventing this from becoming a reality is the fact that the artificial intelligence does not have a body and is not physically there. I also think that our society would really struggle with accepting the artificial intelligence and it would not be perceived as normal to be in a relationship with this types of technology. Despite the fact that I do not think that everyone will be in relationships with artificial intelligence, I believe that certain groups of people can benefit from this technology and will use in the future. A good example of this is people who may be disabled or have trouble socially will be in relationships with artificial intelligence in the future.
Great blog! I was looking forward to reading this one because I thoroughly enjoyed Her, and am a fan of Spike Jonze's work. I do have one interesting fact about the film, one that relates to your comment that Phoenix pulled off a chemistry with Johansson despite her not being there in the scene with him. In actuality, when they were shooting the movie, the voice Phoenix was talking to was Samantha Morton, who ended up being recast during the post-production process. So in the final film, not only is Johansson not there, she's not actually who Phoenix was hearing while he performed. I think it's interesting how well the assembled film works despite this disconnect. One small criticism with the blog I have is that a few lines could've used some more proofreading, (ie. "they never even will meet because Samantha is not even a human being making it impossible to even be together.") but that's a minor issue. The content of the blog itself was commendable.
ReplyDelete-Euan