Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Directors: Tom Tykwer,
Andy and Lana Wachowski
Writers: Tom Tykwer,
Andy and Lana Wachowski, David Mitchell ("Cloud Atlas")
Stars: Tom Hanks,
Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving
Acts of one individual can indirectly, somewhere in future, have affect on actions of another individual, who than affects someone else and so on indefinitely. That's far from being a new idea, but it always makes interesting plot. Cloud Atlas is showing us an example of that butterfly effect throughout six different stories from six different time periods. Wachowski brothers and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run,
Perfume) took over both screenplay and directing adaptation of David Mitchell's 2004. novel by dividing work on half. Wachowski brothers took chronologically first and last two stories while Tykwer took second, third and fourth.
Chronologically first story, The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing (Wachowski), is placed in 1849. and follows a young American lawyer, Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess), who goes to the island near New Zealand to conclude business deal for his father-in-law and during that travel he writes a journal. Second story, Letters from Zedelghem (Tykwer), follows British musician, Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw), who works for the
famous composer Vyvyan Ayrs (Jim Broadbent) in 1936. and in same time he's composing his own symphony,
The Cloud Atlas Sextet. While working for Ayrs Frobisher is reading Ewing's journal and writing letters to his lover Rufus Sixsmith (James D'Arcy). That letters were found by journalist Luisa Rey (Halle Berry) in third story Half-Lives: The First Luisa Rey Mystery
(Tykwer) placed in 1973.. Rey gets the letters from Sixsmith himself, who now as a nuclear physicist, helps her in discovering conspiracies around
nuclear plant where he works. Rey's
story, in the form of novel written by her young neighbor, ends in the hands of Timothy Cavendish
(Jim Broadbent) who, in the fourth story The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy
Cavendish (Tykwer), set in 2012., gets inprisioned in nursing home by his brother. Cavendish receives a manuscript of a novel based on Rey's story and writes a screenplay about his own story in the home.
The last two stories are placed in the future and are directed by the Wachowski brothers. An Orison of Sonmi~451 is a story about genetically engineered worker at a restaurant in Neo Seoul in 2144. Sonmi~451 (Doon Bae). She was released from her compliant life of servitude by Commander Hae-Joo Chang (Jim Sturgess), a member of a rebel movement against totalitarian government. While in hiding, she watches a Cavendish's movie which left a big impression on her. Resistance movement moved her to Hawaii from where she made a public broadcast of her story and manifesto of tolerance and freedom. Last story Sloosha's crossin 'an' Ev'rythin' After takes place in post-apocalyptic 2321. on Hawaii. In the center of the story is Zachry (Tom Hanks), a member of the peaceful primitive tribe who worship Sonmi as a goddess. Zachry's
tribe is frequently visited by Meronym (Halle Berry), a member of a
society that is still in the possession of before apocalypse technology,
with the aim of finding the communication station from which she plans to
send a call for help to Earth's colonies because her society, Prescients, are dying.First thing that makes Cloud Atlas special is non chronological mixture of six completely different stories. That stunt is very interesting and it's executed wonderfully, but it's also totally
unnecessary because as we can see from the original work by Mitchell the idea works fine with a normal linear storytelling. This,
among other things, makes Cloud Atlas leaves impression of an epic, but that impression seems forced and it operates on the principle if not quality then quantity. But this mixture of stories is no problem to follow as they are visually completely different, they take place throughout six centuries and every one of them have it's on style.
Most confusing and misleading thing for viewers are multiple roles of main actors. Tom
Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess and Hugh Grant play a
different role in each of six stories and most viewers spend almost the
entire film in delusion that there is a connection between
their characters. Although, for example, Weaving and Grant always play villains there are no connection between the characters that are played by same actors. Connection exist only between characters that
found records of the main protagonists from previous story, and they are marked by a birthmark shaped like a star.
Most confusing and misleading thing for viewers are multiple roles of main actors. Tom
Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess and Hugh Grant play a
different role in each of six stories and most viewers spend almost the
entire film in delusion that there is a connection between
their characters. Although, for example, Weaving and Grant always play villains there are no connection between the characters that are played by same actors. Connection exist only between characters that
found records of the main protagonists from previous story, and they are marked by a birthmark shaped like a star.
There are two thoughts that are stretched throughout whole movie: everything is connected and everyone has a right to fight for freedom. These
two thoughts when connected lead to the point that an individual can affect on liberation of himself and the others from the tyranny, often called natural order, both
in present and in the future. The
last two stories are far from it's potential. First of them, An
Orison of Sonmi~451, is unnecessarily filled with poor and
meaningless action scenes which is tragedy since it's the only story that could stand as a separate movie. The
most complete story is the one about Cavendish which is primarily due to simplicity of story line, loveable characters and good humor. Going more into details of the plot would just ruin the experience for those who haven't seen it yet.
Filming of Cloud Atlas was certainly an special experience for actors. Simultaneous work on six different stories, on two different sets with two completely different teams (Wachowski and Tykwer had their own teams) is astonishing. There are no objections on acting, just the opposite, Weaving's, Grant's and Hanks's transformations are genius. However, even if the idea of the same actors starring as different characters of various genders, races and ages might sound good, on example of Cloud Atlas we can see that it does not look very good, unless we accept that grotesque appearance of Hugo Weaving as nurse, Jim Sturgess as Korean or Bae Doona as a redhead, freckled noblewoman as intentional.
Filming of Cloud Atlas was certainly an special experience for actors. Simultaneous work on six different stories, on two different sets with two completely different teams (Wachowski and Tykwer had their own teams) is astonishing. There are no objections on acting, just the opposite, Weaving's, Grant's and Hanks's transformations are genius. However, even if the idea of the same actors starring as different characters of various genders, races and ages might sound good, on example of Cloud Atlas we can see that it does not look very good, unless we accept that grotesque appearance of Hugo Weaving as nurse, Jim Sturgess as Korean or Bae Doona as a redhead, freckled noblewoman as intentional.
Both Tykwer and the Wachowski brothers played it safe with directing. They did it as they always do, i.e. what their fans expect from them. With such a complicated script and division of filming the movie between two teams this is good move. There are big stylistic differences between the stories, but they
are intentional since every story is another genre while crossings between stories are worked out fantastically and almost all look natural.
At the end Cloud Atlas gives the impression of greatness and epicness although, except
for a large period of time covered, there are no real basics for that. Should we take it as a lack in screenwriting or success in directing is a
question that divides audience. Plot is extremely dynamic and it's one of fastest ways to spent three hours, at least awake. The film literally flies by even for those who aren't touched by it's philosophy.
Postupci pojedinaca indirektno u budućnosti mogu utjecati na postupke drugih pojedinaca koji pak tako utjeću na postupke trećih, oni četvrtih i tako u nedogled. Ništa novo, svima poznato, ali uvijek zanimljivo. Tako nam Cloud Atlas kroz šest priča iz šest različitih vremenskih razdoblja pokazuje takav jedan primjer. Adaptaciju romana Davida Mitchella iz 2004. su i scenaristički i režiserski preuzeli Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run, Perfume) i Lana i Andy Wachowski i to tako da je svatko preuzeo po tri priče.
Kronološki prva prića The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing (Wachowski) smještena je u 1849. godinu i prati mladog američkog odvjetnika Adama Ewinga (Jim Sturgess) koji poslovno odlazi na otočje u blizini Novog Zelanda. Ewing tijekom puta piše dnevnik koji u drugoj prići Letters from Zedelghem (Tykwer) koja se odvija 1936. čita britanski glazbenik Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw) koji radeći za poznatog skladatelja Vyvyana Ayrsa (Jim Broadbent) sklada vlastitu simfoniju The Cloud Atlas Sextet. Frobisher cijelo vrijeme piše pisma svome ljubavniku Rufusu Sixsmithu (James D'Arcy), a njih u trećem dijelu Half-Lives: The First Luisa Rey Mystery (Tykwer) 1973. čita novinarka Luisa Rey (Halle Berry) koja ih uzima od samog Sixsmitha koji sada kao nuklearni fizičar pomaže Rey u otkrivanju urote oko nuklearne elektrane u kojoj radi. Reyina priča u obliku rukopisa romana završava u rukama Timothya Cavendisha (Jim Broadbent) koji u četvrtoj prići The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish (Tykwer), smještenoj u 2012., nakon što ga brat na prijevaru smjesti u starački dom, iz istoga bježi te na temelju tog rukopisa snima film.
Posljednje dvije priče su smještene u budućnosti te njihovu režiju potpisuju braća Wachowski. An Orison of Sonmi~451 je priča o genetski uzgojenoj radnici u restoranu u Neo Seulu 2144. godine, Sonmi~451 (Doona Bae). Netom prije njenog recikliranja oslobađa ju Hae-Joo Chang (Jim Sturgess), član pokreta otpora protiv postojećeg totalitarističkog režima. Tijekom skrivanja pogleda Cavendishev film koji ostavi veliki utisak na nju, a pokret otpora ju odvede na Havaje od kuda emitira svoj govor tolerancije i slobode. Posljednja priča, Sloosha's Crossin' an' Ev'rythin' After, se odvija postapokaliptične 2321. na Havajima. U centru priče je Zachry (Tom Hanks), član mirnog primitivnog plemena koji štuje Sonmi kao božanstvo. Zachryevo pleme je često posječivano od strane Meronym (Halle Berry), članice društva koje je i dalje u posjedu predapokaliptične tehnologije, s ciljem pronalaska komunikacijske stanice iz koje planira poslati poziv u pomoć prema zemaljskim kolonijama jer njeno društvo na zemlji izumire.
Prvo po čemu se film istiće je izmješanost šest potpuno različitih priča. Taj podvig je zanimljiv i tehnički izvrsno odrađen, ali potpuno nepotreban jer kao što se vidi iz originalnog Mitchell djela, cijelokupna zamisao potpuno funkcionira i sa normalnim linearnim pripovjedanjem jedne po jedne priče. Time se, među ostalim, dobiva nekakav epski dojam koji se ipak čini isforsiranim i djeluje na principu ako ne kvalitetom onda kvantitetom. No, tu potpuno izmješanu radnju nije nikakav problem pratiti s obzirom da su vizualno potpuno različite jer ipak se odvijaju kroz šest stoljeća, te je svaka stilski snimljena na svoj način s obzirom da se radi o šest potpuno različitih žanrova.
Ono što je zbunjujuće i gledatelje vodi u krivom smjeru su višestruke uloge glavnih glumaca. Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess i Hugh Grant imaju različite uloge u svakoj od šest priča te većina gledatelja provede gotovo cijeli film u zabludi da postoji neka fabularna povezanost između njihovih likova. Iako su primjerice negativci isključivo Weaving i Grant uz dvije Hanksove negativne epizode nema posebne veze među likovima koje u različitim razdobljima glume isti glumci. Povezanost postoji samo između likova koji dolaze u posjed zapisa od glavnog protogonista prijašnje priće te su oni obilježeni madežom u obliku zvijezde.
Kroz cijeli film se protežu dvije misli: sve je povezano i svatko ima pravo na slobodu. Te dvije misli spojene dovode do poante da pojedinac može svojim dijelima utjecati na oslobođenje sebe i drugih pojedinaca od tiranije, često nazivane prirodnim poretkom, i to i u sadašnjosti i u budućnosti. Posljednje dvije priče ostavljaju snažan dojam neiskorištenosti, dok je prva od njih, An Orison of Sonmi~451, potpuno nepotrebno ispunjena lošom i besmislenom akcijom, a jedina je od priča koja bi bez problema mogla stajati kao poseban film. Najpotpunije djeluje priča o Cavendishu no to je prvenstveno zbog njene fabularne jednostavnosti, simpatičnih likova i dobrog humora. Nešto detaljnije ulaziti u pojedine priče bez uništavanja doživljaja nekome tko će tek pogledati film je nemoguće.
Za glumce je snimanje Cloud Atlasa sigurno bilo posebno iskustvo. Istovremeni rad na šest različitih priča, na dva različita seta sa dva potpuno različita tima (Wachowski i Tykwer su svaki imali svoje timove) je zapanjujuće. Na glumu nema prigovora, štoviše, Weavingove, Grantove i Hanksove preobrazbe su fenomenalne. No, iako možda ideja da isti glumci glume likove različitih spolova, rasa i dobi možda zvući dobro, na primjeru Cloud Atlasa vidimo da to izvedbeno baš i ne izgleda najbolje osim ako prihvatimo grotesknost izgleda Huga Weavinga kao medicinske sestre, Jim Sturgessa kao Koreanca ili pak Doone Bae kao crvenokose, pjegave plemkinje kao namjernu.
I Tykwer i braća Wachowski su s režijom igrali na sigurno, tj. radili su točno ono što znaju onako kako to i inače rade, što je s ovako kompliciranim scenarijem i podjelom režije među redateljima dobra stvar. U konačnici se osjete stilske razlike između priča, ali one su namjerne, očekivane i s obzirom na priče razumljive dok su prijelazi odrađeni fenomenalno i gotovo svi djeluju prirodno.
U konačnici Cloud Atlas ostavlja dojam veličine i epičnosti makar, izuzev velikog vremenskog razdoblja koje pokriva, za to i nema osnove. Da li to uzeti kao scenaristički nedostatak ili režiserski uspjeh je pitanje koje ovisi o tome koliko forsirano to pojedinom gledatelju izgleda. Izrazita dinamičnost filma je tri sata gledanja ga učinila jednim od najbržih tri sata koji se budni mogu doživjeti. Film doslovno proleti čak i onima koji njegovu filozofiju ne dožive.
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