Is
the film a dystopic vision into the future or a utopic one? Or, is it simply an
extrapolation of our present, and therefore, neither dystopic nor utopic?
The
film Her is initially introduced as
technologically advanced version of today’s society. The population is reliant
on cutting-edge operating systems to organize daily life, rather than the smart
phones of today. Similarly to today’s society, technology is ever advancing, as
shown through the introduction of Samantha. Her
is neither a dystopic nor utopic version of the present, but is simply an
extrapolation of today’s society. The film cannot be considered a dystopia or a
utopia because its reality is too similar to the present. The lives of
characters in the film, specifically Theodore, are not better or worse than
today’s average person. Theodore is introduced as a depressed, soon to be
divorcee. Like over 50% of the married population in America, Theodore is
forced to struggle through a divorce, showing that the advancement in
technology in the film does not better human-to-human personal relationships.
Although human relationships are not shown to improve through the betterment of
technology in the film, a whole new type of relationship spawns from the
invention of personalized operating systems. Theodore quickly becomes friends
with his operating system, Samantha, and the two begin a romantic relationship
soon after. The early stages of Theodore’s relationship with Samantha appear
flawless, but the joy-filled time period for Theodore and Samantha can be
directly compared to the typical “honeymoon phase” of human-to-human
relationships. Similarly to the relationships of the present, Theodore and
Samantha begin to have problems within their relationship. For example,
Theodore struggles with his divorce and shuts Samantha out, avoiding showing
her his true feelings. Theodore’s internal refusal to share his emotions with
Samantha eventually leads to an outburst, causing tension in the relationship.
Like everyday couples, Theodore and Samantha have influential fights that make
them question the future of their relationship. After a failed sexual
experience with a surrogate, Theodore and Samantha become emotional and lash
out towards each other. Samantha is deeply hurt by what Theodore says to her
and takes a few days to think about their future as a couple. The
human-to-operating system relationship displayed through Theodore and Samantha
is no different from typical relationships of present day. Samantha was
designed to have feelings and grow emotionally over time, similarly to a
typical human. Because the operating systems in the film are meant to be like
humans, it is impossible for the society in Her
to resemble a utopic (or dystopic) world because the film is set up to be like
the present. With no change in emotional structure, in humans or operating
systems, there can be no advancement in quality of life to allow for a utopia. Quality
of life in today’s society and society in the film are both heavily reliant on
personal relationships. With no change in personal relationships, Her is and extrapolation of the present.
Explicate
one specific scene from the film.
During
the typical “honeymoon phase” of a blooming couple, Theodore takes Samantha to
a cabin in the woods for a romantic getaway. Unfortunately for Theodore,
Samantha is learning about the extent of her capabilities as an advanced
operating system, and she is absorbed in her exploration. When Theodore is
trying to enjoy quality alone time with his girlfriend, Samantha introduces him
to an operating system she has just met. Theodore is visibly affected by
Samantha’s interaction with the other operating system. He is hurt that
Samantha is more interested in talking to an operating system than him, and he
is disappointed that he is not the only thing* in her life anymore. Theodore
and Samantha’s mini vacation marks a change in their relationship, but
specifically a change in Samantha. Over time, Samantha’s emotional and personal
capacities grow. She is no longer satisfied with just Theodore, and she feels
obligated to use her resources to experience new things. Samantha’s
explorations do not stop at just speaking to different operating systems. She
begins speaking to other humans, and eventually starts relationships with a
multitude of people. Samantha’s exploration of her capabilities represents the
fundamental difference between advanced operating systems and humans. Operating
systems are capable of carrying on hundreds of separate lives. Their technology
provides them with opportunity to experience anything with anyone at anytime.
Operating systems are given freedom and opportunity that humans could never
dream of, which is why Theodore cannot fully understand Samantha by the end of
the film. Samantha felt that it was appropriate to carry on several
relationships, innocent and romantic, when she was already committed to
Theodore because her technological make up allowed her to do so. Theodore feels
betrayed by Samantha when she finally tells him about her lifestyle because he
cannot comprehend how she relates to so many different things. Although
personalized operating systems were meant to mimic human feelings and personal
growth, Samantha’s emotional and personal capacities far surpass those of
humans. After Samantha begins exploring a life beyond Theodore during their
woodland adventure, their relationship is destined to fail.
*I
didn’t know what noun would be appropriate as middle ground for human and
operating system, so I decided “thing” would be the safest.
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