Belenen (belenen) wrote,
Belenen
belenen

ethical storytelling rating: Cloud Atlas (2012)

Cloud Atlas (2012 USA) [drama / sci-fi] Directors: Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski. Writers: David Mitchell, Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski.

I've never had such a strong reaction to a film. It's beyond words: I went in without even having seen the trailer and I am convinced that that is the correct way to see it. If you like meaningful thoughtful films, please go see it. I will leave you with only a quote:

"Our lives are not our own. From womb to tomb, we are bound to others, past and present. And with each crime and every kindness, we birth our future."

Plusses:
on sex/gender: no stereotyped characters, 3D characters, passes the Bechdel test, is subversive, and actively calls out bullshit, +7
on race/ethnicity: inclusion without stereotyping, 3D characters, passes Bechdel, is subversive, and actively calls out bullshit, +7
on ableism/lookism: +2: questionable inclusion on abilities, but significant and respectful inclusion of people who are older, and nothing actively horrible that I could see.

Minuses:
fucking none. YEAH I KNOW, WHAT??? but out of the minuses I've come up with they had none. The only remotely sour note for me was that the journalist was a badass supposedly because ze was following zir father's footsteps. I feel like it would have been better and more true if ze was just a badass because ze's a fucking badass.

 The more I think about the racial cross-dressing in the film the more problematic it seems. I don't know how to 'rate' that because it's an area of privilege for me but I don't feel like it makes the film useless, because I feel like there is some actively anti-oppression stuff too. So I'm going to just minus 7 because in race/ethnicity it's both worse and better.

total: +16! I didn't even think that was possible. total: +9

COMMENTS CONTAIN SPOILERS
Tags: films / shows
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