How Ex Machina Manipulates The Audience
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 เม.ย. 2018
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New video essay takes a look into Alex Garland's Ex Machina and what it does to manipulate its audience.
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During the movie I was rooting for Caleb and Ava but after the movie ended and I thought about it, I realised I liked Nathan the most.
I am not sure if it was clearly established in the film that the robots had emotions or merely imitates emotions. Ava leaves Caleb trapped in a room to starve to death without any care for him. She objectively stabs Nathan without hate but because he is an obstacle. She has no sense of concern for Kyoko's destruction nor was she concerned about fixing her. From what I gather Ava did not have real emotions like Nathan suggested. This makes me think that the true power of the robots were not in physical durability or strength but in their psychopathic objectivism and observation which allows them to manipulate emotional people the way real psychopaths do.
One of the things that I found really interesting in the film was the sort of more advanced Turing test it introduced. A normal Turing test requires a robot to pass itself off as human to someone who is unaware that they are a robot. In this movie, Eva succeeds in passing herself off as human to the main character (and the audience) when we already know she is not.
One of the things that really left me thinking was Caleb, he was left to starve with a clear view of two dead bodies. That was reaaaaally fucked up
I think the key manipulation is that Nathan paired Caleb and Ava in this experiment because she would have the best chance of winning him over. He did not choose a person who would be inherently distant from his AI, he chose one who would be the most likely to bond with it. There are people who would never see an AI as anything other than a program or mechanical/electronic device, Nathan deliberately avoided choosing anyone like that.
Best scene in the film is at the end where she fools Caleb and the audience in thinking she would go back to him after asking him to stay where he was while she “clothed” herself. So many levels of meaning in this movie, it’s fantastic.
This is one of the most interesting movies that I've watched. It's the slow and methodical reveal of things you really only get to see on repeat viewings. In the first viewing I saw Caleb as the hero of the story and maybe having a Tron: Legacy ending with the sunset and such but with the look on Ava's face of no emotion, no remorse hit me hard. On the second viewing I took a more realistic approach and realized that Caleb is actually weak minded because in the end he couldn't see the bigger picture because of empathy.
This is the best commentary I've heard on "Ex Machina" to date. I also find your commentaries to be extremely educational, in that I become a better writer through what I learn from your reviews. So glad I subbed. Cheers.
this movie plays on your expectations but the beauty of how well done the writing is totally throws you for a loop. i still havent seen a recent movie that has came even close to it.the whole movie is about manipulation and its fascinating
This was definitely one of those films where everyone working on it seemed to be fully committed. The story direction, the sound, the acting - there’s so much precision in this one.
I knew Caleb was fcked, the moment he asked about where were the windows, I was like Yep he is going to get locked in here.
Loved this movie both times I saw it. Your commentary brings another level of meaning that was there subconsciously out into words. A lot of people misunderstood the characters and movie in general. Keep up the great work.
A lot of great remarks and responses here. I’m enjoying them as much as the video.
Yet another great dissection! Really good stuff, now to re-watch this with a new perspective 👀
I don't think he was interested in Ava sexually he increasingly became seduced by her as a whole and fancied himself the "hero" so much so he was willing to overlook the obvious, that she was manipulating him. He ultimately fell victim to his own faults, granted he didn't really deserve his fate.
Great stuff again, Jack. Please keep surprising us with your movie choices, themes and subjects. ;)
HOLY $#@! this is a great analysis - JMR comes though with another WIN! Keep em coming dude, this channel is friggen awesome!
ex machina is a masterpiece. neat, powerful, futureproofed and still echoes age old ideas of creation vs creator and ultimately, the perception of agency
This is pure gold for film buffs and aspiring screenwriters! Totally agree with comments that state: this is the best analysis of Ex Machina. Great films are (at least in part) about the human condition and make us think. This movie takes it to the next level, and cleverly sidesteps the age old question: can a cyborg ever be considered human (which in turn raises the question: aren´t we just biochemical machines and being sentient and self aware are just an illusion?). Do we humans really create artificial intelligent life, sooner or later surpassing us on all levels, or is it supposed to happen and inevitable anyway, one way or another? Questions that just have us going in circles without any definitive answer.
An exceptionally good analysis of a terrific film.