The Film 'Her' on Building a Brighter, Less Dystopian Future
Things are looking up.
It’s been four years since Her hit cinema screens and thrilled sci-fi fans worldwide. It was so juxtaposed to the cynicism that characterizes modern-day sci-fi movies — for once the future wasn’t depicted as dystopian, apocalyptic or totalitarian. Rather, Spike Jonze‘s portrayal of a brighter future was a refreshing tonic of humanity and warmth. It made technology appealing and envisioned a future worth aspiring towards.
One of the main architects behind this glowing aesthetic was production designer K.K. Barrett. Barrett, who has previously worked on Spike Jonze’s productions, said he wanted to narrow down “a huge palette” to “10/15 things to represent cacophony off screen.” He drew inspiration from Japanese photographer Rinko Kawauchi who represents the grand scale of everyday life viewed through small photographic slithers of specific moments.
Her does away with the cold monochromatic tones of most modern dystopian flicks replacing them with a warm “Jamba juice palette.” Blue tones are very sparse — often largely desaturated, light emitted from phones and computers is much warmer than usually displayed in film and there is a textural property to all the technology. Barrett creates a simpler future — represented by the clean design of the movie’s fashion, architecture and technology.
Rather than foreshadowing technological innovation, Her draws from the past to be more relatable in the present. A vintage quality that makes one feel nostalgic for the future is expressed and ultimately the film is about the human experience and its relationship with tech. Not what the tech actually is or does. A depiction of a light-hearted future. To understand more of the movie be sure to watch the video above thanks to kaptainkristian.
In other movies news, check out this list of all of October’s upcoming releases.
