| Review:
|
“9” is an astonishing technical achievement, and of
that, I think we’re all in agreement. Just looking at this
film is an experience unto itself; production design, art
direction, and visual effects work in harmony to create
a bleak but beautiful post apocalyptic landscape of rubble
and shadow. The character designs, a combination of burlap
and biotechnology, are refreshingly original. ***
As far as spectacle goes, “9” is mesmerizing, having
the power to draw the audience’s attention before engulfing
it in a fluid, textural world of imagination and style.
While I haven’t been too impressed with the process as of
late, this is a film that probably should have been released
in 3-D, if not for the story, then for the joy of wanting
to reach out and feel the surfaces coming off the screen.
A lot of work went into creating the look of this film,
and it most definitely paid off. ***
But for everything it achieves aesthetically, “9” is
ponderous and enigmatic, a story that requires more conjecture
than most, I suspect, are willing to apply. This, we may
not agree on. We know that it takes place in devastated
future, after humanity had lost a war against super intelligent
machines of their own creation. We know that humanity is
extinct; the only remaining life forms are not really life
forms at all, but animate ragdolls with cloth for skin,
scopes for eyes, and numbers for names. ***
We know that the latest ragdoll, #9 (voiced by Elijah
Wood), has just come to life in the attic of a formerly
well-respected scientist, whose lifeless body lies rotting
on the floor below. We know that eight other ragdolls are
out hidden amongst the rubble of the city, and that a monstrous
machine with an animal skull affixed to its head is after
them, hoping to find a special talisman with mystical powers.
***
Most importantly, we know that #9 must convince #s
1 through 8 that there’s more to the machine than meets
the eye. This puts him at odds with #1 (voiced by Christopher
Plummer), who has apparently appointed himself as the leader
and rules only through fear. When #2 (voiced by Martin Landau)
is kidnapped by the evil machine, for example, #1 would
rather let him die and move on rather than try to rescue
him. ***
#9 is not wired that way, and the pun is partially
intended. Hoping to rescue #2 and discover the truth behind
the machine and its ability to suck souls, he relies on
the assistance of the one-eyed #5 (voiced by John C. Reilly),
the rebellious #7 (voiced by Jennifer Connolly), and the
mute #s 3 and 4, identical twins who communicate to each
other via shutter-like eye blinks. ***
We know all this is happening. But really, what’s going
on in this movie? What is the message that director Shane
Acker and writer Pamela Pettler are trying to send? That
as long as ragdolls are alive, humanity can continue to
exist? There is an explanation for how these dolls were
brought to life in the first place, and while it is basically
sound, it also raises questions as to the nature of the
human soul. The final shot hints at a hopeful future, although
I can’t help but wonder how such a thing would be possible,
seeing as there’s nothing biological about a doll made out
of cloth, metal, and wood. ***
It has been suggested that life, in the strictest sense,
is not dependent on biology, that soul or spirit is immaterial
and not bounded by organic matter. Life continuing in the
absence of flesh and blood may be the message being sent,
but as I already said, this movie requires a lot of conjecture.
***
I admit that I might have missed something along the
way, and if that’s the case, I apologize. Even if I failed
to see the subtexts in “9,” I can still give it credit for
getting me to ponder the mysteries of life and what it means
to exist. If you choose to think about this film in those
terms, it can potentially be the basis for a very stimulating
debate. ***
To make things easier on myself, I choose to focus on
the film’s technical aspects and how wonderfully atmospheric
they are. A mood develops the instant the first shot appears,
which shows human hands inserting a strand of thread into
the eye of a needle. Much later on, after the characters
are established, we take a closer look at the artistically
prophetic #6 (voiced by Crispin Glover) and realize he’s
wearing a black and white striped suit, a nod to Tim Burton,
one of the film’s producers. ***
Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let me take
a moment to address the film’s PG-13 rating. While I firmly
believe that children in general can tolerate more unpleasantness
than adults give them credit for, be aware that some younger
audiences may find “9” a bit too much to handle, and this
is in spite of a running time of less than eighty minutes.
Many of the scenes featuring the evil machines are loud
and intense, and some may be bothered by the sight of a
dead body (even though the face isn’t shown). ***
|
