Directive, NULL.

Film: Wall-E

This film has pulled me in quite a few different directions when it comes to how I want to approach my reading of it.  There are many layers of sub context that I believe lend additional insight into the film itself.  For instance, this film is based in the far future, yet much of the music throughout is considered nostalgic or classic Broadway musical in nature.  This suggests that the writers are attempting to place some sort of large significance back to the “good ‘ole days of yesteryear” for some reason.  Maybe it is to allude to the simplicity of life in those times which is a stark contrast to the future we are presented in Wall-E in which everything is anything but simplistic, other than maybe the thought processes of the remaining humans (if we can even really call them that at this point, maybe humanoid-blob is a more accurate definition…)  Or maybe it is to show that humans played a more active role in the day to day operations of things..?   

                Another aspect that I thought was quite intriguing, and this ties into the rendering of the humanoids themselves, is that the writers seem to have a very grim outlook on the future of humanity itself.  Though their eyes the world has basically been subdued by a single corporate conglomerate that advocates uber-consumerism to the point of literally not being able to dispose of the garbage that results from such large volumes of consumption.  This super-gluttony eventually leads to the total destruction of habitation on Earth.  Wowzers!  I believe this is a direct statement about American consumerism and the fact that it is encouraged to no end regardless of the consequence; even if the consumer cannot afford the items of their desires, just acquire  it on credit, (BUY NOW PAY LATER!), that’s the American way, is it not..?  And once the debt has racked up so much to the point of not being able to see an end in sight, just file bankruptcy and start over, -‘Merica!!! 

I would also like to address the irony that is placed on the word “directive.”  All the robots in the movie have a directive, or purpose for their existence.  Wall-E compacts trash, Eva searches for life and so on, they “live” their lives with a specific purpose, something that is usually attributed to humans – i.e. “I’m a doctor, I’m a firefighter etc…”  But the humans in this film seem to have NO specific purpose other than to consume.  Maybe the Captain could be considered to have a specific function, but even the AXIOM is on auto-pilot, so his only real objective for each day is the morning announcements, something that is easily replaceable…

                So, overall I believe these individual aspects can be combined to make a single statement about the dependence of humans on their machines.  The more we let automation take the reins and “do” things for us, the less relevant our existence actually becomes.  In America, humans were once the backbone of every factory from coast to coast, now pretty much every factory is completely automated with only a handful of humans to ensure smooth operation.  But are those that remain just living blindly to their “directive?”  Couldn't an argument be made that many of them are easily replaceable by a machine as well, thus rendering their existence (at least from a directive standpoint) pointless…

MTG