杏吧原创

Bertrand Bonello

, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival last month, is set partly in a near future in which artificial intelligence is in control of everyone鈥檚 lives and human emotions are perceived as a threat.

Directed by Bertrand Bonello, the film is loosely based on a Henry James novella, The Beast in the Jungle, but is far removed from that book鈥檚 fatalistic manifesto. The story unfolds over three separate years: 1910, 2014 and 2044. In all of them, the focus is on Gabrielle (L茅a Seydoux), a woman who in 2044 decides to 鈥減urify鈥� her DNA by exploring her past lives. This popular trope allows her to reunite with Louis (George MacKay), her great love in one of her past lives, who has been reborn as an incel and Elliot Rodger-esque killer in 2014.

The three periods highlight how human emotions are experienced differently. In 1910, Louis and Gabrielle hesitate to let themselves go (Gabrielle is married to another man), but we can at least witness some passion and desire. In 2014, Gabrielle is an aspiring actress who spends most of her time alone, while Louis鈥檚 frustration as an incel makes him violent.

By 2044, human interactions have been stripped to the minimum. People seem to have been brainwashed by a process similar to the Ludovico Technique outlined in A Clockwork Orange, a particularly brutal form of aversion that involved the protagonist watching films of atrocities by the Nazis.

The idea of depicting how emotions and their display change over time is enhanced by the recurring presence of dolls. Their fetishisation is a metaphor for the lead characters鈥� growing lack of affection. In 1910, for example, Gabrielle owns a factory where dolls are made, and she hopes to use them to bring joy and comfort to children. But by 2044, the 鈥渄oll鈥� is a female android that accompanies Gabrielle and acts as her only friend, or as a lover when requested.

Bonello is trying to show how technology has the potential to manipulate emotions, or even kill them off. This message underlies the film, but is made explicit during the final scene, when Gabrielle and Louis meet again in 2044.

Other sub-themes include invasive online advertising and crimes against women. These play an important role in triggering the main conflict between Gabrielle and Louis in the 2014 storyline.

Unfortunately, the film misses two important opportunities. First, Seydoux鈥檚 portrayal of Gabrielle is rather flat, even though she is the one of the pair who is more vocal and is supposed to be struggling to hide her emotions. (McKay鈥檚 acting, while dry, is more functional and plays in his favour, as he portrays the colder-hearted character of the two).

The other miss concerns the narrative structure, which can feel a bit too chaotic and confusing, especially when Bonello breaks cinematic conventions. For example, he adds too many bizarre jump cuts, and this doesn鈥檛 add to the film鈥檚 overall intelligibility or help with plot development.

That aside, two questions emerge powerfully. What is the 鈥渂east鈥�? And where is it? This film offers the viewer great food for thought, inviting you to think through your emotions and your dependency on technology.