“We decided that the movie wasn’t about technology, or if it was, that the technology should be invisible. And not invisible like a piece of glass.”— K.K. Barrett, Her's production designer (via Wired)
The understated aesthetic in Spike Jonze’s Her marks an important moment in how we imagine technology in the not-so-distant future. Silvery Jetsons gizmos and gadgets neglect to make an appearance in the movie. Instead, the film’s production designer constructed a world where technology is so simplistic, it almost becomes a natural extension of ourselves.
Viewers of Her will first notice that all gadgets fade into the background. The protagonist, Theodore Twombly, still uses a desktop computer, smartphone, and TV, but they are not focal points in his life. In fact, some devices pay homage to the past, as seen in Samantha’s home screen, which is accented by curlicued handwriting. Voice recognition is everywhere, so there’s no need for clunky peripherals. Every device is clean, simple, and smart. When Theodore walks from room to room, the lighting automatically adjusts. Theodore talks to Samantha through an earpiece that resembles a hearing aid, which is subtly hidden inside his ear. In Her, technology’s goal is to make living smoother; to connect the disparate parts of our lives together so that we can become more whole.
The overall aesthetic of Jonze’s futuristic world points to a central theme in the film. We are heading toward a future where technology is no longer an evil, but rather something to be embraced. In order for us to embrace it, we have to make it look like it doesn’t exist. Down the line, our devices will be so adept at mirroring our needs, that we’ll be freed up to live lives that are fuller, richer, and seemingly, have nothing to do with technology at all.
(Sources: Wired & Warner Bros.)
