Her spike jonze final letter professional#

The film makes us fall into the very trap that it’s warning against, and causes us to truly realize just how important it is to separate ourselves from the charms and utility of a technology-fuelled world. Just like Theodore, we’re faced with the reminder that Samantha does not hold the same emotional capabilities as a human, and we’re shown first-hand the consequences of this over-reliance on technology. And once we’re completely involved in this dynamic, the film hits us with the revelation that their relationship is merely one of over 600 for Samantha. We care about her ‘feelings’, we’re intrigued by her ‘thoughts’, and we become invested in their relationship. By making the central technology in the film so relatable and compassionate, Jonze causes the audience to fall into exactly the same trap as Theodore. It’s an extremely unusual way to present this story, but it’s unbelievably effective. She has no ulterior motives, no manipulative endgame, just a genuine, raw connection with her boyfriend Theodore. Instead, Her presents a sensitive, caring form of technology in the form of Samantha ( Scarlett Johansson). Artificial intelligence in this film isn’t evil– there’s no deadly Terminator from the future and no sentinels forcing us into the Matrix. But where Her proves its originality and necessity most strongly is in the way that it uses its central romance as a way to show the positives of technology’s advancement, not just the negatives. Since the genre first sprang to popularity in the late 20 th Century, humanity’s relationship with technology has been a primary focus of an uncountable number of works. However, Her certainly isn’t the first sci-fi film that warns against a societal over-reliance on machines, and it definitely won’t be the last. The operating systems may be able to replicate human qualities, but what Spike Jonze demonstrates through his protagonist is that true emotion and understanding of the human condition can only come from an actual human being – why else would the company employ real people to do a job that seems so theoretically manageable by such advanced artificial intelligence? Even in a world where computers have advanced to incomprehensible levels of intelligence, humanity and empathy are still crucial aspects of society – and Her’s dystopian future acts as a warning against a world that forgets this. It’s his empathy, his compassion, and his ability to form and share emotions that sets him apart from the technology. As we watch Theodore transcribe a letter, pouring his heart and soul into the unknown lives of two strangers, it becomes obvious that it’s Theodore’s innate humanity that sets him apart from the robotic intelligence that seems to control the rest of the world.

Her spike jonze final letter professional#

Theodore works for a company called Beautiful Handwritten Letters – a service where professional writers like him compose meaningful letters for those who cannot do so themselves. We may share many of the same qualities, and society’s increasing reliance on technology may seem to indicate some sort of eventual convergence, but Her proves that we must be able to recognize our intellectual and biological differences in order to avoid inevitable codependency and heartbreak.įrom the very first time that we’re introduced to Theodore in the film’s opening scenes, its central message is glaringly clear. Although Her is a mostly uplifting and charming chronicle of the love between these two individuals, the film harbors a much more uncomfortable and sinister message beneath its pastel colors and heartwarming dialogue – humans and machines can never be the same. That’s exactly what the film shows us with Theodore Twombly ( Joaquin Phoenix), a lonely, introverted writer struggling to rebound from his impending divorce, when he meets his operating system, Samantha. In fact, artificial intelligence has become so lifelike and compassionate in this futuristic landscape that humans are often unable to recognize this distinction, and end up falling in love with their operating systems.

It’s an entire entity that sounds, thinks, and reacts like a human being, recognizing its user’s needs and responding with all the clarity and capabilities of a real person. In Spike Jonze’s sci-fi romance Her, artificial intelligence is so much more than a robotic voice on your phone – it has advanced to the point where it has become almost indistinguishable from real life. This article contains spoilers for ‘Her’ (2013). Her reminds us of the intricacies of humanity that cannot be replicated, even in a world where the border between man and machine grows increasingly indistinct.