I’ve carried a torch for Pixar ever since I saw Finding Nemo the summer after graduating high school. I saw the films that came before it too, of course, but after I saw the opening sequence of Nemo, something switched on in my head, and I realized that the group of people who made this film knew how stories worked.
So it should be no surprise that I think WALL-E is the best film to come out this year. And I could sing its praises, talking about how emotionally resonant the characters are, how strong the story is, how beautiful the visuals are–but you can read that elsewhere, or, better yet, go see the film. Talking about it before seeing it is a bit like explaining a joke–to understand it is not to experience it. After you’ve seen it, come back and we’ll have a chat.
…Now that you’ve seen WALL-E, I’d like to talk about what makes him such an amazing protagonist. First, WALL-E’s an incredibly hard worker. Steadfast and consistent, he puts in a day’s work and gets a lot done in that day, as evidenced by the stacks of garbage cubes. Second, he’s innovative and adaptable. Beyond trash compactor, he’s a collector, an artist, a dancer, a doctor and a friend. He’s the last of his kind on earth because he is all of these things, and can adapt to almost any situation–with gusto. That’s not to say he’s particularly intuitive, but he knows how to make a situation work. He’s made his situation work, cultivating an appreciation for life through the detritus of a long-dead civilization.
Third, and perhaps most importantly, he longs for more out of life. That’s not to say he is unhappy with his situation or forlorn–just the contrary, as demonstrated above. Rather, he can imagine more, long for it, but be just as content with his life as it is. That fact is what made Courtney cry when she watched the trailer with WALL-E looking up at the stars and saying his name. The observer sees and respects the robot as he steadily works alone on a deserted planet, sympathizing with him. Then, WALL-E looks up at the stars with his binocular-shaped lenses and the observer realizes how much more this character wants and deserves. Yet he, for the time, is content.
After watching the first half-hour of the movie, in which WALL-E goes about his business alone on earth, I realized that he exemplified the best in humanity. Facing adversity with optimism and striving for more out of life, never succuming to the despair that seems to mark existence on this planet for anyone, nevermind the last sentient creature on earth.
In Fear and Trembling, Søren Kierkegaard describes this sort of phenomenon in proto-existentialist terms. The “knight of faith” is one who can function in the world, unpained by sacrifice and never disappointed by the hand the world has dealt him. The knight of faith is not deluded or resigned, but rather constantly refreshed by love for the world and life itself. WALL-E is the knight of faith, striving for more out of life and working for what matters to him, but never tragic because he is never resigned.
WALL-E is the best sort of person the world can offer, and humanity should be so lucky for him to be the last being on earth. «»
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