Let's Start with the End: WALL·E

Wall-e, directed by Andrew Stanton, is a tale of the future, the past, and the present – it is a direct and indirect commentary on our way of life, and it is a simplistic but ever-so-detailed story for both adults and children to experience together.  It presents a dystopian world where the Earth is a lifeless form of trash and humans are nowhere to be seen but lethargically embedded in space – but, alas, there is hope! An interesting element about this film is that it presents hope wherever there is downfall and humor even at the points of seemingly human ruin.  It provides a resolve of compromise and suggests that… together, we can. It truly is a Pixar film by definition.

The end credits animate this resolve clearly, as they show how robots can work with humans to create progress. It is ironic because this is the reason that electronics and mechanics were invented in the first place.  The issue arises, though, when we abuse our monsters, letting them go, or even criticize and fail to accept them. By providing these very robots with animated lives, Wall-e actually forces us to look beyond our overuse, appreciate these adorable robots, and contemplate the limits of our trash-throwing ways.

One element that is repeated at several points in the film to combine the pieces and construct a more holistic story is that of dance. When Eve is depicted to first arrive on Earth, amongst the dirt and ruins, we see her freely dancing besides the trash and brown mess. Once again, beyond the midpoint of the film, we’re delighted by a beautiful dance number presented to us by our very own Wall-e and Eve – this time, they are dancing together… in the middle of the vast darkness known as space.  Just after we are disgusted by the human characters on the Axiom that a little too familiarly remind us of ourselves, we witness this silent dance that speaks beyond what can be heard. It once again provides us with a bliss and happiness to counter what we have just seen. I appreciated how the creators of Wall-e decided to include this form of art juxtaposed with the darkness and social commentary. When the average person defines dance, he/she describes it as a form of expression and a bounding of unique cultures since it is present in countless forms and civilizations. Although the robotic dance movements clearly resemble that of humans, they have unique mannerisms to the limited flexibility of the robots, indicating their own culture. These dance scenes show the potential of unity, hope, freedom, and joy that can still come. The second dance serves to not only express the love between Wall-e and Eve but also awakens a love between the humans Mary and John. Beyond the darkness, once again we see some light.

In the commentary track, director Andrew Stanton indicates how he wanted to show the humans “waking up” from their sleep. Instead of desiring to present a permanent and unending doom, Wall-e shows that all that is needed is a nudge in the right direction, and once again, a fresh beauty can be rebuilt from the old ruins. By combining the past and the present, a few failures and mistakes, and love and hope, the film presents the possibilities of a boundless and fresh future that can potentially emerge.