Review of Her – Released in 2013, ‘Her’ is the fourth feature film by director Spike Jonze, presenting his vision of the near future of society. It explores the complex relationship between the main protagonist Theodore Twombly (played by Joaquin Phoenix), as he develops romantic feelings for his artificially intelligent operating system (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), analogous to our modern digital assistants like Siri and Alexa. The film was shot in Shanghai and Los Angeles and fused the architecture of both locations to craft a unique environment. Jonze and production designer K. K. Barrett were interested in expressing the emotional side of Theodore’s character. Consequently, as the audience becomes drawn into his world, the futuristic components of the film appear convincingly realistic.
Urbanism of the Near Future | Review of Her
The movie is set in Los Angeles a few decades from now, featuring a cluster of towers and a well-developed mass-transit system with pedestrian sky bridges, both of which seem to have eliminated the need for cars. The Pudong district of Shanghai, home to an array of modern skyscrapers and sky bridges, was also chosen to shoot several sequences.
According to architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne, “While Shanghai looks more believably dense and developed than present-day Los Angeles, filming in Shanghai also allows him to capture something significant about the character, and the anxieties, of contemporary L.A. This is a city caught in limbo between two very different kinds of urbanism: between its private and car-dominated past and denser, more public, and more connected future.” As the city is caught between two worlds, alternating between scenes shot in Los Angeles and Shanghai, so is Theodore, who has his feet planted in Los Angeles while his head and heart are lost in a digital fantasy.
The film set was designed by the founding partners of the architectural studio Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio. “I found a kind of beautiful realism in it. That’s why I think the film is interesting. It’s not futuristic. It’s set in the near future, and it’s almost believable that that could happen. It’s so close to everyday normal life. It makes you slightly uncomfortable.” says Elizabeth Diller for Architect Magazine.
Regarding the film’s urbanism, the environment is “generic,” with buildings similar to each other, consistent with the idea of a “monocultural, globalized future.” The emphasis, however, is to make the protagonist’s lifestyle relatable to the current lifestyle, where people use their digital devices to connect and interact with others. In that sense, the film builds upon the current stage of digitalization.
The city and costume designs both create a realistic future environment. Jonze and Barrett digitally enhanced the city’s existing skyline. Transit zones appear more efficient, and large public spaces with modern furniture contribute to the city’s intended ambiance.
Interiors
Barrett, the production designer, approached the movie by eliminating irrelevant elements until he was left only with the essentials. Theodore’s apartment is set on the top of a 35-story luxury high-rise in the center of Downtown Los Angeles specifically picked for the extensive views of the city. As Barrett states for ArchDaily, “The spaces for Amy’s and Theodore’s apartments were blank slates. The space originally was cold, architecturally uninspired, dead […] We chose them for their views of downtown….” The apartment’s interior design centers natural light towards Theodore and brings the exterior city inside. It is set up as a “continuous, warm space” with the installation of polished wood floors and wood wall partitions in subtle tones. To enhance the warm setting, the wall panels shift color as the film progresses but always gravitate back towards red.
Theodore’s emotional state is explored throughout the movie using interior objects. His wrapped belongings imply that he doesn’t quite feel at home in this place yet, “The details in his apartment as a bachelor are bits from his life that haven’t found a place to rest.” The film jumps back and forth in different moments in time to give the viewer snippets of what was once Theodore’s life with his now ex-wife (played by Rooney Mara).
Color Palette | Review of Her
Barrett credits Michelangelo Antonioni’s Red Desert as an influence on the film’s color scheme. He observes that red is the color that “unified” the movie, acknowledging its demanding presence. In contrast to Theodore’s workplace and home, Barrett writes, “The office was [initially] stark white, as was the apartment, so by adding vibrant color they immediately had more definitive character.” One of the movie’s handful applications of blue can be seen in the office, where transparent blue Plexiglass panels are used. The rest of the film is primarily in shades of red. Barrett clarifies, “red seemed playful and the opposite of cold.”
With the continually advancing technological revolution that makes it possible to digitize and enhance many aspects of one’s life, Jonze’s film responds to what that would mean if taken perhaps a bit too far – into the realm of romantic relationships. The way in which the current digital trajectory is being considered is part of what makes this movie an immersive watch.
Reference List : Review of Her
- ArchDaily (2014). INTERIORS: Her [online]. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/480608/interiors-her [Accessed: 26 October 2022]
- A. Miranda C. (2014). Elizabeth Diller on Spike Jonze’s ‘Her’ [online]. Available at: https://www.architectmagazine.com/design/elizabeth-diller-on-spike-jonzes-her_o [Accessed: 04 November 2022]
- Hawthorne C. (2014). Spike Jonze’s ‘Her’ a refreshingly original take on future L.A. [online]. Available at: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-her-architecture-notebook-story.html [Accessed: 04 November 2022]
- Sawant H. (2022). Architecture and Cinema: The Fascinating Connection of 2 Cultures [online]. Available at: https://thedesigngesture.com/architecture-and-cinema/ [Accessed: 04 November 2022]
