Wall-E and Kuleshov

In Andrew Stanton’s animated Sci-Fi Wall-E, (2008) the restrictions placed upon the expressions of characters, both human and robotic, demand a regression to the silent film era in order to aptly communicate character feelings and “directives.”  The mechanical robot bodies of Wall-E and Eve are limited in both speech in body language due to their synthetic natures, while humans are limited due to their increase in body mass and their decrease in bone mass which renders them immobile and nearly incapable of body language in the slightest.  Furthermore, their interaction with other human beings occurs, until the climax of the film, solely through a virtual medium (Note that robotic speech doesn’t occur for the first 22 minutes of the film, and human speech doesn’t occur for the first 39 minutes). 

The film reverts as result, relying on editing and music to bestow meaning upon the formerly lifeless forms.

We understand Wall-E’s pursuit of robot-love because of the editing technique developed in 1920s Soviet Montage films known as the Kuleshov effect.  As expressed by Lev Kuleshov in his discussion “The Principles of Montage” in his film text The Practice of Film Direction, montage developed at a time when typage, or non-actors, were utilized to accurately portray a character of certain socioeconomic status visually.  Kuleshov nods to one of the primary functions of montage aiming to enhance the roles of the inadequate actors:

           

“Doubtless, the work of such an accidental actor (not an actor but a type) will be very poor in quality, and it is here that the role of montage, correcting and adjusting the actor’s job, is highly significant.”

Montage intervenes by juxtaposing a set of shots in order to achieve the Kuleshov effect: giving birth to an idea or feeling by juxtaposing two shots that is not present in either shot individually.  We learn about Wall-E’s aspirations through his viewing of the film Hello, Dolly! (1969).  We are first presented with a shot of Wall-E observing the film, then shifting to a POV shot of the screen on which Hello, Dolly! is projected.  The shots alternates back to Wall-E, and his eyes are able to express a sense of longing due to their ability to rotate downwards on their axis to suggest depression.  Returning to the projection, we see the affectionate human characters holding hands.  The shot again comes back to Wall-E, this time on his hands instead of his face, and he is grasping his own mechanical hands together in the absence of a robot love interest.  By juxtaposing shots in montage style, we are able to deduce that Wall-E is capable of very human emotions, particularly love.

Even in opening scenes that establish the dystopic setting of “trash planet,” the Kuleshov effect is accomplished, but through music instead of dynamic editing.  Despite the depressive, lifeless landscape, Wall-E movements are interpreted as swift and full of life: he appears excited to be creating skyscrapers of trash.  Taking into account, however, his lack of effective expression, we realize that while his body language and movements certainly contribute to the construction of meaning, it is not without the music that we are able to discern his character. 

The song “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” from Hello, Dolly! inspires our reading of Wall-E’s character, providing an uplifting musical number that is hopeful in discovering a new meaning in life, simultaneously touching upon motifs of the film:

“Out there

There's a world outside of Yonkers

Way out there beyond this hick town, Barnaby

There's a slick town, Barnaby

Out there

Full of shine and full of sparkle

Close your eyes and see it glisten, Barnaby

Listen, Barnaby...”

Alluding to the motifs of abandoning and discovering life throughout the film, we see that form follows function to an extent: Andrew Stanton acts as a necromancer, relying heavily on a film tradition of the past to bring expressive life to his formerly inarticulate characters.