World of Tomorrow Episode
Two: The Burden of Other People's Thoughts *****/ *****
Directed by: Don Hertzfeldt
Written by: Don Hertzfeldt
Starring: Julia Pott, Winona Mae
There
are only a few films I would describe as perfect – but Don Hertzfeldt’s 17
minute 2015 short, World of Tomorrow, is one of them. That film is arguably the
best sci fi film of the century so far, and is more packed with ideas in just
17 minutes that any feature I can think of in the same genre. It combined
primitive stick figures, with complex digital animation to come up with a
funny, sad, insightful and truly profound work about our world, and our place
in it – with little Emily, about three, off in her own little world, being
visited by a future clone of hers from centuries in the future, to show us the
sad world humans now live in. It didn’t need a sequel – it was perfect as it
was.
And
yet, Hertzfeldt decided to make a sequel anyway, and amazingly enough, he
crafted something nearly as good. (Perhaps the film is as good as the first one
– I’ll let you know when I’ve seen it as many times as I watched the first one
– so, only about a hundred more viewings to go). While the first film looked
outward, this film is very much inward looking. I’m not sure I’d call any of
Hertzfeldt’s work hopeful – but this one is, at least a little.
This
time, Emily Prime (a three year old, who has no concept of what is going on) is
once again visited by one of her future clones. This clone – with a 6 stamped
on her forehead – was supposed to be next in line to “become” Emily – but
something has gone wrong, and she needs Emily Prime memories. The pair of them
venture off into the mind of the clone, which can be a dark place. There is a
Bog of Reality, which has essentially drown the glimmers of hope for this Emily
– who cannot tell what are genuine memories, and what are other peoples. She
thinks she can play the piano – only to find that must have been some other
Emily. Meanwhile, Emily Prime does what little kids do – which is to live
completely in the moment, with her drawings, and her side trips into the Land
of Triangles, which can morph into the Land of Squares, at a moment’s notice.
There
is essentially, I think, the basic point of this film – that we cannot live in
the past, and we cannot fear the future. Children, like Emily Prime, have the
right idea – which is to live in the here and now, because it’s the only moment
we are guaranteed. We cannot be burdened by memories of the past.
That,
too, though makes the film sound too simple than it is. Once again, Hertzfeldt
has crafted a funny, sad film chocked full of ideas, and brilliant animation –
combined childlike drawings, with jaw dropping digital animation, to come up
with something wholly unique to him. The shock isn’t there that there was the
first time, but Hertzfeldt more than clears the bar. This is one of the
greatest sequels ever made – and if Hertzfeldt decides to keep exploring the
World of Tomorrow, I’ll be first in line to see it.
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