Ex Machina Screening Reflection

Ex Machina, directed by Alex Garland, was one of the wildest films I have watched to date. I can easily say that the film surprised me multiple times and that especially the ending was very unexpected.

The film’s use of close up shots was something that struck me right off the bat. Whenever a character seemed to be experiencing confusion or any type of profound emotion the camera seemed to center on that individual, usually in silence, with the character completely still or barely moving. This allowed me as a viewer to understand the intensity of these emotions experienced by each character, even if that character was a robot. These shots, usually focused on the characters’ faces, were very sharp and usually in low light, adding concentration to the wrinkles in his or her skin and expressions made by his or her eyes and mouth.

Another element of the film that struck me as well was the use of sound or lack thereof throughout its entirety. Throughout the film, whenever Ava caused a power shutdown it was believed that Nathan was unable to hear the conversation had between Caleb and Ava, yet at the end of the film, in a shocking turn of events, Nathan recovers the audio from those moments and reveals this to Caleb by playing those recordings for him. This method of exposure was definitely far more effective than Nathan simply telling Caleb that he had found and listened to the files.

One more effective use of sound came at the end of the film when Ava has covered herself in skin and clothed herself in order to look completely and utterly human and leaves Caleb locked in Nathan’s office. The soundproof door is closed, so as we are able to see his flailing, banging, and screams through the glass, we are unable to hear his sheer agony. This pain and screaming is starkly contrasted by the placement of calm instrumental music over the film. This disparity between the classical soundtrack and deep rage leaves the view baffled and uneasy, accomplishing the intent of the scene, as we as viewers are uncertain as to what Caleb’s future holds, or if he even really has one.