‘Cloud Atlas’ is one of those films that challanges critics and movie lovers by refusing categorizations. Historical fresco? Philosophical film? Science fiction? Art movie? Mega-production with mega-stars in distribution? ‘Cloud Atlas’, made in 2012 by The Wachowskis and the formidable German director Tom Tykwer, can be considered as having elements of all these genres, and at the same time belonging to a separate category. It is a spectacular and sophisticated film, which leaves many elements of the story and interpretation in the hands and minds of the spectators, and a captivating movie because of the way it is made, realized and interpreted. At the end of the viewing I was left with the feeling that many details and meanings remained open or unexplored, but at the same time I did not go through any boredom moments, on the contrary, I was permanently captivated, despite the duration of almost three hours. It’s one of the few movies I’d like to see again. It happens very rarely to me, even with the films that I really loved.
‘Cloud Atlas’ is the screen adaptation of a novel by the same name written by David Mitchell, built as a succession of six stories, which take place over different periods of time, and which are linked by a similar theme and by the fact that in each of them there are references to the previous story. The structure of the novel is pyramidal, the stories unfold in the first part of the book chronologically, the final one in the middle, and then the narratives come back in time in reverse sequence. The filmmakers chose to present the six plots in parallel and interleaved. The film permanently alternates scenes in which the narrative threads intersect: from the story of a ship sailing the ocean in the 19th century during the slave trade period, passing through the 1930s story of the young genius composer of the symphonic piece ‘Cloud Atlas’, the one of the brave reporter involved in a political investigation in the 1970s, of the publisher pursued by literate gangsters in the contemporaneity, until the two episodes in the future, involving a revolt of humanoid robots and a story of contact between civilizations. There are some shared ideas – especially the uniqueness of truth and its supreme moral value, but the style of each episode is distinct, from the historical film, via political thrillers, to sci-fi. Three of the episodes are directed by The Wachowskis, the other three by Tykwer. Their combining is superb, creating a sense of continuity and sublimating the idea of temporal relativity and fluidity. One door closes in one time period and opens in another. The paces of the stories accelerate or stop simultaneously, the moments of maximum tension are reached in simultaneity. As in a wonderful mosaic where you step back a few steps and you see the whole, same in ‘Cloud Atlas’ the sensations of continuity and consistency are perfect.
The unity of ideas and style of the film is strengthened by the casting in different episodes of a remarkable team of actors, many of whom play multiple role roles that transcend not only time, but also ages, sex, skin color. The exceptional makeup also contributes to the melting of actors with such well-known faces as Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, or Susan Sarandon in their characters. Also appearing in the film is Doona Bae, a famous South Korean actress (I had seen her in ‘A Girl at My Door‘) but little known outside her country. Another special component of connection and expression is the film’s soundtrack. I believe that for those who are not afraid of cinematic experiences other than the routine ones, and who do not necessarily look for a particular genre in its purest state, ‘Cloud Atlas’ is a film that offers many reasons for satisfaction. It is also a film that I think by its very structure is destined to withstand time, and to be increasingly appreciated in the future.