“Electroma” is a 2006 film written and produced by Daft Punk. I’ve been a long time fan of this duo. This movie was a bit avant-garde to say the least, and it received mixed reviews at the time it screened. It’s considered a cult classic amongst Daft Punk fans now, many of whom are still puzzled by the narrative of the silent film.
Although no official statement has been released by either Thomas or Guy-Manuel (the true identities of our robots), I’ve watched the film perhaps a dozen times now and I’ve come to interpret the film in a way that I can’t be convinced otherwise.
The film is a criticization of how attached we as humans have become to technology. It’s practically ingrained in our DNA at this point. Our phones, computers, television, and radio: it’s part of who we are. While our two robot protagonists aren’t technically human, the characterization of them throughout the film suggests otherwise, seen physically with their leather getup (strikingly different from the clothes the rest of the robots in the town are wearing which very much resembles the style of the 1950’s or 60’s) and then when they’re donning their human personas. It’s also clear in the way these characters react differently to the backlash of society, after being chased by an angry mob of robots. The golden bot (Guy-Manuel’s character) is quick to rip off their human disguise while the silver bot (Thomas’ character) stares at themselves in the mirror.
The film overall feels like a journey of self discovery. These two robots decide to become who they truly are: human after all. But they’re met with backlash amongst their own. I see myself in these two robots in the way us humans are taught to obey the laws–written and unwritten–of how to behave in society.
Every little step I’ve taken in my own journey has been met with backlash. I certainly don’t expect to discover myself completely in this lifetime (or the next), but becoming a little bit more of the person I truly am is the destination I feel drawn to.
Here’s to hoping it won’t end the same way “Electroma” did.
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