Pixar’s film Wall-e
really made me question what the boundaries of humanity are…again. With other
films I have watched to this point (AI, Blade Runner, etc.), I have been pushed
to the limits of what specifically defines a human being. Previously, I have defined
humans as sympathetic, humane, and loving. The protagonist in this film,
Wall-e, further pushes these limits, acting completely human, but existing as a
robot. I believe that this was done with a purpose as to attract an audience
and compel them to think outside the box, at least for those who would normally
think of robots as purely machinery. Ultimately, this film completely reverses
the roles of humans and robots by giving robots completely human qualities.
Undoubtedly the most prominent and quite arguably the most
important and adorable character in the film is Wall-e. As the character with
the most face time, the filmmakers were extremely smart with how they portrayed
his role within the first 40 or so minutes of the film. He had to be likeable
and he had to have something quirky about him, otherwise the film would be a
complete bust. To make him likeable, the filmmakers made him into what I
believe was human.
I understand it is probably difficult to imagine a robot as
a human, but if you haven’t seen the film, it is impossible to imagine this
little guy any other way. One of the most prominent humanistic qualities about
Wall-e is his love of song. Although he may only know two, his incessant
playing and humming will make sure no viewer ever forgets the melody to “Hello
Dolly,” in a good way! Now, I’ve never heard a machine hum a musical tune
(granted, vibrations of washers and dryers make humming sounds, but not in show
tune form). I know of many humans, however, that do the like. Another
humanistic quality of Wall-e is best represented by his emotions. From the
movie he watches, he observes a young man and woman falling in love, clasping
their fingers together, and desires to one day feel the same. After meeting Eve
and immediately falling in love with her powerful, womanly presence, he yearns
to hold her hand and fall in love as the young human couple had. Honestly, how
much more human can you get? Humans are the only known species to show
affection for one another without the pure need for procreation. However, this
robot just wants to hold the hand of another robot. It could be loneliness or
love, either way it is adorable and an entirely human characteristic. A final
example of Wall-e’s human qualities are in his features. Although he doesn’t
have a human face or body or speech, he does have facial movements in his eyes,
he shrugs, he points, he grasps, he sighs, he has basic speech…although not an
exhaustive list, just more examples of characteristics that Wall-e shares with
typical human counterparts.
It is for these reasons that I feel extremely compelled to
call Wall-e a human. He may not look human in a physical manner, but his
emotions, characteristics, and certain features make him seem much more human
than the humans portrayed in this film. Anyone watching this film immediately
falls in love with him because of these qualities, practically assuming that to
be likeable, you have to be a human (or really stinking adorable).
Of all the examples you referenced to support Wall-E's humanity, I was most convinced by your final example. I thought the creators of the film did a brilliant job in creating such a human like character with only a basic understanding of language and the ability to shrug, point, and grasp which, as you address in your blog, is not an extensive list. If I had not already seen the film, I wouldn't see there being any reason for me to think of Wall-E as anything but a trash compacting robot. However, I am now only able to see Wall-E as a human being for all of the reasons you focused on in your post.
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