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e-ISSN:2587-1587SOCIAL SCIENCES STUDIES JOURNAL
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Article Arrival : 15/08/2020 Published : 26.10.2020
Doi Number http://dx.doi.org/10.26449/sssj.2657
Reference Soğukkuyu, B. (2020). “Body Language And Techno-Communication In The Light Of Films "Her" And "Ex-Machina"” International Social Sciences Studies Journal, (e-ISSN:2587-1587) Vol:6, Issue:72; pp:4616-4625
BODY LANGUAGE AND TECHNO-COMMUNICATION IN THE LIGHT OF FILMS "HER" AND "EX-MACHINA"
"Her" Ve "Ex-Machına" Filmlerinin Işığında Vücut Dili Ve Tekno-İletişim
Assoc. Prof. Bahar SOĞUKKUYU
Dokuz Eylül University, Buca Education Faculty, Fine Arts Education Department, İzmir/TÜRKİYE ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9496-5211
ABSTRACT
Preferring virtual socialization millennial generation deny reality. They both appear physically with their bodies in real life and also choose virtual sphere to play their roles actively. Techno-communication is so alive that people continue their daily lives integrated with their smart phones and other technological tools. Inevitably, cyber existence of humans is attached with their identities, daily habits, cultural, traditional and existence forms. On the other hand, people can choose a purified character in cyber sphere to isolate himself from his real, physical world. In terms of reflecting the relationship between real character and artificial intelligence, science fiction films
"Her" and "Ex-Machina" are chosen for this study.
Human has the ability to concentrate to the newest situation he experiences. In both films, human's challenge with his emotions and self-critical side presents the different and common ways of real life challenges. Just as test subjects, the characters have to cope with their real and/or virtual experiences. In addition to the new virtual learnings, there is a real life concentration struggle with physical, psychological and sociological conditions. As seen in films, enjoying loneliness and new experiences with artificial intelligence purified from society, human finds freedom in his own virtual world. Within the use of techno-communication, the two film posters will be examined with comparative semiotic analysis as being evidences of the physical and virtual relationship models of millennial generation. The films will be examined with the character, space, time, body language, form of communication, psychological and sociological conditions.
Key Words: techno-communication, body language, virtual experience, cybersphere, semiotics
ÖZET
Sanal sosyalleşmeyi tercih eden Y kuşağı, gerçekliği reddetmektedir. Fiziksel olarak bedenleriyle gerçek hayatta var olmayı sürdürürken rollerini aktif olarak oynamak için sanal alanı seçmektedir. Tekno-iletişim o kadar canlı ki, insanlar akıllı telefonları ve diğer teknolojik araçlarıyla entegre olarak günlük hayatlarına devam etmektedir. İnsanların siber varlığı kaçınılmaz olarak kimlikleri, günlük alışkanlıkları, kültürel, geleneksel ve varoluş biçimleriyle bağlantılıdır. Öte yandan, insanlar kendisini gerçek, fiziksel dünyasından izole etmek için siber alanda saflaştırılmış bir karakter seçebilirler. Gerçek karakter ile yapay zeka arasındaki ilişkiyi yansıtması açısından bu çalışma için bilim kurgu filmleri "Her" ve "Ex-Machina" seçilmiştir. İnsan yaşadığı en yeni duruma konsantre olma yeteneğine sahiptir. Her iki filmde, insanın duyguları ve özeleştirel yönüyle meydan okuması, gerçek yaşam zorluklarının farklı ve ortak yollarını sunmaktadır. Test denekleri gibi, karakterler de gerçek ve / veya sanal deneyimleriyle başa çıkmak zorundadır. Yeni sanal öğrenmelere ek olarak, fiziksel, psikolojik ve sosyolojik koşullarla gerçek bir yaşam konsantrasyon mücadelesi bulunmaktadır.
Filmlerde görüldüğü gibi toplumdan arındırılmış yapay zeka ile yalnızlığın ve yeni deneyimlerin tadını çıkaran insan, özgürlüğünü kendi sanal dünyasında bulur. Tekno- iletişimin kullanımında, iki film posteri, Y kuşağının fiziksel ve sanal ilişki modellerinin kanıtları olarak karşılaştırmalı göstergebilimsel analizle incelenecektir.
Filmler karakter, ortam, zaman, beden dili, iletişim biçimi, psikolojik ve sosyolojik koşullarla incelenecektir.
Anahtar Kelimeler: tekno-iletişim, beden dili, sanal deneyim, siber küre, göstergebilim
Review Article
1. INTRODUCTION
The Strategy, Cultural Analysis and Design teams at Adjust Your Set make a quite ambitious but so real inference: "There are 206 bones in the human body, and the smartphone could plausibly be considered the 207th for Generation Y" (http://adjustyourset.com/). Born between 1980-2000, millenial generation -also called Gen Y- has been living so intertwined with technology that they mostly plan their life on their phones, computers, agendas, social media accounts: payment, consumption, appointment, job interview, expression about themselves very hidden to say during daily life, and so on.
Linked with each other through technological communication, millenial generation uses a vocabulary based on technology and computer that is foreign for the elder generations. The millenial generation generally uses shortened words to communicate quickly so that they can handle obligatory daily activities at the same time. Huxley expresses that "Every individual is the beneficiary and the victim of the language tradition"
(Huxley, 1995: 17). As creators of technological and shortened forms of languages, millenial generation are the victims and beneficiaries of their own special vocabulary (MacKinnon, 2016). Through this perspective, use of time is an important point: one can be a prisoner or a controller in digital/virtual world.
This applies to both physical and virtual environments.
"Transnationalism refers to the diffusion and extension of social, political, economic processes in between and beyond the sovereign jurisdictional boundaries of nation-states. International processes are increasingly governed by non-state actors and international organizations" (Williams, https://globalsocialtheory.org).
Transnationalism eliminates any boundaries, both spatially and intellectually: in the world and in one's mind. When it comes to transboundary abstract, intellectual frame, it is possible to relate the subject to interconnected network system. The links between cities as the flight map shows on digital screen are similar to brain cells, network system in cybersphere or stellar network system in space. Beyond the boundaries it is possible to think relations between different spaces and topics. There is also no boundary in virtual sphere: a deep area including any type of information no matter if it is true or wrong. There is no selection related to social class, gender, religion, culture, economy, education, ability, and so on. A virtual area with network conveying required information (image, text, video). Although the basis of numerical created to be used in recent years, decades later, today's current network may seem quite shallow and distracting to future generations.
Through the study global millennial culture and virtual media have been viewed within the framework of time and space based on technological communication era. Her and Ex-Machina film examples are used to clarify the millenials as obedients and managers. Both trying to solve their struggles through their lives, environments, friendships and within themselves, they try to satisfy their curiosity about emotional and logical aspects of themselves through relations based on techno-communication.
2. GLOBAL MILLENNIAL CULTURE & CYBERSPHERE
In the early years of the spread of the use of technology, technology addiction has perceived as a disease that needs to be overcome. Still it is possible to come across people's views in this direction. The education system is split in two: education with technological tools, education without technological tools. However, in many countries, basic knowledge of coding and software generation is now being transferred to children from primary level. " Science is not just about forecasting the future. Scientists are looking to create new and unknown futures by expanding our horizon in every area" (Harari, 2016: 71). Human bodies mostly interact with any technological device during the day for different purposes such as facilitating, organizing, saving time, working, communicating.
Technological communication tools carry more decisive role between political, economic, cultural and sociological relations than country boundaries. Identities are drawn within the framework of digitalization.
"According to Foucault, identities are institutions and practices that define, classify, shape and limit identities (because of being a power mechanism / produced by power). While this power pointed to a system in which the king, the church, and the aristocracy were in the center before modernity, a structure was formed that was based on institutionalism together with modernity, and this structure was often tried to be explained by economics-politics. However, power is a complex structure with general and sophisticated strategies, mechanisms, and knowledge constantly articulated with it, and this work has to be examined in detail" (Foucault, as cited in Çam: 2). With the technological advancement, the software has taken over the task of following personal data records, security measures and tracking system performed by people in the past period. Of course, these software is still managed by people today, followed, updated. However, the
personalized card system, not a key, is now a general representation of the accessibility of individuals through their cards. Today, the card system is used in such a wide area that it is seen as a privilege offered to the person from consumption, capital usage, entrance to a certain place to privileged membership, and in fact, the traceability by the power is an upper system tool that facilitates the recording.
While millenial generation is occupied with searching information through virtual media, they turn into members of a surveillance society even if they do not realise. "Together with the developments in information technologies, the new world order evolves from the information society to the surveillance society. Surveillance continues uninterruptedly in a wide range of fields, from politics and security to consumption and entertainment where data is gathered and processed" (Kesim Güven, 2016: 19). Through information bombs in every field, they are exposed to excessive information loading, nevertheless the information is usually superficial and scattered. The information has a characteristic flowing like water on the screen as a result of scrolling the technological tools relentlessly. "The panoptic society, which Bentham dreamed of, Foucault's theorized and Orwell's counter-utopian imagination, became possible (now!) thanks to electronic networks and cyber-space from the end of the 20th century" (Dolgun, 2015).
The surveillance society is surrounded with an invisible techno-glass system as Uğur Dolgun (Dolgun, 2015) defines "Transparent prison". Camera, smartphone, computer are the main tools of techno-glass.
Society is so willing to be surrounded by these tools that the people feel helpless if the charge is finished, electricity is cut off. Ergüven also uses the term "image-gourmand" for millennials: "Image consumption is increasing day by day, so it can be said that image-gourmand is one of the best adjectives that we can use to describe the millennium individual. Today our presence in society is based on the relationships we have established through images. The technology is developing for the people in the streets to consume more images. Digital platform is creating a democratic environment by bringing consumers to the producer position at the same time. Moreover, this system which gives individuals the power to produce and share images, causes a chaos that we can not predict the outcome yet" (Ergüven, 2013: 21).
"From family to nation, every human group is a society of island universes. ...We all live together, we influence and react to one another; but always and under all circumstances we are on our own" (Huxley, 1995: 9). Science fiction films give us the clues that people as humans will not be alone as society forms that robots will accompany. As a very minimal example form, in two films Ex Machina and Her, the influence, interaction of human and robots is focused. "In the Turing Test you need to be in contact with both a human and a computer at the same time without knowing who is in front of you in order to be able to determine if a computer is a mind. You can ask any question you want, play games, discuss or even flirt.
There is no time constraint. Then you are asked to decide which one of them is the computer, which one is the person. As a result, if you can not decide or make mistakes, the computer will pass the Turing Test and we have to accept the computer to be a smart entity with the mind. This, of course, is not a definite proof.
Accepting the existence of other minds is basically a social and legal contract" (Harari, 2016: 130). As distinct from Turing Test, in Ex Machina the human knows and meets the robot. Now the computer has been evolved into an advanced artificial intelligence in both films. The program and the robot both know themselves. They are capable of the differences between human and their advanced fautures. There are humors during dialogues that they sometimes try to explain their capabilities in basic forms so that human can understand.
"The flow from the community to civilization itself is based on time. Time is the basic language of technology and the spirit of domination" (Zerzan, 2018: 43). Inspired by many virtual existence experiences, millenial generation mostly spend their time attached to the technological device. So that there is no concrete space limit in the programs used in technological devices, in millennial culture, transnationalism is prevail. Country boundaries are meaningless to them. With the reflections in the virtual environment and in the real world, the limits are completely exceeded. Rather than the borders of the country, they think how, how long and by which conditions they can reach the place of interest. Other genres of interest include virtual films and series. Brands are indispensable identifiers for millenial generation that their lives, desires, targets basically function by advertisements of anything. They look forward to be the first user of a new product of their favourite brands. Of course the second goal is to share this through virtual media. The conversion of consumption into a ceremonial activity is a ritual stage for them.
2.1. SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF "EX MACHINA" AND "HER"
In this chapter, the two films wll be examined with comparative descriptive and semiotic analysis considering common characteristics with millennial generation and culture.
Nobody expresses borders of countries, nationality in Ex-Machina. The unique house where the whole story continues is in a center of nowhere. There is no border. At the outside, the background of the landscape is huge or seems like an abstract painting. Ex Machina has been edited in a building surrounded with glass inspired by "The Panopticon" building of the English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham. No matter in 1785 or 2014, the control mechanism of the individual and being controlled by a power has always been a matter in human history. By the method of concretization concepts like poverty, monitoring, obedience into a building (The Panopticon building by Bentham, Prison by Foucault, and the house of Nathan in Ex Machina) the relation between surveillance society and power is aimed to evaluate.
As Foucault expressed in Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison, "The order that the disciplinary punishments must enforce is o f a mixed nature: it is an ‘artificial’ order, explicitly laid down by a law, a programme, a set of regulations. But it is also an order defined by natural and observable processes: the duration of an apprenticeship, the time taken to perform an exercise, the level of aptitude refer to a regularity that is also a rule" (Foucault, 1977: 179). "When Spinoza says, 'We don't know what a body can do', he actually thinks about the capacities of the soul. Because the soul / body is compound substance for him" (Batukan, 2017: 101). The trend can take place in two different directions. There may be a productive human / robot that is strictly adhering to the rules, obeying the commandments of power. Feeling being watched by a power brings the feeling being captured and restricts behaviours of individual/robot. Though in every security vulnerability of the central inspection, the individual/robot may try to find ways for escaping, breaking the rules, exploring new ways.
In both films there are existential reflections with simple questions during human's challenge with his emotions, walking in a path between logic and instinct. While establishing a connection between mind and technology, Ex-Machina focuses on artificial intelligence. However, when including gender variable, assumptions, dialogues, emotional interactions gain weight. The connection between Ava and Caleb is is discussed in episodes. Each chapter includes a key development. Just as in inter-human communication, communication between artificial intelligence and human progresses gradually. The film emphasizes that the Turing test is often used, but the difference is that both sides know each other's origins. This boundary is concretely represented by a glass. However, as communication progresses, dialogues between virtual intelligence and human intelligence are gaining weight in Ava's questions as a representation of virtual intelligence with Caleb's individual details. In fact, the human side is willing to face the perfection of virtual intelligence, Ava's questions without being guided pleasure. Artificial intelligence as a counter-sex, which promises hope for the future, enables the man to imagine, to enjoy and to wonder. In Her, "None of us are the same as we were a moment ago" the operating system Samantha's words are derived from Thales' expression "Everything is made of water" (Atkinson, 2011: 23). It must be capable of change, capable of motion. Also in the film Theodore expresses "We're all made of matter" can be the reflection of expression of Sartre "We have to create our purpose for ourselves" (Atkinson, 2011: 269).
"While the person who speaks and thinks maintains a one-dimensional and relatively trouble-free relationship with their young children and pets in their vicinity, their relationship with adults and their psyche is both complex and demanding due to the hyper-dimensionality of the language. These relationships also give people great and deep pleasure." (Bard & Söderqvist, 2015: 110). The multidimensional dialogs with an operating system makes Theodore feel comfortable and during these dialogues he also discovers himself and becomes aware of the various aspects of himself. When Caleb talks to Nathan, he feels he is being judged and with unsecurity he does not feel free while answering his questions. At the first and other meetings with Ava, Caleb feels the same doubtfulness because of being watched in every corner in the house of Nathan and awareness of his words, interaction with Ava being analyzed during his visit for one week.
In table 1 and 2 the semiotic analysis of the film posters has been carried out. In spite of both films are in a high-technology era, on poster of Her bright red and pink is used to reflect the emotions of Theodore. In Ex Machina poster, the grey and blue, cold and notr colors are seen for reflection of the closed, gloomy, hidden place of Nathan. In Her, we see a human in Ex Machina we see a robot. Human is seen in bright sunny light, robot is seen in cold dark place where she is designed, created and trapped.
Figure 1. “Her" and "Ex-Machina" film posters Source: https://images-na.ssl-images-
amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjA1Nzk0OTM2OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjU2NjEwMDE@._V1_UY1200_CR9 0,0,630,1200_AL_.jpg, 13th August 2017
http://www.joblo.com/movie-posters/2015/ex-machina#image-32516, 13th August 2017
Table 1.Analysis of "Her" film poster
Sign Signified Signifier
Human
Young male close-up frontal portrait, bright blue eyes, red shirt, thoughtful
glance
Hesitation, melanholy in facial expression while looking for answers about existence, searching
for ways to fill the gap in himself
Place Pink background Love, emotions, intimacy
Table 2.Analysis of "Ex-Machina" film poster
Sign Signified Signifier
Human Young female robot close-up three- quarter portrait, slicon face as biologic human, grey metal body,
suspicious glance
Skeptical, curious glances while researching ways to get out of space where she is developed.
Grey female body made of steel, active cables on the neck
Place Grey hallway with white lighting on the floor, the walls, and the ceiling
An inaccessible / hidden building, the house of the boss, Nathan where technological advances take place and where robots are manufactured
2.1.1 HER
Theme: Science fiction, humanity vs. technology, drama, romance
The Main Characters: Theodore Twombly (tired, melancholic, romantic postmodern individual, a successful author writing letter for the company he works), Samantha (An operating system, computer program talking to Theodore. The software focused on simulating human consciousness. As a disembodied identity, an artificial female character is defined through words)
Space: Public spaces, workplace, house
Time: Unspecified, from clues it seems near future
Body Language: Although Theodore has a social environment (friends at work, neighbor, best friend, etc.) he choose to spend time alone like other people around him. People move, sit, lay down attached to at least one technological device. Many behaviors, movements, gestures reflect his melancholic or romantic side.
Form of Communication: Due to Samantha is an operating system on Theodore's hand computer, their communication is mostly based on oral dialogues. As a software, Samantha finds solutions during
Theodore's daily life such as organizing his e-mails, emotional confusions. A camera and an earpiece are tools for their communication.
Psychological and Sociological Conditions: Warm (red, as representation of love, pink), pastel colors are used during the film. The director Spike Jonze tries to underline the romantic part of Theodore and the love between Theodore and operating system character Samantha with the color "red". Love is globally matched with red color, and the director uses the warm colors like pink, red as the psychological effect of love.
"Theodore as an iconic character of today's human in modern technologic world, he is lonely but also he is unstable. He is afraid to decide on any issue. He is afraid to solve and end a relation. He is afraid to publish a book with his written letters for other people" (https://zamaninotesi.com/2014/01/24/her/).
From the speeches in the film, it is understood that it is a time when life styles are emphasized in Los Angeles. However, the use of advanced technology, the skyscrapers, the lonely life has reached very advanced stages. The traditional and collective life has never been mentioned. The skyscrapers, studio flats, plazas, individual work desks are dominated by the individual. The story begins with Theodore's encounter with the advertisement of a new operating system offering a flawless artificial intelligence program. While loading the operating system, company's logo is seen on computer. "The logo is derived from two meanings: the infinity symbol and the DNA symbol" (https://zamaninotesi.com/2014/01/24/her/).
Figure 2. Theodore in front of his computer, the operating system loading
Source: https://zamaninotesi.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/her-film-1.jpg, 13th August 2017 2.1.2 EX-MACHINA
Theme: Science fiction, humanity vs. technology, drama, mystery
The Main Characters: Nathan (the owner of the house, the boss of Blue Book Company), Caleb Smith (worker in Blue Book Company, Advanced programmer, winner to spend one week in the boss, Nathan's house where technological robots are being developed), Ava (the last robot Nathan has developed), Kyoko (serving robot, the submissive of Nathan)
Space: The house in a colossal area which belongs to Nathan Time: Unspecified
Body Language: Simulation body versus real body is the main issue of this film. "Impulse, response, fluid, imperfect, pattern, chaotic" are the definitions of Nathan for human and robot interaction. These implications are like a summary of mutual communication, interaction, bodies, and the natural structure of man.
Form of Communication: face to face conversation, using language, camera monitoring and listening to conversations
Psychological and Sociological Conditions: Notr colors (Grey, black, white) are mostly used during Ex Machina to refer to technology, mechanization. Red, green and blue (RGB) have been widely used to represent artificial intelligence, color mix of screens.
After a voluntary candidate selection, Caleb (a worker in the company of Nathan) has a chance to experience a week in the inaccessible / hidden house of Nathan where technological developments take place. "A building is not a goal in itself; frames, joints, structures, makes sense, associates, separates and
unifies, facilitates and prohibits. Therefore, basic architectural experiences are not names, but rather have verb forms" (Pallasmaa, 2018: 76). In Ex Machina, the building plays role like a main character. The building of Nathan is represented with every detail so that technological developments, robots, activity of the cameras, feeling of being locked, card system, claustrophobia can be remarkable and effective for audience during film. Caleb is the symbol of human weakness, curiosity, trying to approve himself, change somethings. He applies his ethical, humanist and even feminist side to robots. Because he is a human with common sense. On the other side, Nathan is the symbol of a self-confident, business-oriented boss who sometimes distracts himself. He also sees himself as the god of robots. "The technology that will turn people into gods can break people out of their context and make them irrelevant" (Harari, 2016: 78).
Nathan is a genius who lost his emotional side, focused on the function and contribution of the revolutionary robots he created. Again the expression is suitable for Nathan: "Upgrading people to the god order can proceed in three ways: Biology engineering, cyborg engineering and engineering of non-organic assets" (Harari, 2016: 55). Today this effect can be seen on the popularity of Elon Musk among millennials.
Figure 3. Caleb, Ava and Nathan, Ex Machina
Source: https://bantmag.com/magazine/issue/post/40/540, 13th August 2017
The glass screen between Caleb and Ava can be interpreted as the technological communication tool screen (mobile phone, computer, tablet). Also as an inaccessibility indicator, the glass is a border while Ava and Caleb get to know each other. The glass is a seperater between artificial and human intelligence. The usage of mirrors during the film is the reflection of Wittgenstein's expression "Logic is not a body of doctrine but a mirror-image of the world" (Atkinson, 2011: 250). Mirrors and cameras, being watched, awareness of being watched, the act of watching is one of the basic elements of the theme of the film. "The eye watches, checks and investigates, the touch is inserted and caresses. During very powerful emotional experiences, we tend to close the sensation of distance, we close our eyes while dreaming, listening to music or caressing our loved ones" (Pallasmaa, 2018: 56). In both film there are eye closing scenes. As throughout history, in today's world, in millennial era, eye is a great symbol of surveillance, monitoring, tracing, stalking. In Ex Machina, Ava wants Caleb to shut his eyes before she presents herself in dress as a biological woman. In Her, Theodore closes his eyes while talking to Samantha, the artificial voice created by the operating system. "Today, with brain scan methods, people's wishes and decisions can be predicted even without their awareness" (Harari, 2016: 296). Through the film, Ava makes many inferences from Caleb's gaze. An artificial intelligence strives to draw the attention of human, makes determinations about him while making future plans for her own escape from the cage (she dreams to be out of the place, in streets, not in a closed room under direction of her creator). She uses also another robot to help her escape.
Batukan underlines the collective consciousness of robots as a manifest in his book Robo-tizm: “The society of the future has already been built in our minds. Sci-fi literature! It was and is still ... There is no such thing as a collective consciousness of man. Long since we have forgotten the language of Nature. It is time to talk about the collective consciousness of the robot” (Batukan, 2017: 74). Like society, robots gather together and cooperate. A very simple, primitive form of cooperation for a start. At the end of film the director let the audience to think the next level of this case.
3. CONCLUSION
The common characteristics of the artificial intelligence characters in the two films selected for this study, their interactions with people, and the theme of the films and the visual elements reflecting the characteristics of the present generation are questioned. The characteristics, the conditions of the era lived in direct ideas. Therefore, in cinema, which is nourished from philosophy, psychology and sociology, the processing of artificial intelligence, which is one of the current issues, is in common. The dialogs in Her are based on voice-based communication, emphasizing the sound aspect of virtuality. In Ex Machina, there is communication based on sound and view, despite a glass partition as a completely transparent wall. Ex Machina and Her films have been chosen in this study, because the common point is the processing of disembodied creations based on communicating with robot bodies or artificial thought, programmed sound with emotions. Ava has a body but is artificial and imitated. It has functions like a human being but is not biological. Samantha is also programmed to react emotionally and logically like humans: empathy, sadness, joy, excitement, sexual traits, issues to come up with, and approach analytically, participate in self- development activities, decide what she wants, and put into practice, etc. But all these end with the withdrawal of the software from the world. Samantha has no choice. Ava, on the other hand, manages to escape from the field of his creator, the ruler reflected as god.
In addition to selling the products (products or services) produced by multinational companies operating in the global market to the whole world, it is also possible to impose an intellectual ground, an element of local culture to the whole world with this product or service. In this context, in Ex Machina and Her, in the age of postmodern technological communication, among the thousands of data, it is tested through the emotions of the lonely/alone individual, and the emotions (emotional elements such as love and curiosity) are imposed in a controlled manner.
Theodore's efforts to explore the roots and causes of the existing within the framework of his relationship with an operating system give clues about today's millennial's daily life. Dual thoughts are seen from Theodore's perspective that he both thinks emotional and rational part of his existence, especially through his relationships he tries to solve his loneliness, his emptiness inside. On the other hand he tries to focus on capturing the moments of lives, trying not to judge and blame himself, living the moment, getting joy, not overthinking about issues or hard parts of relations or life.
Through the study it is seen that the figures and subjects covered in these films are representative of millennial youth. Millennials try to fill the gap inside them with the newest, highest technological tools, applications. All these equipments are like toys to entertain themselves, forget things, linger to escape reality, real problems, struggles in their lives, to delay the decisions to be taken in their lives. Even if the business is successful in private life, the disappearance of people in these toys and virtual media is inevitable. Today, individualism, the pursuit of pleasure is in question. In addition, each film focuses on temporality. Nothing remains the same forever. So people change, and in this film, the focus is on the fact that as technology progresses, the change is even faster. Although he is aware of this change, the individual inevitably does not shake himself out of the virtual program until the program withdraws from the world.
After the program was disabled, Theodore confronts the thoughts and feelings he escapes and writes the letter to be confessed to his ex-wife. After his interaction with technology, Theodore gains awareness of his experiences. Due to his work he writes letters to hundreds of people but does not dare to write his own letter. At the end of the film, he writes a letter to his ex-wife to confess, which is the result of a major change in his life and evolution. Thus, he leaves the melancholy and indecision behind that feeling of emptiness.
The common feature of two films is use of technology to obtain personal data: The words written in the internet search engine, the images searched, create a very clear inventory of the person's past, such as a scrap that identifies the person who is not actually but forged in a virtual environment. So is it possible to make an inference for millenial generation? People can be identified and recognized by virtual culture items rather than material culture items.
In both films gender has been considered to underline the links between human bodies, emotions, virtuality, and artificial intelligence: Male as human, female as artificial intelligence in Ex Machina and Her. The two female characters in Her and Ex Machina speak slowly and clearly, in common. It is thought that this is especially in order to enable them to be connected to the words, themes and increase the attractiveness of
the millennials in contrast to the rapid lifestyles. Other common feature of the robots is improved artistic aspect: Writing piano pieces, drawing, thinking and expressing ideas about the meaning of life.
People use different ways to get to know themselves better. The reason why millennial people enjoy virtual space films, which include artificial intelligence, is the attempt to purify their real-life identities and to make connections between figures and events that have different experiences in a different world and their own characteristics. Thus, this usually results in some sort of purification, opening a new window to their minds.
Does technology strengthen or weaken bonds? In these two films, individualistic side, intelligence, emotions, profits, illegality, going out of rules, trying new possibilities are emphasized. Emphasis is also placed on the weakening of the ties of family-related relationships. But is it real? The technology also strengthens the bonds. At the end of Her, although the audience does not know exactly what is happening, the two friends have to hug and worry about each other: are they committing suicide or supporting each other at sunrise? However, it is a fact that they have started a new day by gaining new awareness. After an artificial intelligence program they experienced, their former state no longer exists. Their assets have changed shape. They have a new identity, there is awareness in both the individualistic and the relationship context. On the other hand, in Ex Machina the robots agree and act together in rebellion against the person who created and ruled them. It can be said that these common features at the end of films are reflections of fading boundary between human and robot in finding solutions for liberation.
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