WALL-E a Film Analysis

Film Overview

WALL-E, at its core, is a film about sadness, control and rebelling. These themes are shown various times throughout the story, and sometimes even in the small details. The film represents how humans have fallen victim to brainwashing media, and how it has completely ruined everything that makes them human. 

Setting/s

WALL-E is set in the distant future, in the year 2805, where Earth has been abandoned and humanity has dwindled down to only a few thousand. Earth's only being, WALL-E, continues to pick up after the humans, collecting and organising the remaining rubbish. 

Questions

What caused Earth to become so polluted?

Earth became a floating piece of rubbish after the humans decided to give up on what was right, and instead give in to laziness. Because of the ignorance, the people had to escape their mistake, creating a space station named "Axiom" (see above). 

What do you already know about pollution and climate change?

Pollution and climate change are real issues, and they continue to get worse every day. Fossil fuels heat the atmosphere, and they end up heating the ice, causing it to melt. The ice turns into water, which then means there is less ice, and therefore less habitat for the previously residing animals. 

What's life like on the Axiom? How does it differ from life on Earth?

Life on the Axiom is decision-less , it has little to no input from the humans. Their lives are heavily influenced  by the media around them, and will instantly change their mind on a subject if they see even the smallest bit of advertisement for it. Us, on Earth, act a lot more on our own free will.  This is the main difference between the people of Earth and the people of the Axiom. 

What cultural or historical warnings may this film exploring?

Throughout the film, three main warnings are hinted at. This includes:

1. Do not rely on Ai or technology to make you personal decisions for you. They are your decisions, so make them yourself. 

2.  Do not become one with the crowd. Do your own things, stand out to everyone else. This message appears in the film when WALL-E is in a pod, trying to catch up with EVE. The people in the pod with him immediately change their outfits to fit the media that they see out of the glass. 

3. Earth as we no it will not survive the torture that we currently put it through. The climate change and pollution is simply too much for the ecosystem to handle. Do your part in taking care of it. WALL-E shows what may happen if we give in to laziness and pollute the Earth with its version of Earth. 

What emotions are personalities might a robot like WALL-E have?

The robots in the film are shown to have various and somewhat human emotions. These include things like, love, happiness, annoyance, satisfaction and many more. While WALL-E and EVE clearly show the most emotion, other robots, like M-O (Microbe-Obliterator) also show their personality. This even includes machines like AUTO, who has a cold and  disheartened personality. 

What do you predict may happen in the story? How does the setting influence this prediction?

I predict that the humans aboard the Axiom will start to rise up against the corrupt robots and possibly even come back to Earth. I understand that the Axiom is a very automated and complex system, but maybe the people will regain their senses and head back home, going against AUTO's ideas. 

General Questions

What are you curious to see when you watch the film?

I am curious to see whether the characters will develop past their previous brain-rotted mindset. The life they have been pressured into is so bad, that I feel there must be a recovery. I am also curious to see how the humans will help Earth heal, or if they will show that they did at all. That is assuming that they make it home at all. 

How does the setting help shape your expectation of the story?

The Axiom was never meant to be a  permanent solution. This is shown with the existence of EVE. EVE is meant to search Earth for life,  and by being created, shows that the humans wanted to eventually come back to Earth. This must mean that the humans must make it back home or else the film wouldn't make sense. 

Bibliography

WALL-E — Pixar Animation Studios (2014). Pixar Animation Studios. [online] Pixar Animation Studios. Available at: https://www.pixar.com/wall-e.

Wiki Targeted (Entertainment) (2021). WALL•E. [online] Pixar Wiki. Available at: https://pixar.fandom.com/wiki/WALL%E2%80%A2E. 

www.commonsensemedia.org. (2008). WALL-E - Movie Review. [online] Available at: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/wall-e.