Movie Review: Upstream Color
Upstream Color is undoubtedly science fiction, but not in the way we’re accustomed to seeing it in Hollywood. It takes place neither in the future nor a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. There are no lasers, spaceships, sophisticated gadgets, or remarkable inventions. The film takes place in modern-day America and the characters are ordinary people. However, they are subject to circumstances that could only be born out of science fiction.
To say that there are also no aliens or strange creatures (the other big staple of sci-fi) would be both true and false at the same time in the case of this film. Unlike the traditional creatures we find in sci-fi films, which are usually some fantastic version or combination of earthly animals, the entity in Upstream Color does not seem to have a corporeal form. Described by the film’s promotional material only as an “ageless organism,” this being is never verbally referenced by any of the characters, and is never shown in any way other than how it affects the living things it comes into contact with. However, these effects are what drive the entire film.
These deviations from the Hollywood sci-fi status quo are not accidental. Acting as director, writer, producer, actor, cinematographer, editor, composer, casting director, production designer, sound designer, and distributor, Shane Carruth worked independently from Hollywood to make a specific type of film that doesn’t subscribe to any conventions. One such convention it breaks away from is a standard, linear plot. Upstream Color doesn’t tell its story from beginning to end, but instead utilizes a sort of cyclical plot structure that repeatedly references itself.
This plot structure is not used in an attempt to disguise confusion as cleverness, but as a way to connect the audience to the characters. The organism that drives our story infuses itself into a natural cycle, moving from plants, to insects, to people, to farm animals, and back into nature for the cycle to start again. All living things that comes into contact with this presence share a connection, whether they be human, animal, or plant. This connection is never fully explained or investigated; this movie isn’t about explanations, it’s about experiences and the emotions that result from them. Our two main characters, Kris (Amy Seimetz) and Jeff (Carruth), are caught in this shared experience and become part of the cycle.
Words are repeated. They’re spoken by Jeff and and repeated by Kris. They’re spoken again by Kris and repeated again by Jeff, over and over until we can’t remember who said what first, and neither can the Kris or Jeff. Everyone, including the viewer, is lost in a haze of mixed-up thoughts, memories, and emotions that continually blur together. Actions are repeated. The same experiences are played out by different entities at the same time but in different places, or in the same place but at different times, or at different times and places altogether. Sometimes the specifics aren’t obvious but the connections between entities and the emotional significance are clear. The movie cycles around and recalls itself many times, but rather than feeling redundant these repetitions instead echo emotion. This type of storytelling is sometimes disorienting spatially and chronologically; you don’t always know where or when you are, but those details become cloudy to the characters as well as the film progresses.
Yet however confusing things seem to get, there is always a sense that this is a controlled chaos; an impression that we are seeing exactly what the filmmaker wants us to see. Whether it be seemingly random shots of nature, ambiguous lines of dialogues,or distinctive audio cues, everything in Upstream Color is purposefully included to elicit a particular reaction from the viewer and specifically placed within the film in a way that’s only possible when almost all aspects of the production are controlled by one person. A collaborative effort is often what makes large films possible, but in this case it’s a singular effort from Shane Carruth that makes this smaller film so precise.
It is this irregular but exact form of storytelling that makes Upstream Color very different from what we’re used to seeing in movies. It can a bit hard to digest at first, but upon later reflection the film gives a sweet aftertaste. Simple yet stunning images and a strong emotional connection that the film has forged linger with us much longer than the confusion from the atypical narrative structure.
Grade: B
Upstream Color
Directed by: Shane Carruth
Written by: Shane Carruth
Starring: Shane Carruth, Amy Seimetz, Andrew Sensenig
Release date: April 5, 2013 (Limited); Expanding April 19 & April 26
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