Writer/director Gareth Edwards has his celebrators and detractors due to past works like Godzilla (2014) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), which are not controversial to the general public but can be seen as such within their respective niche communities. Whatever one may think of the works, there’s no denying the ease with which both projects marry the fantastical with the tangible, both in the special effects sense and with the thematic. Thus, it should surprise no one that his recent project, The Creator, not only continues such an artistic approach, but does so in a manner that defies expectations. Not only is the film stunningly beautiful thanks to the cooperative work between Edwards and co-cinematographers Greig Fraser (The Batman/Dune: Part One) and Oren Soffer (A Nightmare Wakes), as well as the seamless technical work from Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) to create artificial artifice, The Creator is an emotionally moving anti-war film that places American Imperialism and the notion of American Exceptionalism on trial. If this intrigues you, the home release of The Creator includes, on both digital and physical formats, a nearly hour-long bonus feature that identifies and explores all you could hope to learn about the creation of Edwards’s dramatic sci-fi actioner.
If you’re interested in a spoiler-free exploration of The Creator, head over to the initial theatrical release review from Fantastic Fest 2023. Moving forward, we’ll be addressing specifics of the sci-fi drama.
There was a time when it was believed that humans and sentient technology could co-exist, but all of that changed when a nuclear explosion that was attributed to the followers of Nirmata, the being believed to be behind the advancements in A.I. development, took out the bulk of the Los Angeles area. Since then, the United States has pursued all sentient technology with the mission of wiping it out with their prime target being Nirmata. Now, in the year 2065, an opportunity to end the war altogether arrives and the person who can get it done is decommissioned former intelligence agent Joshua (John David Washington), whose time in the field left him reluctant to get involved in the battle ever again. Promised answers that will help Joshua get what he needs, Joshua reengages in the conflict, unaware that everything he’s being asked to do, everything he’s seeking to uncover, will do more than turn the tide of war, it threatens all life as it’s defined.
John David Washington as Joshua in 20th Century Studios’ THE CREATOR. Photo by Oren Soffer. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
There are many legitimate complaints about The Creator that are worth addressing before getting into anything else. There’s the fact that the plot of the film involves a protagonist charged with a mission that’s not what it seems, a young character (in this case and in most, a child) whom the protagonist must protect, and an emotional catalyst for the protagonist that requires him to confront his own prejudices and belief systems. In many ways, it’s the plot of semi-recent films like The Road (2009), The Girl with All the Gifts (2016), and Logan (2017), and these are just a few examples. Additionally, The Creator has been accused of orientalism, fetishizing the community and cultures of South Asia in an all-to-common “othering” by the way that the locations are shot and the actors’ faces are used inter-changeably with different characters, among other factors. This home release review can create arguments in defense of the first issue, the emotional journey of the narrative in concert with the performances from the characters make one invested despite the familiarity with the approach, but as I’m not a member of the Asian community, I won’t attempt to defend that perspective in the sense that I think it’s wrong. Instead, I would present some in-text context that, in my view, illustrates a non-malicious approach by the filmmakers where “othering” was not the intent.
A still on the set of 20th Century Studios’ THE CREATOR. Photo by Glen Milner. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
The first comes in the use of various South Asian countries as locations. Yes, Edwards stepped in it with his quote about the area, but within the context of the film, his comment makes greater sense. The depiction of the U.S. that we see, specifically the remaining L.A. area that Joshua works/resides in, there’s not much of anything that’s not heavily industrialized. No pools of water, no great expanse of foliage, just wreckage from the blast still being cleared and buildings on top of buildings with concrete roadways in between. Especially with the realization that the nuclear blast that destroyed L.A. (taking Joshua’s extended family with it) was not caused by rogue A.I. but from human error, one begins to look at the American perspective differently. L.A. is cold, it’s hard, and unyielding, even when it’s at war for the wrong reasons. What we see stateside is the epitome of “to cut one’s nose off to spite their face.” This location mirrors the internal rigidity and lack of moral compass that is displayed by the American military, made flesh by characters played by Alison Janney (The West Wing) and Ralph Ineson (The Green Knight). By contrast, the countries we explore in their modern 2065 state with Joshua on his journey do seem “other” by comparison, if only because they possess lush natural elements, the populace exists in peace with the A.I., and there’s a general sense of sharing and good will. That actors play multiple characters is not only a way to keep the cast as small as possible, it’s a physical extension of the philosophy of “social good over the one” that permeates the land. Whatever one feels about the politics in China and Japan, there’s a history of a national idea that the one is less important. Therefore, that the people of the represented countries in the film would voluntarily give up their faces — not their identities or lives, just their faces — is a natural extension of this concept, which Edwards and co-writer Chris Weitz (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) weave in via billboard (show rather than tell), only for it to pop up later not just as a means to get Joshua to think he’s found his beloved Maya (Gemma Chan) when it’s only a simulant (human-looking A.I.), but to serve as the in-world opportunity that the American side uses to their advantage to get Joshua back in the field. Everything about the South Asian locations serves in opposition to the American perspective, from their look and style to their approach to war. So, while one can acknowledge the perspective of those who found the depiction troubling, it was appears to me, at least, to be executed without intention of insult toward those lands and its peoples, but to highlight just how far from humanity the American perspective is within the film.
Ken Watanabe as Harun in 20th Century Studios’ THE CREATOR. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
One thing that I find particularly intriguing about the presentation of the American vs. Nirmata conflict is how Joshua and the Americans still use A.I. for their work, still use robotic tools such as artificial limbs, yet lack the internal awareness to acknowledge this. That Janney’s Colonel Howell will gleefully send A.I. robots into battle to kill their enemies (not separated combatants from non-combatants either) if it gets the job done, but turns her nose up at any sentient tech that just wants to exist in this New South Asia. It’s that imperial mindset of “I can be trusted to use this, but not you” that’s hinted at and touched on in a variety of ways, each one growing more egregious as the film continues, but isn’t explored as deeply in favor of keeping the narrative moving. But it’s there and it’s an idea that supports the notion of just how different the two philosophies are in terms of how one sees and engages with the world as a global community.
A still on the set of 20th Century Studios’ THE CREATOR. Photo by Oren Soffer. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
In terms of the bonus features, one might think that a single piece of bonus feature indicates a lack of material. We are in an age where bonus features are becoming more and more of a rarity on initial releases and being the thing that makes re-releases and remasters/restorations from boutiques and major distributors alike worth purchasing. Ordinarily, a single feature would certainly be a reason for sadness, but this one is nearly an hour long and covers the initial concept shoot (which involved a bit of trickery on the part of Edwards and his team), the work done with ILM to convert the on-location footage into what we see in the film without using green/blue screen tech on-set, the documentary-style cinematography performed by Edwards on set, an exploration of the technology used on-set to make the film, and far more. In fact, the specific examples I mentioned make up the first 30 minutes or so of the feature. Impressively, the feature is seamlessly edited so that one topic of discussion naturally transitions into a different topic without the use of title cards, subject headings, or any other element to identify a shift. Instead, the very informal feature just flows from its inception outward, the excitement for the production process serving as the impetus of conversation.
There’s this strange thing when it comes to movies lately, though I don’t think this specific industry is alone with the issue, wherein either something is a masterpiece or absolute garbage with nothing in-between. To make matters worse, if one goes against the grain of one of the extremes, to exercise even a little bit of critical exploration, that a crime against humanity has occurred. Media literacy is about being able to read more than words and ideas, but the execution of those things, too. Because we all have different perspectives and experiences, how we react is going to be influenced, which is why I think the reaction to The Creator is as varied as it is. Yet, even though I fall on the line of folks who enjoy it for a number of different reasons and can point to the text as to why I feel such resonance, to deny the perspectives of others is to suggest that art only has one right answer, one clear interpretation. To do that would be like siding with the version of America here which believes it’s better to blame others for an act of mass collateral damage than look internally for solutions. Then again, considering the way that the American military has engaged in world politics, the depiction in The Creator is not too far off from the truth.
Madeline Voyles as Alphie in 20th Century Studios’ THE CREATOR. Photo by Oren Soffer. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Ideally, if you’ve made it this far, it’s because you’ve seen the film and you’re curious to learn what the home release entails. If you’re a fan of the film, the single bonus feature will only deepen that appreciation. Thankfully, it’s not format-locked, meaning you can access it whether you purchase your copy on physical or digital formats. As a fan of physical, that’s the version I would recommend, but as the review copy provided is digital, I cannot make that recommendation on anything other than a personal preference and no official confirmed opinions on the physical presentation. The digital does look and sound great, but, by nature of being digital, it’s still compressed and not as great as it could look and sound. So, really, it all comes down to how you feel about the film and whether or not a 55-minute feature is enough to warrant the snag.
The Creator Special Features:
- True Love: Making The Creator: Join director Gareth Edwards and crew for nearly an hour look behind the scenes. Hear from actors about the filming experience, and learn about the production’s documentary-style approach, the innovative camera and lighting work, and much more. (55:00)
Available on digital November 14th, 2023.
Available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD December 12th, 2023.
For more information, head to the official 20th Century Studios The Creator webpage.
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Categories: Films To Watch, Home Release, Recommendation
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