WALL·E is the last robot left on an Earth that has been overrun with garbage and all humans have fled to outer space. For 700 years he has continued to try and clean up the mess, but has developed...
“Wall-E” is a groundbreaking cinematic masterpiece (snobby words only because “Wall-E” deserves it). Grand space adventures abound in film, but Pixar graced us with their own breathtaking version that somehow feels both small and large-scale; it perfectly balances an impossible romance with an epic subplot to make arguably one of the best rom-coms of the 21st century.
To the boredom of many viewers, “Wall-E” is a full-blown silent film in the first act (about 25 minutes pass before the first human words are spoken). Still, these silent moments are some of the most wonderful in the entire movie; reminiscent of Charlie Chaplin’s Tramp trying to make a conquest, the clumsy Wall-E is instantly stricken with the sleek Eve and spends his time — formerly spent picking up trash — striving to impress her in his unique, delightfully innocent ways. We cannot help but admire Wall-E for these simple efforts. This opening portion of the film not only introduces us to what Wall-E and Eve are like (it takes some extraordinary skill to convey everything about a personality through a mere four-word vocabulary), but it also perfectly hints at future developments that will envelop the love story, namely, the fact that all humans have fled from the decaying Earth in a “luxury Star-Liner”. Once aboard the ship, we find the humans lazily “waiting” for any sign of flourishing life so they may return home; by the middle of the story, Wall-E is inadvertently the one on whom the survival of the entire human race depends on — you can’t get more a more comedic subplot than that — but he still only wants to hold hands with Eve.
It’s not just the silent storytelling that is so great, but also the entrancing visual appeal. There is no doubt that animation has greatly improved since 2008, but “Wall-E” was surely ahead of its time and still holds up beautifully today. While on Wall-E’s forsaken Earth, we get a dirty brown hue from the abundant dust, but we share in his awe when brown is abruptly switched out for a myriad of refreshing, clear colors as he ventures through the galaxies. The “Define Dancing” sequence (below) is the most striking here — Wall-E and Eve (propelled by a fire extinguisher and personal jets, respectively) dance among the stars in their own version of a classic Hollywood waltz, but with a better background than any. It takes my breath away even just remembering it.
The bumbling protagonist is especially fun to watch; every time I revisit the film, I pick up on a new little mannerism that expresses so much about who Wall-E is. Even the way he sits down — hands on wheels like a child’s hands on knees — showcases his innocent nature. It’s Pixar’s notorious attention to detail at work. Loving Wall-E is easy because he’s so pure and good (even to a cockroach!), so when he is first rejected by Eve, our pity swells and we want him to find love all the more — evoking this sort of feeling is where many romantic films fall flat.
Unlike most romantic comedies, everything working out in the end does not feel cheesy. It’s our relating to the characters that makes us want them to succeed, so when they do fall in love and save the world all in one wild hour, we are satisfied and not rolling our eyes at what is a fairly predictable ending. The attachment to Wall-E’s innocent spirit was what impacted me most when I first watched him; I admit, I cried when Eve sees all that Wall-E did for her when she powered down on Earth because I saw little Wall-E’s countless efforts finally being recognized by someone (something we all want for ourselves). Again, just like the many exploits of Chaplin’s Tramp, “Wall-E” works because it hits our universal desire for a love that is deeper than what it sees on the outside.
