Italian
A Unique Perspective: Robert Zemeckis’ “Here” Unveils Time through a Static Lens
An unconventional narrative approach
In Hollywood, films typically follow a straightforward storytelling approach, but Robert Zemeckis‘ latest endeavor, Here, diverges significantly. Adapted from Richard McGuire’s conceptual graphic novel, the film explores an intriguing concept: a single living room’s evolving history across different time periods. Through this fixed-perspective lens, audiences are invited to ponder the profound impact of past events and shared human experiences.
The challenge of static storytelling
Have you ever wondered about the history of a place? Perhaps a hotel room where countless travelers have stayed, each leaving behind memories and secrets. Or a park bench that has witnessed innumerable moments of joy, sorrow, and contemplation. Here aims to capture this essence by focusing on a single location—a century-old American house—while revealing actions from various years through cleverly framed windows.
However, translating this concept from a graphic novel to a film proves challenging. The static camera technique, while visually captivating, struggles to maintain audience engagement through the disjointed lives of four families who occupy the house over different eras.
The technical execution: a mixed bag
Robert Zemeckis, renowned for his pioneering spirit in films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit and The Polar Express, joins forces with Eric Roth, who penned the screenplay for Forrest Gump. Together, they bring back beloved actors Tom Hanks and Robin Wright. Unfortunately, their attempt to manipulate their actors’ ages across decades through digital effects results in visuals that feel anything but natural, adding a layer of detachment to an already intricate narrative.
The film opens with a series of beautifully framed images, transporting viewers back in time to when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. From an asteroid impact to the thrashing of an Ice Age, the visuals are reminiscent of the grandeur seen in Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life. Such moments serve to remind us of life’s fleeting nature and our collective shared experiences.
Reflecting on shared experiences and cultural echoes
While McGuire’s graphic novel masterfully collapsed various epochs into a single scene, allowing strangers from different times to echo each other’s actions, Zemeckis’ film strives for a slightly different narrative rhythm. Instead of focusing on unexpected connections, it seeks to align multiple generations within the same space. This approach, however, often leaves viewers struggling to distinguish between the various family arcs, undermining the intended impact of shared experiences.
We first meet John and Pauline Harter (portrayed by Gwilym Lee and Michelle Dockery), the couple who establishes the house in 1907. Pauline’s constant worry for her aviator husband sets the tone for one of the recurring themes: the futility of obsessing over the future. This sentiment extends to Richard (Tom Hanks), who abandons his painting dreams to provide for his family.
As the house transitions from one family to another, various emotional milestones unfold within its walls, from births and deaths to weddings and holiday celebrations. Despite these significant events, the film’s reliance on clichéd depictions detracts from deeper emotional engagement.
The highs and lows: moments of brilliance and missed opportunities
Alan Silvestri’s evocative score attempts to imbue scenes with the emotional depth that the screenplay lacks. Yet, the film often feels like a disjointed montage of significant yet superficial moments, reminiscent of Richard Linklater’s Boyhood but without the same level of detailed nuance. Even as we witness Ben Franklin in colonial-era vignettes, Zemeckis’ framing—positioning the couch facing the screen at a slight angle—evokes the familiar aesthetics of classic sitcoms rather than the profound reflections intended.
The film’s static camera, echoing that of a museum installation, does shift for a critical scene, momentarily breaking its rigid perspective. While this change offers a brief respite, it underscores the limitations of the approach. For a film meant to celebrate life’s intricate tapestry, it often feels constrained by its chosen style.
Here presents an ambitious attempt to explore the continuity of human experience within a fixed space, yet it sometimes stumbles under the weight of its own concept. With its visual effects experiment and a meditation on shared histories, the film leaves audiences contemplating the nature of time, memory, and connection.
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