Wall•e understands the power of scissoring

WALL·E is amazing because it is simultaneously Pixar’s ballsyiest film to date and one of the greatest love stories ever told. You can’t convince me that this film isn’t about a he/him lesbian falling in love with the first girl he sees and them growing plants together. This mighty Pixar movie understands the power of the edit and underscores it with lesbianism. Too daring for you? Don’t worry, I’ll walk you through it. 

The post production choices made in the 2008 film WALL·E successfully accentuate the viewers’ relationship with a mostly non-verbal trash compacting robot. While the cuts in this film are sharp, there is so much more than the scissor tool in the editors toolbox. Visually Wall-e is able to consistently remind the viewer of how bleak and grim this reality is while also engaging them in the constant action that keeps the plot moving. Audio-wise there is a clever use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound throughout the film that immerses the viewer into the plot. 

The opening sequence of the film contains a bright expansive view of space. This serene sequence does not last long because there is a transition through Earth’s smoggy atmosphere to the planet's grungy surface. This change engages the viewer and provokes questions within their minds. Similarly, there is non-diegetic music in the background that is bright and bubbly. It creates a sense of joy and naivety within the viewer, similar to Wall-e’s own personality. The audio is loud and clear to help assist this joyous tone. As the view of the dilapidated Earth becomes more clear this music is no longer complementary to the scene but it is juxtaposing it. To aid in this flip the same song goes from being non-diegetic to diegetic. As Wall-e himself is playing the music as he goes about his day. Therefore, the music becomes less clear and is quieter than before. Also, now the viewer is not in the soundless vacuum of space. Indicated by the additional sound effects coming from Wall-e’s movements. We hear his wheels as they move, the rattling of the cans as he scoops them into his chamber, and the crushing of them as he compacts the trash. This reversal in both sound and visuals aids the movie's intellectual montage. The continuous juxtapositions are to comment on global warming and the harmful effects it will have on the Earth’s future. It is the same song and the same Earth but both are very distinctly different than before. It is also important to denote that there is rhythmic montage to this clip as well, we never see Wall-e or his cockroach companion exit and enter the frame in a way that causes the viewer to feel trapped. Instead there are matching action cuts in order to create both a sense of continuity and expansiveness because Wall-e is all alone on the giant that is Earth.

Seriously in awe of how much of a condemnation this is on the “American way of life”. There’s a simple pan when Wall-e is first traveling through space on the outside of Eve’s return ship. They show the moon and the moon landing sight. The viewers are filled with wonderment and patriotism then the next frame has a billboard. Under such a crippling state of capitalism nothing is sacred. Everything is a reminder to buy more. To buy now. To buy fast. 

Once we are on this home away from home ship the first time the audience sees a human they are met with a black mirror of sorts. The fatphobia isn’t needed to contextualize this; people of all body types are capable of falling into this lazy American trope. In fact, the fact that the filmmakers chose to make everyone fat is rather lazy and does a disservice to the overall storytelling. The audience sees these humans sipping from their disposable super large icee looking cups in their very plush lazy boy style recliners with big bright screens in their faces and they are forced to face the reality of the world they live in. You are a part of the problem, will you be a part of the solution. 

It’s also important to denote how these chairs also feel like a condemnation on car culture. The lines on the ship’s hallways work as roads and often the humans are chattering away in a hands free variation. Another way American life differs from many other parts of the world is reliance on cars. The only form of transportation in many places being the one that is so isolating and in many ways passive. Drivers zone out or do other things as opposed to walking on the street or taking a tram where you might be confronted with the possibility of real human interaction and more importantly connection. 

The film doubles down on this because Wall-e’s first interaction with the human woman is on what I’ll call ferry scenario. He tries to scoot past her to get to Eve but this doesn’t work out. He tries to get her attention but she is so reclusive she has no concept of an outside world contacting her. Finally able to pry her away from her insulated world Wall-e has a pleasant interaction and makes it over to Eve. 

Speaking of Eve, this romance is one for the books. Wall-e and Eve have this beautiful push and pull dynamic that accentuates everything that is great about them individually. The movie itself pays homage to other great love stories but even creates new and beautiful moments for itself. Throughout the first half of the movie Wall-e is desperate to understand Eve, to reach Eve, to speak her love language, to care for and protect her. He literally goes to the ends of the Earth to do so. And in return through the second half of the movie Eve does the same.

Another scene that enhances the story happens towards the climax of the film when Wall-e and Eve escape the repair ward. This clip is full of action and suspense. With a massive amount of diegetic beeping noises, to be interpreted as both sound effects and dialogue, to cause alarm within both the characters and the viewers. There is even a moment where the security robots are lined up and each send out a warning beep before turning to chase the two main characters. The pacing is exponentially faster than in the opening clip of the movie. Here the characters are zooming down hallways and the audience’s eyes must dash across the screen to keep up. The visuals here are creating alarm and panic in the viewer which aid in completely immersing them into the story. 

Specifically, the editing in this scene creates a cohesive yet fast paced energy. The style of editing most prominent in this scene is continuity editing because the point of the chase sequence is not for the viewer to be confused but for there to be enough logical movement that there is excitement. The post production decisions in this clip manage to highlight the genres of this film including science fiction and action. This sequence leads into another which is completely opposite to the fast paced high energy clip from moments before. In this clip Eve is trying to send Wall-e back to Earth via an escape pod. There is much clearer dialogue between the characters. Also there is non-diegetic music playing in the background that is highlighting the emotional state of the characters. Wall-e is confused at first but then when he realizes Eve is sending him home alone, he is saddened and does everything he can to stay. The viewer is able to feel these emotions through the music and dialogue in the scene. There is also unresolved tension in this clip, because Wall-e and Eve are still on the run from the security bots. While trying to convince Wall-e that he should return to Earth Eve also has to hide from the security robot who has just entered the room with escape pods. In this scene the dialogue is much less important and the sound effects become more prominent. The music also adds to the tension of the scene and causes the viewer to be engaged because they don’t want the main characters to be caught and they are caught up in the intense emotions of the scene. The security robot puts the plant that Eve and Wall-e found on the escape pod. Wall-e goes after the plant and ends up being ejected in the escape pod. Eve sees the pod explode and is led to believe that Wall-e is dead. After a significant struggle to escape Wall-e manages to fly using a fire extinguisher. Her panic at the eject pod and her frantic rush to rescue Wall-e while he equally is in a panicked rush to return the plant to her perfectly captures their dynamic. In fact, their space dance sequence as a whole really captures their individual personalities and why they go so well together. I meant what I said about this being a lesbian romance because the way that love is depicted here between these two characters is inexplicably queer. Through this sequence the music and the sound effects are highlighted in a way that exemplify the intensity of the scene. Both Wall-e and the viewers are in panic mode as he attempts to evacuate the escape pod. When Eve believes him to be dead the music and sound effects hollow out in a way that recreates that vacuum of space sound that was prominent in the introduction of the movie. But as soon as they reconnect this vacuum is no longer prominent. These post production choices truly enhanced the cinematic experience of the audience because it allows for a truly more immersive experience.