World of Tomorrow Episode Two: The Burden of Other People's Thoughts *****/ *****
Directed by: Don Hertzfeldt
Written by: Don Hertzfeldt
Starring: Julia Pott, Winona Mae
There are only a few films I would describe as perfect – but Don Hertzfeldt’s 17 minute 2015 short, World of Tomorrow, is one of them. That film is arguably the best sci fi film of the century so far, and is more packed with ideas in just 17 minutes that any feature I can think of in the same genre. It combined primitive stick figures, with complex digital animation to come up with a funny, sad, insightful and truly profound work about our world, and our place in it – with little Emily, about three, off in her own little world, being visited by a future clone of hers from centuries in the future, to show us the sad world humans now live in. It didn’t need a sequel – it was perfect as it was.
And yet, Hertzfeldt decided to make a sequel anyway, and amazingly enough, he crafted something nearly as good. (Perhaps the film is as good as the first one – I’ll let you know when I’ve seen it as many times as I watched the first one – so, only about a hundred more viewings to go). While the first film looked outward, this film is very much inward looking. I’m not sure I’d call any of Hertzfeldt’s work hopeful – but this one is, at least a little.
This time, Emily Prime (a three year old, who has no concept of what is going on) is once again visited by one of her future clones. This clone – with a 6 stamped on her forehead – was supposed to be next in line to “become” Emily – but something has gone wrong, and she needs Emily Prime memories. The pair of them venture off into the mind of the clone, which can be a dark place. There is a Bog of Reality, which has essentially drown the glimmers of hope for this Emily – who cannot tell what are genuine memories, and what are other peoples. She thinks she can play the piano – only to find that must have been some other Emily. Meanwhile, Emily Prime does what little kids do – which is to live completely in the moment, with her drawings, and her side trips into the Land of Triangles, which can morph into the Land of Squares, at a moment’s notice.
There is essentially, I think, the basic point of this film – that we cannot live in the past, and we cannot fear the future. Children, like Emily Prime, have the right idea – which is to live in the here and now, because it’s the only moment we are guaranteed. We cannot be burdened by memories of the past.
That, too, though makes the film sound too simple than it is. Once again, Hertzfeldt has crafted a funny, sad film chocked full of ideas, and brilliant animation – combined childlike drawings, with jaw dropping digital animation, to come up with something wholly unique to him. The shock isn’t there that there was the first time, but Hertzfeldt more than clears the bar. This is one of the greatest sequels ever made – and if Hertzfeldt decides to keep exploring the World of Tomorrow, I’ll be first in line to see it.
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