“Never Let Me Go”: The cruel lives of “fabricated” people that tear your heart out

The image of water shows the hearts of the characters.

In ``Never Let Me Go,'' the only raw emotion shown by the donors is ``tears.'' Cathy, Ruth, and Tommy each have their own tear-jerking scenes, and those moments evoke a sense of sadness. However, if you watch carefully, you will notice that the way the three people shed tears is similar in every scene, making it difficult to empathize with them. It's hard to imagine that actors like Carrie Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, and Keira Knightley all cry in the same way. This may be a naive point of view, but ``Even tears are programmed.'' That feeling sends a chill down my spine.

What sheds tears on their behalf is the image of ``water,'' which appears at key points in the play. It's raining on the day they learn their fate, and when Kathy witnesses Ruth and Tommy's decisive moment, she has a mug in her hand. The scene where the three of them quarrel is on the beach, and when Cassie leaves them, there is a puddle of water, and she says, ``If I had known that, I would have stood against the tide without letting go of their hands.'' The line is played. After that, images of water appear so many times that it's hard to believe it's a coincidence, such as the scene where the three of them go to the beach. Unable to directly intervene in their destinies, the ``water'' that just exists there is like sadness with nowhere to go.

“Never Let Me Go” (C)2018 Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC. All Rights Reserved.

In conventional ``clones,'' the characters had ``emotions,'' ``thoughts,'' and even ``choices'' that allowed them to make life choices. It was hope, and proof that they were still human, no matter their origins. ``Never Let Me Go'' violates even that sanctum.

To feel anger, disgust, or helpless sadness after watching this movie - perhaps that is the least we can do for the audience.

Text: SYO

Born in 1987. After The Graduate from Tokyo Gakugei University, he worked at a film magazine editorial production site and a film information site before becoming a film writer. Works on a wide range of topics including interviews, reviews, columns, event appearances, and recommendation comments. Contributed to ``CINEMORE'', ``FRIDAY Digital'', ``Fan's Voice'', ``Eiga.com'', etc. Twitter「syocinema」

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