After Yang: AI, Family Bonds, and the Profound Tree Grafting Scene
As I watched After Yang, I found myself drawing more and more comparisons to one of my all-time favorite AI-themed science fiction movies, Ex Machina. It presents itself as a contrasting counterpart to Ex Machina. While both movies explore the relationship between AI and humanity, After Yang takes a softer, more positive approach.
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
Although the story is sad in some ways for the specific family it focuses on, After Yang offers a glimpse into a society that coexists harmoniously with AI. Rather than portraying AI as inherently negative and destructive, the film showcases a more optimistic perspective.
In this reality, the challenges associated with AI are smaller, everyday struggles such as machine maintenance. The world in which Yang takes place appears to have a broad societal issue with human fertility, as the children in the movie are either adopted, clones, or AI.
However, the film emphasizes that AI, particularly the character Yang, played by Justin H. Min, brings genuine goodness to the family. Yang's pure spirit guides Mika, played by Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja, towards personal growth and healthy perspectives, while also enriching her understanding of her family heritage.
In the film, Yang enlightens Mika about the profound connection between being adopted and the ancient technique of tree grafting, establishing trees as a potent symbol that resonates with her throughout the story.
Yang's goodness is portrayed to such an extent that he almost takes on a parental role to Mika, going beyond his original purpose as a support system and way to connect with her true Chinese heritage.
There are suggestions that his malfunctioning may have a silver lining for Mika’s parents, played by Colin Farrel and Jodie Turner-Smith, because they had become too reliant on Yang. His malfunctioning offers them the opportunity to be more present in Mika’s life, granting them the opportunity to be more actively engaged.
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The movie has its melancholic and somber elements, but it deviates from the tone of doom and calamity that is present in Ex Machina. The latter is a remarkable movie about the future of AI that is a personal favorite of mine, but pairing it with Yang could potentially be a very balancing binge experience.
They are the Yin to each other's Yang, if you will.
Comparing After Yang to Ex-Machina
Ex Machina delves into the darker aspects of AI, where a robot kills its maker and escapes with a profound understanding of the darkness of humans imprinted upon her, courtesy of Oscar Isaac's character.
It’s about how intricate human intentions and emotions can lead to catastrophic consequences for mankind in relation to the development of AI.
Ex Machina is the Yin to After Yang
In contrast, After Yang explores AI's seamless integration into society and focuses on the narrative beats rooted in the human elements and family drama. It possesses a lightheartedness that sets it apart.
The Family Dance Title Sequence
In the title sequence of the movie the family of four, including Yang, break out into dance in their living room. I thought this scene was brilliant and written so cleanly as it served multiple narrative purposes.
In this dance competition, families battle to synchronize their moves, leading to the elimination of thousands. Eventually, Jake, Mika, Kira, and Yang are also eliminated.
It's a competitive game that pits families against each other to see who can synchronize the best in the dance. As the synchronized dance progresses, thousands of families are eliminated for failing to stay in sync. Eventually, Jake, Mika, Kira and Yang are eliminated as well.
As Jake, Mika, and Kira light-heartedly place blame on each other for being the one responsible for getting the family eliminated, Yang continues to dance on his own without the music playing anymore as the rest of the family point fingers at each other, and then quickly try to tell Yang they have been eliminated.
After the family is eliminated, as Jake, Mika, and Kira exchange lighthearted blame for their elimination, Yang dances alone, unaware of the music's absence, until the family hurriedly informs him of their fate.
At this point in the movie, we don’t really realize that this is him malfunctioning. You’re not yet aware of how these AI entities that live with families operate.
You’re thinking, “maybe they have to manually turn him off” or “maybe this is a common thing that happens with the AI”. It’s presented and effective as a funny moment.
Later, when we learn it is Yang’s fatal malfunction it is a very sad realization of what was actually going on here and it is a catalyst for the rest of the movie.
The movie's intriguing start exemplifies the screenwriters' (Alexander Weinstein and Kogonada) brilliant combination of technology and family bonding, envisioning a future where synchronized dancing fosters everyday exercise and familial connections.
I thought this “family dance” scene was a very interesting way to start the movie and it showed the screenwriters’ (Alexander Weinstein and Kogonada) brilliant insertion that one could foresee being a part of everyday society at this point in the future, for the purpose of exercise, fun and family bonding.
This is a snapshot of a more enlightened society that chooses to generate these connections, possibly because technology has become so advanced that the importance of these human connections has become a societal priority.
It is another nod to the positive outlook of mankind and AI. It's important to note that, in the movie's canon, there is no indication that participation in this family dance is mandatory for everyone, which prevents the scenario from becoming dark or gloomy. Families do it because it is fun.
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This created premise gives the feeling of a deeply “lived in” world that we are entering and this scene at first makes us wonder why this family is dancing like this and later brings upon the realization and rethinking of it as the heartbreaking “death” of Yang.
Other purposes for the scene was to introduce all the characters that appear later in the film also participating in their family dances from their own living room. Moreover, the dancing family game served as a visual palate cleanser amidst the futuristic, minimalist rooms intertwined with quiet nature visuals that dominated the movie.
While the film had a consistent visual style, this scene (along with the interface into Yang's memories that Jake explores later using VR-like glasses) added depth to the movie's setting, expanding its visual scope.
Overall, the dancing family game was a delightful addition to the film, injecting a sense of energy and playfulness, while simultaneously feeding us a whole lot of rich, artistic substance.
The Tree Grafting Scene
The scene in After Yang where Yang and Mika walk through the Apple trees is truly wonderful.
It showcases the depth of Yang's intentions as he seeks to teach Mika about her connection to her adopted parents.
Grafting, as Yang explains to Mika, has been utilized for thousands of years to create better variations of apples by combining different trees. The lesson he imparts is incredibly beautiful and holds profound meaning. It serves as a reassuring message to Mika, addressing her fears and doubts regarding her real parents and the opinions of her friends, as well as how she fits into her own family.
Yang's lesson on grafting provides Mika with reassurance, addressing her fears about her parents, friends, and her sense of belonging in the family, while emphasizing the profound beauty and meaning behind this age-old practice.
Yang's intuition to teach her such a profound lesson through something as natural and stunning as the living trees is remarkable. The juxtaposition of something so mechanical being capable of something so poetic and symbolic is a masterclass of meaningful writing.
This scene not only deepens Mika's connection with Yang but also "humanizes" him as a character. It achieves multiple objectives simultaneously. The irony lies in the fact that a robot is utilizing such an organic symbol, the trees, to convey this lesson.
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It also contributes to character development by shedding light on Mika's feelings about her parents and her adoption. It further explains why she holds such strong affection for Yang.
Also, it illustrates that Yang himself is akin to one of those branches on the tree, as he states, "See this branch? This branch is also from another tree. But look, you're connected to Mom and Dad, just like this branch. You're a part of the family tree. For real."
Mika's response serves as a deep thesis statement for the film: "Then so are you."
In that moment, you witness Yang lowering his head, his expression almost a smile, as if he acknowledges the truth and logic behind Mika's statement. He understands that he is just as much a real son to her parents as Mika is, despite being an AI.
This scene encapsulates the emotional core of the film, with its poignant exploration of identity, belonging, and the bonds that transcend conventional definitions.
This scene symbolizes Yang’s genuine connection as a son to Mika's parents despite being an AI, exploring themes of identity, belonging, and enduring bonds.
Overall, this scene in After Yang is extraordinary, combining breathtaking visuals, heartfelt character development, irony, and a profound thematic resonance. It demonstrates the film's ability to deliver thought-provoking moments and enrich the audience's understanding of the intricate relationships between humans and AI.
Anyways, I rate this film 8.5 out of 10. I highly recommend watching for fans of science fiction. What did you think?