Feb 20, 2012 03:28 PM
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Never Let Me Go is a thought provoking Romantic Thriller Drama from Director Mark Romanek(Know for One Hour Photo) based on the book by same name. The Novel Never Let Me Go was named best novel of the year in 2005 by TIME magazine and is included in Top 10 Novels of 2000’s. I was not aware of this fact until I stumble upon this information while bouncing of some web pages. In short I would have said Never Let Me Go has same theme as “The Island”( The Movie) set in Britain in late 60’s and 80’s but that would have been insult to Kazuo Ishiguro, A Japanese-born British author who craftily placed the time line of his story in the past instead of near future. I believe the reason he did this because NLMG is essentially a Romantic Tragedy and very few movies in past who have set their timeline set in Future are able to connect the audience with a love story. Though there are exceptions like Blade Runner who made us feel very sorry for “engineered organic robots”. Apart from that the author raises very serious questions about near future Cloning Technology and breeding of clones for sole purpose of organ farming. Most importunately and very subtly he raises a very strong question about existence of God, if humans can make clones(Humans) where will the souls for clones come from? I am sure everyone can go through many reviews available on IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes and Wikipedia to understand the plot of the movie. I am only here to discuss the consequences of such art work. It is though provoking and so real in near future. Kathy, Ruth and Tommy who share a love triangle between them are also clones who are being breed in English East Sussex in Hailsham boarding school during late 60’s. Hailsham is no ordinary boarding school. It’s meant for very special students who are not told of their main purpose in life until Miss Lucy, a comforting teacher gave up their biggest secret in pure emotion and of course gets suspended. If you have not read the novel it will take some time to understand the plot until Miss Lucy gives you in platter. Since the time line is set in past you sometimes starts to believe that maybe UK had such program in past, which is of course not.
The children of Hailsham have only one purpose that is to donate their organs to “Real” people in need. They are clones who are breed for Organ Farming and their interaction with the outside world is minimal if not downright negligible. Every clone raised in Hailsham can take up two roles in this process he or she can either volunteer to be Carer or Donor. The Carer takes care of organ donor until he completes or dies because he has donated all his or her vital organs 3 or more times. Eventually the Carer becomes Donor and completes too. It’s a very mechanical way to look at life born out of test tube as if they don’t have souls or feelings.
The love triangle of Kathy, Ruth and Tommy is interesting one too and the main purpose of this love story is to let people know that even if conquer the final frontier of Science by creating life what will be purpose of this life? Will clones be raised as slave labor or Organ donors what will happen when they start to grew feelings, like us? Can we just shut them of like machines or do we have to ask more serious questions on what we are creating and will the life of a clone be of far less importance because he was not born out of human womb!
Overall it’s a very serious and tragic movie. Recommended for the real cinema lovers and thinking minds. It has a low entertainment value though the production value and cast acting is highly admirable except Keira Knightley who looks little out of place with young actors and ofcourse someone tell her to stop doing overacting. BTW the poster of this movie does not do justice to the movie. The protagonist had very little to do with wooden bridge on ocean front, looks like the production house wanted to sell Never Let Me Go as a long lost love story…which in my opinion it’s not.
