Cloud Atlas

The movie, “Cloud Atlas” is an interesting and artistic discourse of major themes we’ve covered in this class. The most prevalent theme I can gather from this film is the effects of causality: everything in this universe is on a path that floats from action to action. From pre-colonial times, to the days of slavery, to modern, post-modern, and even to the aftermath of post-modern times, the same actors play roles within each time slot to assert their function as reincarnations.

            The white man on the ship moves past the social taboo of slavery and injustice to African Americans plaguing the western world and ends up leaving to help the abolitionist movement. Tom Hanks in the post-post modern world living on the island leads a simple life until he is brought to understand the true terms of his deity. The musician who creates the symphony “Cloud Atlas” realizes that the function of his vessel for his “self” is no longer useful in his time period. He realizes that because of his homosexual nature, which was not accepted in his time, he will be more accepted in another life. Trusting in reincarnation, he kills himself so that he will be happy with his partner in some other time. Sonmi-451 transcends her robotic function to a higher understanding of humanity, the world, and herself; essentially paralleling a rebirth in to a new, perfected identity to teach and impart her wisdom to help others transcend their self: “To be is to be perceived. So to know thyself, is only possible through the eyes of the other. The nectar of our immortal lives is in the consequences of our words, indeed…. (“Cloud Atlas” 137:00).

            Each story within the movie is a lesson of transformation; these people are able to move past the function of themselves and view of the universe in a bigger way. Cloud Atlas brings light to karma. It presents a story of how actions of individual lives impact others in the past, present, and future. Everyone is connected, and everything is connected.