Hasitha Fernando explores the story behind Ex Machina on the tenth anniversary of its UK release…
Ex Machina is one of the most cerebral, thought-provoking sci-fi techno thrillers to come out of the 2010s. Written and helmed by Alex Garland, the movie wrangles with complex themes concerning the creation of Artificial Intelligence, technological advancements and their implications on society and the potential consequences of playing God. As the film celebrates its 10th anniversary here are some key behind-the-scenes details about its production…
The film was sci-fi writer Alex Garland’s directorial debut
Alex Garland rose to prominence with the quintessential Gen X novel The Beach. The story followed the adventures of a young backpacker’s search for an idyllic, isolated beach untouched by tourism. The book was then adapted into a feature film by Danny Boyle with then teenage heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio attached as its lead. Garland then made a career transition with 28 Days Later (2002), becoming an acclaimed screenwriter with such critically lauded efforts as Sunshine (2007), Never Let Me Go (2010) and Dredd (2012). However, with 2010’s Ex Machina Garland went one step further by helming the thought-provoking sci-fi drama as well as crafting its script.
The foundation for Ex Machina was laid when Garland was a teenager
The premise of Ex Machina had been gestating in Alex Garland’s mind since he was a young boy, 11 or 12 years old. This happened after Garland did some experimenting with basic coding on a computer his parents had bought him, which led to the piece of equipment behaving ‘with a mind of its own’. Later ideas which he incorporated into his script were inspired by discussion with his friends, Murray Shanahan and Adam Rutherford’s literary works and concepts like the Chinese Room thought experiment.
Other inspirations came from movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Altered States and books written by Ludwig Wittgenstein and Ray Kurzwell. Garland described the future presented in his movie as, “ten minutes from now”, meaning, “If somebody like Google or Apples announced tomorrow that they had made Ava, we would all be surprised, but we wouldn’t be that surprised.”
Oscar Isaac based his performance on Stanley Kubrick and Bobby Fischer
The uber-talented Oscar Isaac can best be described as a master of franchises. Within a span of a few years, he went from playing bit parts in indie films to playing lead roles in the Fox X-Men universe, Star Wars, Dune and even the MCU multiverse with Moon Knight. Isaac was already on his meteoric rise when he took on the role of enigmatic designer Nathan Bateman, CEO of Blue Book in Ex Machina. During one of his interviews Isaac revealed that he fashioned his characterization of Nathan on former chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer and legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, who he viewed as mysterious, elusive geniuses, way ahead of their times. The now iconic look of the latter also served as an inspiration for his beard.
Felicity Jones was considered for the role of Ava
Alicia Vikander gained recognition for her performances in movies like 2012’s Anna Karenina and A Royal Affair but it was with her brilliantly nuanced performance in Ex Machina that Vikander made a real splash in the world arena. Her effort won major praise from multiple award ceremonies which resulted her in nabbing nominations at the BAFTAs and Golden Globes the following year. In a curious quirk of fate, however, the role that made Vikander a star nearly went to Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything), before the Swedish actress was chosen.
The story was a loose adaptation of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest
The Bard’s works would seem like an unlikely place to get inspiration for a futuristic sci-fi flick, right? But that was exactly what Garland did. He based his screenplay loosely on William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and anyone familiar with the tragicomedy could easily spot how the character’s in the movie bear similarities to their book counterparts.
Nathan (Oscar Isaac), a brilliant yet manipulative inventor who resides in a remote resort, corresponds to Prospero, a powerful magician and controversial figure who lived on an isolated island and manipulated the series of events and the characters in the story to suit his ends. Ava (Alicia Vikander) is comparable to Miranda, Prospero’s daughter; both Miranda and Ava were created by their maker Prospero/Nathan, and neither has been exposed to experiences or people outside of their respective confines. Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) is similar to Ferdinand in that he was the character Prospero conspired to have near him, so that a relationship may blossom between Ferdinand and Miranda, much like in the case of Ex Machina.
The heavy symbolism and hidden meanings were perhaps by design
Alex Garland opted to finance the project with Film4 and DNA Film instead of approaching any major studio because he intended to realize his vision completely – without studio interference and other hindrances. Because of this one can confidently assume that everything which pretty much transpired in Ex Machina was put there with a specific purpose and with good reason.
When one analyzes the etymology of the character’s names their meanings reveal a lot about the character’s themselves. Ava, or Eve, comes from the root words kháy, meaning “alive,” or khavá, meaning “to experience,” living and experiencing is Ava’s main goal. Nathan comes from the Hebrew word for natán, meaning “gave,” as he gave Artificial Intelligence or AI to humans and life to Ava. And regardless of if you prescribe to Caleb meaning either “whole-hearted” or “dog,” from the root word kéleb, it obviously refers to Caleb’s loyalty throughout the movie. Even the brand of beer – Keikaku – which Nathan and Caleb imbibe at the very outset has an interesting meaning in Japanese; it means ‘plan’.
The visual effects award win of Ex Machina was a major upset
Ex Machina received Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay as well as Best Visual Effects at the 88th Academy Awards ceremony. While Best Original Screenplay was snatched up by the utterly engrossing screenplay of Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy for Spotlight, it was in the unexpected category of Best Visual Effects that Ex Machina nabbed its golden nudie. And this proved to be somewhat of a controversial decision as most industry insiders considered Ex Machina an outlier and Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens the sure fire winner.
Most trade publications, during their post-ceremony coverage, theorized this unexpected win was likely caused by strong support from the acting wing of the Academy, given the more performance-centric nature of the visual effects. Ex Machina is also the lowest-grossing Oscar winner for Best Visual Effects since What Dreams May Come (1998). However, the chief difference between the two films is that the latter was a box-office bomb while Ex Machina raked in $ 36.8 million on its $ 15 million production budget.
Modest box-office returns, rave reviews & awards success
Bankrolled by British production companies Film4 and DNA Films, Ex Machina went on to become a modest box-office success on release. The movie was distributed by A24 in America and by Universal Pictures internationally. Response by film critics the world over praised the effort’s engaging story, compelling performances, and stunning visuals. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 289 critics’ reviews are positive, with the website’s consensus reading: “Ex Machina leans heavier on ideas than effects, but it’s still a visually polished piece of work—and an uncommonly engaging sci-fi feature.” New York Times critic Manohla Dargis gave the film a ‘Critic’s Pick’, calling it “a smart, sleek movie about men and the machines they make”. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times raved about the film in her review, stating: “Shrewdly imagined and persuasively made, ‘Ex Machina‘ is a spooky piece of speculative fiction that’s completely plausible, capable of both thinking big thoughts and providing pulp thrills.”
At the 88th Academy Awards, Ex Machina received a nomination for Best Original Screenplay and snagged the award for Best Visual Effects causing a major upset. The movie also won the Best Sci-fi/Horror award at the Critics’ Choice Awards as well as bagging several awards at the British Independent Film Awards. Ex Machina’s other nominations include five British Academy Film Awards, three Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, and a Golden Globe Award.
A cautionary tale of man’s hubris?
With the concept of Artificial Intelligence or AI coming to the fore the significance of the themes and topics explored in Ex Machina have become timelier and more relevant. The movie takes a deep-dive exploration into human nature and the consequences of unchecked hubris. Nathan’s brazen actions demonstrate his inherent inability to foresee the ill-effects of playing God, which ultimately leads to not only his premature demise but the destruction of his life’s work. The effort also takes its time to look at the ethical implications of creating a technological singularity like Ava, who possess a mind of their own and are indistinguishable from humans physically. What rights should be afforded to such AI entities? What are the long-term implications to our society? And in such a scenario, to what degree should their creator be accountable for their creation? Garland also touches on the nature of consciousness and the definition of humanity in his thought-provoking script. In the end, Ex Machina is an expertly made modern fable, a cautionary tale of man’s hubris and the dark consequences of flying too close to the sun, like Icarus.
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Hasitha Fernando is a part-time medical practitioner and full-time cinephile. Follow him on Twitter via @DoctorCinephile for regular updates on the world of entertainment.
