Chappie is the latest near-future, science-fiction film from director Neil Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium). The film stars Sharlto Copley (unseen providing motion-capture and voice-acting for Chappie), Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman, and two members of South African rap group Die Antwoord. Blomkamp’s films are so strikingly similar visually, tonally, and in setting, you almost get the impression that they share a universe. Blomkamp uses science-fiction set in the very near-future to socially critique our present, from the analogy to apartheid in District 9 to (less successfully) social-class stratification in Elysium, and here the idea of consciousness, violence, and identity. District 9 remains one of my favorite films because of its stunning visuals, social commentary, and unique storytelling.
While the film is still visually stunning and ambitious, it struck me as featuring a lot to talk about but very little itself to say. The questions it raises are profound questions for humanity in the face of boundless technological advance: What is consciousness? What makes something alive, or even human? How do we exploit life and what messages do we give to developing people? Watching Dev Patel’s character and the gang members each fighting for Chappie’s “soul” provides fertile ground for such a conversation, but nothing seems to grow. Part of this may be the result of unprofessional acting. The screen is often dominated not by talents like Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman, or Sigourney Weaver, but by members of South African rap group Die Antwoord, who show some signs of life but leave a lot to be desired.
I was also frustrated as a Christian by this film. There is this quote I’ve seen in many Christian circles: “You do not have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.” This quote is often attributed to C.S. Lewis, though Lewis never wrote it and was never known to have said it. This quote represents a form of Christianity that is fading away with the discoveries of psychology and neuroscience – we are learning that we are “embodied people” and that the distinction between body/spirit is not only unhelpful, it may very well be impossible.
Our bodies are a part of who we are. They are part of God’s creation. My body is not just a shell that contains me but an inseparable part of what makes me, me. While this might cause problems for views of the afterlife, many wonderful theologians and Christian psychologists have demonstrated that Scripture shares this view of humanity and that it has important implications for Church-life, discipleship, spirituality, etc. (This topic obviously exceeds this blog post, but if it interests you, check out “The Physical Nature of Christian Life” by Warren S. Brown and Brad D. Strawn.)
Chappie seems to see the body as superfluous to containing personhood, consciousness, a soul, or whatever you might call it. Ultimately, some might see this as “spiritual,” but it strikes me as simply naïve. I would have loved to see the film explore how consciousness might change if it is disembodied, but it simply assumes that a person is a person (or a consciousness is a consciousness) no matter where it finds itself. And as a Christian, or even as a human, I just don’t think that is true.
You might also find these reviews of Chappie helpful:
Christianity Today
Larsen on Film
Reel Gospel
Reel World Theology
