Waking Life 244752 225516622 2008-07-14T02:45:24Z J.delanoy 2372780 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/210.50.143.21|210.50.143.21]] to last version by 71.130.243.174 (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]]) {{Infobox Film |name = Waking Life |image = Waking-Life-Poster.jpg |caption = Theatrical release poster |director = [[Richard Linklater]] |producer = [[Tommy Pallotta]]<br/>[[Jonah Smith]]<br/>[[Anne Walker-McBay]]<br/>[[Palmer West]] |writer = [[Richard Linklater]] |starring = [[Trevor Jack Brooks]]<br/>[[Lorelei Linklater]]<br/>[[Wiley Wiggins]]<br/> [[Timothy "Speed" Levitch]]<br/> [[Alex Jones (radio)|Alex Jones]] |music = [[Glover Gill]] |cinematography = [[Richard Linklater]]<br/>[[Tommy Pallotta]] |editing = [[Sandra Adair]] |distributor = [[Fox Searchlight Pictures]] |released = [[January 23]], [[2001]] |runtime = 99 min. |language = [[English language|English]] |budget = |amg_id = 1:237170 |imdb_id = 0243017 |}} '''''Waking Life''''' is a digitally enhanced live action [[Rotoscoping|rotoscoped]] film, directed by [[Richard Linklater]] and made in [[2001 in film|2001]]. The entire film was shot using digital video and then a team of artists using computers drew stylized lines and colors over each frame. This technique is similar in some respects to the [[rotoscope]] style of 1970s filmmaker [[Ralph Bakshi]], which was invented in the 1920s. The title is a reference to [[George Santayana]]'s maxim that "[s]anity is a madness put to good uses; waking life is a dream controlled."<ref> Santayana, George (1989). ''Interpretations of Poetry and Religion'' (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press), 156.</ref> == Plot == In a broad scope, ''Waking Life'' is about a young man in a persistent [[lucid dream]]-like state. The film follows its protagonist as he initially observes and later participates in [[philosophy|philosophical]] discussions that weave together issues like appearance and [[reality]], [[free will]], our relationships with others, and the [[meaning of life]]. Along the way the film touches on other topics including [[existentialism]], [[situationist]] politics, [[posthumanity]], and the film theory of [[André Bazin]]. The young man eventually comes to realize the possibility that the reason he is unable to wake up is because he is dead. The film ends on an ambiguous note, and in the commentary track, director Richard Linklater states that he never intended for people to think the protagonist was dead. Unsurprisingly, given the above themes and content, ''Waking Life'' is much more focused on dialogue (often even [[monologue]]) than on plot action. In this emphasis, it echoes the [[1981]] film ''[[My Dinner with Andre]]'' and the [[1990]] film ''[[Mindwalk]]''. Long scenes in ''Waking Life'' consist of nothing but head shots of characters expounding on philosophical questions. The characters and their speech are very reminiscent of [[Richard Linklater|Linklater's]] earlier cult classic, [[Slacker (film)|''Slacker'']]. ([[Ethan Hawke]] and [[Julie Delpy]] even appear as their characters from Linklater's ''[[Before Sunrise]]'' and ''[[Before Sunset]]'') == Production == Adding to the dream-like effect, the film used an innovative [[animation]] technique based on [[rotoscoping]]. Animators overlaid live action footage (shot by Linklater) with animation that roughly approximates the images actually filmed. A variety of artists were employed, so the feel of the movie continually changes. The result is a [[surrealism|surreal]], shifting dreamscape. The animators used inexpensive "off-the-shelf" [[Apple Macintosh]] computers (as opposed to the expensive [[supercomputer]]s and [[computer cluster]]s used by [[Pixar]] and [[DreamWorks Animation|DreamWorks]]). The film was mostly produced using [[Rotoshop]], a custom-made [[rotoscoping]] program that creates blends between keyframe vector shapes, and created specifically for the production by [[Bob Sabiston]] (the name is a play on the popular bitmap graphics editing software called [[Photoshop]], which also makes use of virtual "layers"). == Awards == Nominated for numerous awards, mainly for its technical achievements, ''Waking Life'' won the National Society of Film Critics award for "Best Experimental Film," the [[New York Film Critics Circle]] award for "Best Animated Film," and the "CinemAvvenire" award at the [[Venice Film Festival]] for "Best Film." It was also nominated for the Golden Lion, the festival's main award. == Soundtrack == [[Image:Waking Life Soundtrack.JPG|thumb|left|175px|Soundtrack cover]] The [[soundtrack]] was performed and written by [[Glover Gill]] and the [[Tosca Tango Orchestra]], except for one piece written by [[Frédéric Chopin]], and was relatively successful. Featuring the [[nuevo tango]] style, it bills itself "the 21st Century Tango." Influence for the compositions stem from the Argentinian "father of new tango" [[Ástor Piazzolla]]. The actual tango scores are revised renditions of Ástor Piazzolla's works. == DVD == [[Image:Waking Life DVD Cover.jpg|thumb|175px|DVD cover]] The film was released on DVD in North America on May 7, 2002. Special features included several commentaries, documentaries, interviews and deleted scenes, as well as the short film ''Snack and Drink''. A bare-bones DVD with no special features was released on Region 2 on February 24, 2003. == Details == *The [[Philip K. Dick]] essay being discussed is ''How to Build a Universe that Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later,''[http://deoxy.org/pkd_how2build.htm] the introduction to his short story collection ''[[I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon]].'' *The final song in the theatrical trailer is "[[The Passenger (song)|The Passenger]]" performed by [[Iggy Pop]]. *The entire film was shot with a [[MiniDV]] camera. *In the scene with the chimpanzee giving the lecture, scenes from [[The Last House on the Left]], Akira Kurosawa's [[Dreams (film)|Dreams]] and live performances of [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] and [[Dead Kennedys]] are playing on the projector. *The scene with the man in prison ranting about torture is taken almost directly from [[Hubert Selby|Hubert Selby Jr's]] 1971 novel ''[[The Room (Selby novel)|The Room]]''. *The 1970s Bally pinball machine "[[Fireball (pinball)|Fireball]]" appears in the film. *Since none of the characters are mentioned in the film by name, the closing credits show a clip from the film with the character's face on screen, with the actor's name beside it. *The man simultaneously driving and shouting into the megaphone is [[Alex Jones (radio)|Alex Jones]], known for expressing even more controversial and conspiratorial viewpoints on his syndicated radio show. == See also == *[[David Sosa]] *[[Dream argument]] *[[Dream art]] *[[Eamonn Healy]] *[[Existentialism]] *[[Lucid dreaming]] *[[Oneironaut]] *[[Richard Linklater]] *[[Louis Mackey]] *[[Simulated reality]] *[[Robert Solomon]] *[[Wiley Wiggins]] *[[Speed Levitch]] == References == {{reflist}} == External links == {{wikiquotefrom}} *{{imdb title|id=0243017|title=Waking Life}} *{{rotten-tomatoes|id=waking_life|title=Waking Life}} *{{anatomyofascene|id=3222|title=Waking Life}} *[http://strivinglife.com/words/post/Waking-Life-Script-with-Revisions.aspx Waking Life Script] &mdash; Transcript of the entire movie, based upon the first transcript by Tara Carreon, but with numerous revisions and corrections. *[http://publish.uwo.ca/~dmann/waking_essay.htm Waking Up in Waking Life] &mdash; Discussion of the philosophical and political ideas presented in the movie. *[http://www.dharmaflix.com/wiki/Waking_Life Buddhist interpretation of ''Waking Life''] *[http://www.glovertango.com/home.html Glovertango] &mdash; The official website of film's composer Glover Gill. *[http://www.fbi945movies.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=143918 Radio Interview with Director Richard Linklater from FBi 94.5 Sydney Australia] *[http://youtube.com/watch?v=saxX-Z6w3p4 Telescopic Evolution &mdash; Waking Life excerpt.] {{Richard Linklater}} <!--Categories--> [[Category:2001 films]] [[Category:Avant-garde and experimental films]] [[Category:Existentialism]] [[Category:Films directed by Richard Linklater]] [[Category:Films shot digitally]] [[Category:Fox Searchlight films]] [[Category:Lucid dreams]] [[Category:English-language films]] [[Category:Existentialist works]] [[Category:Philosophical films]] [[de:Waking Life]] [[es:Despertando a la vida]] [[it:Waking Life]] [[pt:Waking Life]] [[ru:Пробуждение жизни (фильм)]]