As almost a spiritual successor to an earlier article on alienation, I want to continue in the same vein and expand upon that, in light of another alienating force, isolation. Spike Jonze’s 2013 feature, Her, set in a near future vision of Los Angeles, deals with multiple themes, but Isolation is what I’ll be exploring in this piece.

The loneliness Theodore (Joaquim Phoenix) feels is emblematic of a growing isolation felt across the world. Through the use of a shallow depth of field, Jonze presents Theodore’ isolation, juxtaposing it with the fact that he’s surrounded by people. The shapes of those passing by Theodore are blurred behind him, drifting through their own lives never to interact with one another; he even admits to imagining what their stories might be, so that they aren't just random strangers. This use of cinematography forces the audience to focus almost entirely on Theodore, ensuring his isolation is unavoidably felt. And we can relate because it’s a common feeling for many of us, to live amongst millions of people and still feel alone, but why? 

Modern urban life, although bringing masses of people together, has become completely atomised. From technology advancement to socio-political policy, Theordore encapsulates the effects of modern western ideology. His daily life consists of work, alone at his desk, followed by his commute home, alone, to spend his evening playing video games, alone. He is the product of early capitalist ideas that resurged in the 80s. Theodore is the neo-liberal vision of a ‘free’ individual, disconnected from those around him.  

The Thatcher and Reagan era marked the inception of the implementation of neoliberalism, and with this, the cultural ascendency of this hyper-individualistic view of the world. In a time of growing union power, the capitalist conservatives looked to destroy this worker solidarity. Under the guise of freedom, a policy of individualism was pushed as the dominant ideology; we became ‘autonomous economic units’ and consequently more easily exploited. Profits soared as wages continue to stagnate, leading to the staggering inequality we have today. What’s more, due to today's precarious nature of employment, people are forced to work longer and in more intense environments. Therefore, with rising costs of living, social lives suffer, of course having a devastating effect on the psyche. 

Individual liberties and rights are central to any free society, but preoccupation over such -  that led our leaders to state ridiculous remarks such as “who is society? There is no such thing! There are individual men and women” -  has had a catastrophic effect. Loneliness has become such a concern that Theresa May, during her tenure as PM, set up the first government strategy in combating it, following the suggestions of the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness. Appointing a new ministerial position, which of course has done little, and post-covid the problem is only more pressing. The issue is much greater than simply investing more funding and appointing new roles, it lies at the feet of the very structure of society itself, making it very hard to solve if you do not believe such a thing even exists. 

Nevertheless, isolation is not only an extremely uncomfortable existence that far too many experience, it is also physically bad for you. Researchers have found that extended loneliness can be as bad as fifteen cigarettes a day, increasing your risk of heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure and of course mental illnesses, like depression and anxiety. Therefore, an atomised society not only leads to a more exploited population, but also an unhealthier one.  

So what does the future of human relationships look like in this dire socio-political climate? Well, Her suggests an alternative. Theodore, whilst in the middle of a divorce and dissatisfied with dating, searches for connection in, what may be considered as the natural lineage of consumerism, his computer. Specifically, an OS called Samatha (Scarlett Johanssen), providing the ‘market-solution’ to Theodore's isolation. 

Another central pillar of neoliberalism is market deregulation, allowing the ‘free market’ to solve all our problems. This unfortunately has not occurred, and subsequently we have a consumerist culture that causes further unhappiness and dissatisfaction. We are encouraged to find pleasure in objects, which creates an antisocial effect. Capitalism tells us that consumption should satisfy our every need, and when it inevitably doesn’t, we feel guilt, we feel empty, we consume more.  

We are separated from our natural inclinations of intimacy, and this leads us to feelings of emptiness. Paradoxically, Samatha, being an intuitive AI, ‘evolves’ to best serve Theodore. She becomes (as his ex wife points out) what he always wanted, ‘a wife without the challenges of something real’. Yet, because Samatha is not ‘real’ he is again left with feelings of isolation and confusion. “Under monopoly capitalism, consumerism is more about consuming ideas and less about satisfying inherent biological and psychological needs”, Theodore consumes the idea of love, one that reflects his desires back to him, rather than a true, and mostly unpredictable, real love. Materialism is a reconstructed intimacy which dispossesses us from a richer (human) interaction. 

Relationships with AI or any materialistic pleasure cannot satisfy us in the same way human connection can. These products can only replicate it’s appearance, exemplified through the mirroring during the two ‘sex’ scenes, one being with a human over the phone and one being the AI voice, both using the line “I can feel you”, but both are dissatisfactory. It is the real physical connection that we crave, and what the film suggests in its closing scenes. Theodore and his long-term friend Amy (Amy Adams) stare longingly together into the LA skyline, with the implication being either their future romantic relationship, or continued companionship, either way, a real human connection. 

But, essentially that’s it, the way to combat the overwhelming isolation and emptiness of modern materialism and hyper-individualism is as simple as human connection. As cheesy as it sounds, human affection is really the only solution to this problem we face. Communities need to be nurtured not gentrified and ‘disintegrated’, social clubs must be supported not slashed through austerity. A shift from the completely individualist thinking is vitally necessary for, quite literally, the health and the happiness of society. Solidarity is an innate desire, and the only thing that rescues us from the empty and isolated vision of the near-future. We forget this basic desire, and we forget what it is to be human.  

By Henry Kidney