The Island, 2005

The Island, 2005
Director: Michael Bay
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johannson, Djimon Hounsou



The island in few words: A man goes on the run after he discovers that he is actually a "harvested being", and is being kept along with others in a utopian facility.

Stage: home theatre

Preps: I have seen the Island as one of the first movies on my home theatre field, being one of the examples I took with the HD quality. At that point I liked it so much that I decided to see it again. Seeing movie that you loved again can bring you alternative perception of the same problem/idea. And furthermore, Scarlett Johannson and Ewan McGregor are just a lovely sight to the eyes, worthy seeing again. I absolutely adore the girl, she's a sex goddess in my opinion, or a true Venus as I would see her.


Reality: The Island is a shortcut to human organs. Offered to wealthy people, it offers them a chance to get a substitute of their organs that might stop working, or would need a replacement for any kind of reason. Since the organs are the clones of the real thing (the factory reproduces the clone of a human to get the organ which won't be rejected by the original), they must be harvested from real human beings. Unfortunately, noone predicted that the clones would know how to think, react, would have a soul, a good chance to fall in love, etc. .. the whole moral dilemma that the viewer is faced with in the first third of the movie, is simply breath taking. The clone generation is locked in cages, being directed from the first morning opening of their eyes until the last breath. The stuff they eat, the way they move, everything is being directed from the "big brother" above.

The ultimum, for which every clone person is striving, is being selected by a lottery, to go to the island, the metaphore for heaven in their world. They don't know what the Island is, but they were told it's a heavenly place. The reality is devastating - whenever someone goes there, it means, that its sponsor needs the organ and the clone is going to be killed.

A true manufacture of organs, simply a brilliant economical idea, if you overlook the moral aspect. However, the real drama starts when the sponsor (e.g. the owner) of a clone is faced with its clone and sees that this is not something in a thin epruvette, or something like a piece of meat. This is a true thinking person in flesh and blood. Most of the sponsors probably wouldn't go for it, if they knew how the organs are reproducted. And some of them would, because looks is something some people cannot afford to lose, or at least so they think.

The movie is a superb show-off of the achievements in science that lead to exploitation in economical sense, regardless of the victims or regardless of lies they are ready to release in public. A true remarkable piece on clone technology and a superior look on what this might lead to, at least through Michael Bay's eyes.


My personal rate: 8,0 (highly recommended, the action is good, the scenery is amazing and the moral dilemma.. well, it will strike your bones as hard as a good metal tune). Try to see it in HD!


Meet Island on IMDB
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