Recently on Charlie Rose, J.J. Abrams declared the end of the cinematic spectacle. Between photorealistic computer generated imagery and the deadening of audience senses, he claims we have become immune to the possibilities and of the movie-going experience.
Pixar, on the other hand, has, in the past few years, declared the strength and beauty of the cinematic spectacle. Ratatouille (2007) showed the romance of Paris and the revealed the magnificence of the kitchen. WALL·E (2008) made a planet of trash and debris seem mysterious, even mythical. And now Up (2009) gives us an epic view of the world.
Beyond the stunning panoramas of South America and the glorious shots from the clouds of the world below, Up gives us a breathtaking and haunting look at life and time. At the beginning Carl, our protagonist, and Ellie meet at age six, drawn together by their love for adventure.
What follows in the film is among Pixar’s finest work. We see a portrait of their lives together: marriage, discovering they cannot have children, growing old together. But between these milestones, we see a pastiche of the mo ments life is made of: painting a mailbox, dancing in the living room, a picnic beneath a walnut tree.
We see the span of a life unfold. We watch Carl and Ellie wrinkle and stiffen, and we witness Carl’s loss of Ellie to sickness. Harrowing and beautiful, it is a spectacle.