Overview"Human Nature" is a 2001 American-French satirical black-comedy film written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Michel Gondry. The movie stars Patricia Arquette, Tim Robbins, and Rhys Ifans. The story unwinds as a reflection on the understanding and exploration of the convolutions in between humans and their fundamental animalistic nature.
PlotThe film follows the life of Lila (Patricia Arquette), who has actually dealt with extreme body hair growth given that teenage years, triggering her much ridicule and triggering her withdrawal from society to live in the wilderness where she was material, and composed effective books about her environmental views. Puff (Rhys Ifans), a male raised as an ape, is caught throughout a clinical expedition by an ambitious scientist, Nathan Bronfman (Tim Robbins), who aims to civilize him in a behavioral adjustment experiment.
Central ConflictNathan, upon being interested by Lila, helps her handle her excess hair through electrolysis and the two fall in love. In spite of being a couple, Nathan's rigid and obsessively detail-oriented nature brings friction into their relationships particularly about Puff's reformation. Nathan is rigorous in his experimentation to tame Puff and mold him into social standards-- teaching him rules, appropriate dressing, and intellectual discourse.
The TwistNathan had actually desperately attempted to modify Puff's inherent nature which ironically backfires, painting an ironic turn of occasions. Puff begins to question his enforced humanity which leads him back to his animalistic propensities. He escapes and begins living in a nearby forest. Meanwhile, Nathan establishes a romantic interest in Gabrielle (Miranda Otto), his assistant, which strains his relationship with Lila.
Conclusion"Human Nature" is a narrative filled with the expedition of human behavior and its undying chain with our primitive impulses. The film ends on an awful note where Nathan suffers an untimely death due to his assistant's deception. Lila, pregnant with Nathan's child, retreats back to her forest home, and Puff, now able to select his life, decides to live like an ape while narrating his life story to Congress. For that reason, the story concludes that attempting to modify real and fundamental human nature is ineffective.
Themes"Human Nature" mainly concerns the societal constructs and standards of behavior, trying through satire to expose the pompous imposition of synthetic good manners imposed by culture on people. This film highlights that beneath civilized good manners, people typically maintain their primitive impulses. There is a constant battle between our animalistic propensities and our found out habits that is shown in the characters' actions and options throughout the plot.
Important ReceptionDespite including distinguished actors, "Human Nature" got blended evaluations from critics. While some applauded the movie for its creativity and satire, others slammed it for its eccentricity and disjointed narrative structure. The movie takes its audience on a comical yet deep introspection of modern-day social constructs and their influence on the real 'human nature'.
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