Totalitarianism in the Disney Movie Wall-E
The Axiom was created by Buy N Large, a global company whose trash ruined the earth. The Axiom is run by robots and strict order. Each robot has a job to do and every person travels about the spaceship on a lighted line that controls their hover chair. Even the time when the people eat is controlled by the spaceship.
The people are not so concerned by this total control over them because they are constantly distracted. They each have their own video screen in front of their face. This video screen is used for talking to other people like on a video phone or playing virtual games. The main computer also sends messages to the people through this video screen such as fashion styles or warnings about “Rogue Robots.”
The spaceship’s weather and time of day is controlled by the Captain. He has a control button that changes the time of day and keeps the weather a “Balmy 75 degrees and Sunny.” When we meet the Captain, he has overslept and wakes up at noon. He realizes he missed giving the “Morning Announcements” so he changes back the time from lunch to breakfast time so he can perform his job.
Even the hairstyles are decided by the robots. The hair salons are run by little pink robots that say lines like “I know, honey,” “you look great,” and “men.” The hairstyles they put on the women are short and very utilitarian.
The people’s clothing is completely controlled also. They men and women have red colored jumpsuits that are exactly the same. The mother computer makes an announcement “Try blue, it’s the new red.” Everyone’s outfits change to blue.
The babies who are in their hover cribs are getting educational lessons from a robot. The robot stands before a large screen that displays the alphabet as she says, “A is for Axiom, your home sweet home. B is for Buy N Large, your very best friend.” This is obvious programming.
The Captain doesn’t even have total control. He makes the statement about the morning announcements: “It’s the only thing I get to do on this ship.” He knows that he doesn’t really have any control. The auto pilot named Auto even tells the Captain when to go to bed.
When the Captain realizes that Auto has had total control over the ship for the last 700 years, the Captain rises against him. Auto confines the Captain to his own quarters and cuts off the Captain’s communication with the rest of the ship.
When the people break free of the total rule and control of Auto, they learn how to live and function on their own without the aid of robots. The movie Wall-E teaches that when people become lazy and lack curiosity and motivation to ask questions and think for themselves, they can end up being controlled by greater forces.
This movie educates the audience by encouraging people to live freely by doing something and not falling into line just because someone told you so. The theme of totalitarianism is very obvious in Wall-E and should be encouraging to people that they don’t have to do what they’re told as long as they are fighting for the right cause.
