'Blackhat' is thematically rich but suffers from narrative confusion

Michael Mann’s Blackhat opens with a heavily computer generated map of the internal workings of a city nuclear power plant. Shifting perspectives, rushing along power lines and electrical circuits we are thrust into a complex interior system. As we rush into the final moments of the sequence, the lines finally run a blood red before exploding: this sets the scene for an international hacker thriller in which technology becomes a mirror for the human body as well as society itself.The incredible digital landscape of the opening sequence soars like the Beyond the Infinite sequence in 2001: A Space Odyssey - but tactile, mechanical and fragile. The bulk of the film is about the partnership of America and China as they join together in the hopes of apprehending a sophisticated cyber terrorist. The operation hinges on convicted felon, Nick (Chris Hemsworth), working with former classmate Chen Dawai (Leehom Wang) as they use their sneaky hacker skills to find the mastermind behind an international plot. Along for the ride is the impossibly bright and beautiful Chen Lien (Wei Tang), Dawai’s sister and love interest for Nick.

Character and theme take almost all precedence in Blackhat over narrative cohesiveness and even technical proficiencies. While somewhat reflective of the convoluted nature of cyber warfare, this inevitably leads to some confusion and occasional bouts of tedium. Running at over 2 hours long, the runtime does not always feel justified. We are supposed to trust that the characters are experts in their field, it does not really matter whether you understand what exactly is happening or why - because they do. This leap of faith is a gamble that allows Mann to cut down on exposition, which I suppose is something we should be thankful for (I’m not sure if more exposition could have even lead to much more clarity, as the ins and outs of regulations, computer jargon and fields of command seem inherently complex, to oversimplify them would negate the entire premise of the film). In a similar breath, the film suffers in terms of sound design and sound editing, along with certain shots and sequences appearing to be unfinished or raw.

That being said, as a study in paranoia, technology and masculinity there is a lot of good to say about Blackhat. The film heralds Mann-esque masculine ideals whose heroes are committed to loyalty, goodness and intelligence. The film itself tries to refute the concept of moral relativism, suggesting that when the ideals of right and wrong are compromised, so are freedoms of the people. In spite of the fact Nick was in prison on an extended sentence, he was willing to do that time on his own terms, and similarly will be allowed to be set free if he helps catch an international terrorist: his actions hold consequences. However, as the film invokes the terrorists attacks of September 11th, they show that American powers have used the premise of “doing good” in order to remove liberties and establish a non-transparent state of surveillance. While the NSA is not the main villain of the film, but they are certainly not fighting for justice; they certainly are not held responsible for any of their morally dubious actions.

This theme of surveillance running through the film creates a sincere sense of paranoia. Much in the vein of French New Wave allusions, as we are introduced to Nick in his prison cell he is reading Michel Foucault who pioneered the idea of panopticism. Foucault discusses the idea that when you think or know you are being watched, you are more likely to obey. This anonymous power forces you into submission, and ultimately, breeds apathy. As a running theme, we see how this ideology has compromised the safety and rights of the citizens of the world in favour of those who hold power and money. This becomes especially tricky in a world where money itself becomes digitized, and on more than one occasion the villain is confronted with the idea the numeric count in his bank account is treated like a high score on a video game - even at the expense of human life. Even money is abstract, removed from its tangibility.

This transcendence of “tangibility” is played out in many different ways in the film, from Nick’s pseudonym “ghostman” to the painful abstraction of human lives being sacrificed en masse to suit individual and corporate greed. While setting a large majority of the film in Asia feels, on occasion, like a tourist venture it similarly evokes a dissonance that North Americans feel towards the rest of the world. As Nick fights to save the countless lives of Malaysians being metaphorically lined up for the slaughter in favor of a stock market jump, there is an aching thought at the back of your mind that should the villain succeed, few of us in the Western world would even bat an eye.

Sex and intimacy is presented as an opposing force to this abstraction, and few filmmakers are able to portray it as poetically as Mann. The initial scenes in which Nick and Chen Lien spend in private conversation is composed so that while they are having speaking without looking at each other. Every once in a while, they will glance to the other, though their eyes will rarely meet. This is followed up by more scenes of watching and fragmentation, as we assume Nick’s point of view as he watched Chen Lien, first looking at the nape of her neck, then her arm, her lips… it display curiosity, but is also reflective of a sort of beautiful functionality in the human form. Nick sees the world as a circulatory system, and technology, machines and the human body are intimately connected. In looking at the human body in this way, he is able to see it as a cohesive whole but also as individual parts, that each have their own purpose and function. Eyes are similarly very important, and in the film’s sex scenes become the central images. The mantra of Chen Lien throughout the film is “open your eyes”, because while we may be looking we are not necessarily seeing. This fragmentation of the human form seems connected with how the idea of the body itself is transformed through technology, whether through analog footage (as in surveillance tape) or else the way that meta-data informs conclusions about your behavior, preferences and identity.

Overall, Blackhat is an experience reserved for huge Michael Mann fans and is likely better experienced at home on a tv than at the cinema. While the film offers a lot of thematic sophistication and some powerful action sequences, a lot of the film leaves much to be desired. The cast does wonders considering, with the supporting characters especially contribute to a more expansive range of emotions.Viola Davis in particular shines, offering many layers of humour, emotion and justice to the film.