No Escape From Reality-an Analysis Of The Theme Of Film Her From The Perspective Of Virtuality

In today's rapidly developing society, virtuality has been attracting more and more attention and has been radically affecting the way people live. The American romantic science fiction film Her tells that a man falls in love with his intelligent computer operating system which is personified as a female voice. This dissertation aims at arguing the theme of Her with McLuhan's virtuality theory. By analyzing that the seemingly perfect and humanized virtuality can only supplement reality rather than replace it in Her, the dissertation argues that what men should do is to handle reality well instead of escaping from reality with virtuality.Except for the part of introduction and conclusion, this thesis includes three chapters. The first chapter is to explain how virtuality, the seemingly perfect and humanized computer operating system possessing all the features of virtuality, solves problems for the protagonist in his daily life and then becomes his barrier-free communicating friend and considerate girlfriend to give him constructive suggestions temporarily. The second chapter mainly analyzes virtuality Samantha evolves something uncontrollable so that she cannot solve the protagonist's emotional problems, but to bring him to a more serious emotional crisis. The third chapter discusses how the protagonist gradually realizes the fact of reality after the failure relationship with Samantha and then knows what he should do is to confront his real emotional problems and to handle them well by paying more attention to partner's feelings.The thesis tries to tell that virtuality can only supplement reality rather than replace it so what men should do is to handle reality well instead of escaping from reality with virtuality. By studying the film from this angle, the author hopes to provide a new idea both for Her study and for understanding reality and virtuality.