Cloud Atlas (2012)

Cloud Atlas (2012) is an epic science fiction film helmed by the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer. Adapted from David Mitchell’s 2004 novel, it tells a complex story with multiple plots taking place across six different time periods. As the narrative jumps between these eras, spanning centuries, each storyline gradually reaches a resolution. Interestingly, we see characters from previous eras appear in future ones through their writings. These recurring characters often have changed relationships with one another, with instances of slaves becoming abusers and vice versa, hinting at possible connections between souls throughout time. For instance, in the Chatham Islands during 1849, American lawyer Adam Ewing is waiting for his ship to be repaired when he witnesses the brutal whipping of Autua, an enslaved Moriori man. Moved by Autua’s plight and noticing Ewing’s compassion towards him, Autua stows away on the lawyer’s ship and manages to convince Ewing to help him join the crew as a free man.

Later on, Autua even saves Ewing’s life before the manipulative ship doctor Henry Goose can carry out his nefarious scheme of stealing Ewing’s gold. In San Francisco, Ewing and his wife Tilda speak out against her father’s involvement in slavery before leaving for New York to join the abolition movement. This prompts them to leave San Francisco and move to New York to further support the cause. In 1936, English composer Robert Frobisher secures a job as an amanuensis for esteemed composer Vyvyan Ayrs, providing him with a platform to create his own masterpiece, known now as ‘The Cloud Atlas Sextet’. During his time at Ayrs’s mansion, Frobisher comes across Ewing’s journal among the collection of books. As his sextet nears completion, Ayrs demands recognition and threatens to expose Frobisher’s bisexuality if he does not comply.