Writer/Director/Producer/Editor/(Botanist?) Shane Carruth’s Upstream Color is almost the opposite of his Sundance breakthrough, Primer. The latter is a verbose overly plot driven low-budget thriller about time travel. The former is a character driven medium budget operatic emotional piece about identity and connections. What elevates Upstream Color is the fact that its intelligence is not incomprehensible due to Carruth’s superior editing. The movie is also built around relatable emotions that resonate with audience much more than Primer. Upstream Color is not perfect, but it is a welcome piece of intelligent storytelling by a gifted innovator.
After a murky start, we are introduced to a thief (Thiago Martins) who obtains control of a woman named Kris (Amy Seimetz) through a mind control drug obtained from grubs under a blue flower. Kris, under the power of this drug, is forced to give away all of her possessions and wakes up with cuts on her hands and feet. The drug has lasting effects on her as well; her behavior becomes more erratic and uncontrollable, and she is forced to take a small job at a copy company. On the bus to work everyday, she meets Jeff (Carruth), whom she is instantly drawn to for reasons she cannot explain. It feels like love, but is it really?
To say more would do disservice to an expertly edited film. The audience understands why characters act or feel the way that they feel not because it is explained by the sampler (Andrew Sensenig), but because it is shown through the actions of the other “characters.” This type of character parallelism could easily explained in words, but Carruth elects to use musical score, sounds, and images, requiring the audience (as well as the characters) to piece together what is going on. It requires attention and interaction from the audience, something few films require in today’s mostly mindless endeavors. This willing participation invigorates the story and creates an intimate connection between audience and characters, making the conclusion of Upstream Color much more satisfying than it probably would be in another director’s hands.
Another of Upstream Color’s delights is its themes of identity and connection. Obviously a macguffin is used to get the story going, but once Upstream Color establishes its characters, the macguffin is used to service the story, not drive it. This drug obviously establishes connections to the people who come under the influence of it, but to what extent. Kris and Jeff at times seem to be telling the same story, but whose story is it? Or did they both have a similar upbringing? Does the connection pass on to the children? What happens when you die? All these questions are usually explored wordlessly, again requiring the audience to piece it together. Upstream Color is probably meant to be more than a little ambiguous, which gives the movie a different perspective, audience member to audience member.
Aside from the editing, score and sound take a prominent role here since not even the characters understand what is happening to them. Carruth created the score himself and its extraction of emotion and depth from scene to scene one of the best examples to hit the screen in a long time. What elevates it from other scores is that is feels like another character, but it is not intrusive enough to make you feel one particular emotion. The score gives Upstream Color an operatic lyrical drive giving the film deeper meaning, much like a critical book used in the story.
Unlike Primer, Upstream Color really relies on its principals to carry the content with expression. Amy Seimetz is very good here as Kris, having to carry multiple influences behind her visage. The minimal dialogue she has with Carruth feels natural, and the chemistry while not amazing, is at least believable in the context of this movie. Shane Carruth is solid, wisely making himself a more secondary character. The other character who gets lots of screen time is Andrew Sensenig, who is mysterious, vacant, and caring all at once.
Shane Carruth is a true renaissance man in the film industry. While most directors beg studios for creative control, Carruth learns all the necessary responsibilities for what it means to have “complete creative control.” This sort of dedication is evident in every frame he shoots, especially in Upstream Color, which requires unification of sight, sound, and touch. If more directors really had the all-encompassing understanding Carruth does in making a film, then even the weaker efforts would be infused with some sort of passion. Fortunately, Carruth’s passion is matched by his skill; Upstream Color is an engrossing experience that will most certainly end up on many top 10 lists at the end of this year.