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Franklin20's picture

Imperfect Copy

 I was also interested in the human side of the film.  The film seemingly advocates for humanity over the clones.

One way that this is expressed is in the way that the clones need sperm to survive.  I think the common feminist way to interpret the clones need for sperm is that they seemingly need men to be complete.  However, I would like to offer a broader interpretation.  The need for sperm reflects a need for an organic, human substance.  The need for some organic substance is later reinforced when Marine refuses to take the imitation sperm.  The refutation of the unnaturally made for the consumption of the organic substance inserts a definitive humanist tone into the film.  (I do agree that the fact the that this substance manifests itself through the consumption of sperm does posit interesting gender dynamics into the movie.)

I think Sandy is a critical figure in the movie's discussion of cloning vs. biological production.  Sandy works at a photo copying center; photocopying being figurative of a cloning material.  However, he refuses to make perfect copies of the original; he intentionally twists or skews whatever he is copying so that it is different from the original (as depicted in the scene when a lady screams at Sandy for messing up the posters for a dance competition).  This larger theme of imperfect copies culminates in Ruby's pregnancy (a brief clip of her pregnant next to Sandy is shown during the credits).  Sandy and Ruby's happy ending means that they produce an baby, a merging of the two of them, not a perfect copy of either one figure.

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