Cloud Atlas: Tom Hanks Character Evolution
Cloud Atlas is a story about people. People who evolve and reiterate themselves throughout different timelines and generations. Throughout the narrative we see different characters portrayed by the same actors, symbolizing the journey of different souls through reincarnation.
Tom Hanks' characters in particular go through the most dramatic changes, starting off as a criminal doctor who poisons his client in order to feed his insatiable greed. His character is naive, selfish, and will go through any means to further his own petty gains. He then returns as a cockney criminal writer. Still selfish and brutish he appears more violent in his ways, again seeking to further his own gain through the pain of others.
However it is the last character he portrays which shows the meaning behind Cloud Atlas. The Cloud Atlas shows that souls and people can in fact change and learn over time, albeit some take longer than others. In the beginning of the movie, his character still remains cowardly and selfish, allowing other characters to die in order to fulfill his own purpose. However, when Halle Berry's character appears, he begins to change. Seeing her help his own people begins to awaken some sort of empathy for others inside him. We see this change show itself when he saves her on multiple occasions, despite the manifestation of his selfishness in the form of a leprechaun telling him not to.
Its his actions that take place earlier on in assisting her that save him in the end. His bonding with Halle's character enables the Deus Ex Machina moment to happen in the end, leading their paths to finally cross together.
From criminal doctor, to criminal mobster, to criminal landlord, to humble valley man. Tom Hanks' character shows the most dramatic change of character in the movie.
Tom Hanks' characters in particular go through the most dramatic changes, starting off as a criminal doctor who poisons his client in order to feed his insatiable greed. His character is naive, selfish, and will go through any means to further his own petty gains. He then returns as a cockney criminal writer. Still selfish and brutish he appears more violent in his ways, again seeking to further his own gain through the pain of others.
However it is the last character he portrays which shows the meaning behind Cloud Atlas. The Cloud Atlas shows that souls and people can in fact change and learn over time, albeit some take longer than others. In the beginning of the movie, his character still remains cowardly and selfish, allowing other characters to die in order to fulfill his own purpose. However, when Halle Berry's character appears, he begins to change. Seeing her help his own people begins to awaken some sort of empathy for others inside him. We see this change show itself when he saves her on multiple occasions, despite the manifestation of his selfishness in the form of a leprechaun telling him not to.
Its his actions that take place earlier on in assisting her that save him in the end. His bonding with Halle's character enables the Deus Ex Machina moment to happen in the end, leading their paths to finally cross together.
From criminal doctor, to criminal mobster, to criminal landlord, to humble valley man. Tom Hanks' character shows the most dramatic change of character in the movie.
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