Why Robbie Williams Is A CGI Monkey In Better Man & What It Really Means
Better Man depicts British pop star Robbie Williams as a CGI ape, begging the question of what the meaning behind this decision was. As one of the best-reviewed music biopics of recent years, Better Man is receiving a lot of buzz. One of the prominent reasons for this is the film's depiction of its central character, with Better Man's cast of characters being led by a CGI ape.
Better Man explores the true story of Robbie Williams, one of the biggest British musicians of all time. From his earliest years as a child and his familial relationships to his early career as a one-fifth of the band Take That, his solo career, and the dangers wrought by a stratospheric rise to fame, Better Man explores multiple decades of Robbie Williams' life. Interestingly, though, the musician is imagined as an ape. Although this could have been a gimmick that made little to no sense within the context of the film, Better Man actually provides strong thematic reasoning for the decision.
Better Man Portrays Robbie Williams As A Chimpanzee Due To His View Of Himself
Williams' Self-Perception Led To Better Man's Depiction Of An Ape
The primary reason behind Better Man's ape character is Robbie Williams' perception of himself. The film explores Williams' eccentric, somewhat irreverent personality that has been prevalent throughout his entire career. Moreover, Better Man explores that this has always been part of Williams as a person, from a young age. Early in the film, Williams' voice-over explains that, as a result, he has always perceived himself as less evolved than those around him, be it his family, his childhood friends, or his band members in Take That.
For this reason, the decision to portray himself as an ape was made. This links to Charles Darwin's theory of evolution which states humans evolved from apes. Williams took his self-perception literally, translating the feeling he is lesser evolved than other people into the ape shown on screen throughout Better Man's runtime.
The Deeper Meaning Of Better Man Making Robbie Williams An Ape
Beyond this reasoning, there is another deeper meaning behind Better Man's depiction of Williams as an ape. For generations, monkeys and apes have often been used as part of performances, be that in circuses or even TV shows and movies of old. Simians have long been used as performers, though this is admittedly becoming less common as the world becomes more protective of wildlife.
Apes and monkeys have long been used as performers that, due to their inability to choose this life, are being exploited for the enjoyment of audiences...
Where Better Man is concerned, the film plays on this trope. Apes and monkeys have long been used as performers that, due to their inability to choose this life, are being exploited for the enjoyment of audiences. Better Man explores how Robbie Williams' early career was intertwined with his mental health issues, such as feeling like he was being put on stage for the enjoyment of others rather than his own personal pleasure. In this way, Better Man's CGI ape conveys this sentiment, proving to be a strong, profound, thematic decision on the filmmakers' part.
Better Man
- Release Date
- December 25, 2024
- Runtime
- 136 minutes
- Director
- Michael Gracey
- Writers
- Michael Gracey, Oliver Cole, Simon Gleeson
Cast
Robbie Williams
Jonno Davies
Directed by Michael Gracey, Better Man explores the life and career of singer Robbie Williams through his own eyes.
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