Appreciating 'Swiss Army Man': A story on letting go of fear

I do not remember the first time I saw Swiss Army Man, but it is a film I remember enjoying on the first viewing. Though recently I rewatched the film and discovered a new appreciation for its themes. Not only is the film funny, and visually impressive, Swiss Army Man comes with a heavy lesson that reminds us of life's complexities, and how society shapes us into someone we don't want to be. I found the film's consideration of society as some oppressive oddity that removes our natural selves out of fear of being scrutinised to be meaningful, one that extends into the audience as a reminder.

Though this reminder can easily be overlooked as just the film's structure at telling a fictional story that takes place in the supposed wilderness as our protagonist finds themselves on the brink of suicide having been stranded on a small island. Met with the idea of a strange corpse that suddenly appears that seems to be alive yet incapable of moving, ultimately serving as a human Swiss Army Knife, or a multitool. His ability helping our suicidal survivor to, well, survive. Though his supposed living aspect breaks into a real curiosity regarding his own existence. Diving into the questions of everyday life: what it means to be alive; what emotions we hold and what makes us feel certain ways; we see our survivor teach him the ways of everyday life in attempt to give him some sort of recollection of who the corpse was before death.

This sets up the film's main idea, where friendship blooms, and a curiosity for life is gained, as is the attempt to understand what it not just means to be alive, but part of modern society. The simplicities of riding the bus each day, seeing a beautiful woman, and even how we cling to our greatest fears, ultimately allowing them to control us and hold us back.

Swiss Army Man

For the first half of the film, much of Swiss Army Man just toys with its idea of a human multitool saving a lost man in the middle of nowhere. The two grow a friendship as they connect over the idea of life. Endless questions from our corpse ensue, many of which result in our protagonist's realisation of life's cruelty. This cruelty propelled by his realisation that he has struggled to fit in during his entire life, forever controlled by his own fears and the external expectations others have placed upon him. His solution ultimately being to break away from society and escape it in its most drastic form. Something of which modern society does in fact face an issue with as many youth decide to merely drop out from society rather than mindlessly grind through life's hardships with no real destination in mind.

Our protagonist slowly realises how beautiful life can be through his newfound friendship with the corpse, having an adventure, but still very much under the control of society's expectations. To which the film places much of its attention to this idea that we roam through life living for others, incapable of living without judging each other and expecting things from each other. Effectively shutting ourselves away from the world and living as another person, someone that does not at all really represent how we really feel and act. Even our most animalistic features being buried as some strange rejection of nature. To which the film continues to explore, though with its own elements of humour to show them in a lighter manner.

Though this realisation that our protagonist has been running from the world remains. His realisation that he has given up, removed from society and rejected the world based on the rejection he himself witnessed. To not compete at all becoming the reasonable solution. This is amplified by exceptional cinematography that shows us close-up but gentle perspectives of the two cast members, showing us their real nature's up-close in a way that no other has seen them. It is a touching and deeply personal style of directing that makes us feel for them, allowing us to see them finally let go and relax, though the problem remains as the two live in the middle of nowhere, still far from society and others. Add to this a score in which the songs containing simple sounds and singing from the cast, showing a careless and more fun aspect of music. The two feel free in nature together. But are they free? Our corpse doesn't know who he was still, and is left holding the many questions of who he once was and how he died. Deeply philosophical questions that detail a struggle to understand himself, and perhaps why things turned out the way they did. Our survivor realising he was controlled by fear, but still controlled by it and failing to take control of his life still.

Though these expectations from external sources and the fears of being judged are ultimately abandoned. Our survivor no longer caring for what others think of him, no longer allowing others to tell him how to think and act. For once he truly does understand what freedom is, and pursues it. We cut to black as the film ends, seeing no further development from his character. But witnessing the next stage of his life given he finally began to take action.

****

Swiss Army Man takes a very human approach to the modern problems of our society. It reflects on the idea that fear controls us too much, stopping us from being able to enjoy the extremely limited time we do have to live. That idea that this limited duration of life should not be wasted caring what others think or expect from you, and that you should live for yourself. The film's writing sets up two characters both with similar questions, one more deeper and philosophical as it's too late for him to find answers, already dead and gone. The other still alive and discovering who he really is in the density of nature.

Watching the film, it's hard to not feel sorry for our two characters. Their engagements show ones of connection and struggle, watching the two slowly bond over their attempts to understand themselves. A friendship is formed over their mutual feeling of being lost. Not knowing themselves but wanting to. Asking all the right questions but never really having the right answers to them. This allows them to be seen in a very human way; the film pursues the idea of empathy, showing us that we all feel these ways, but hide it and all suffer as a result.

Each step the film takes is one that pursues the idea of self-discovery. Learning to be independent and survive alone, learning to be happy with yourself. Rather than attempting to live for others. I found this profoundly engaging, and it gave me such a newfound appreciation for the film having realised what it wanted to tell us all: just stop caring.

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