What an Archive Movie Is -2020 Plot Analysis and Ending

4.7/5 - (3 votes)

Gavin Rothery’s debut full-length feature film, Archive is a 2020 science fiction picture. The movie is set in the future, when technology has made it possible to temporarily store a deceased person’s consciousness. Theo James, Stacy Martin, and Rhona Mitra play the three main characters in Archive. It’s a gorgeous movie with excellent CGI that was made on a tight budget. Watching it is absolutely worthwhile. Spoilers follow as we break down the movie Archive’s premise and conclusion.

Archive What transpired at the conclusion of the film?

What an Archive Movie Is -2020 Plot Analysis and Ending

Towards the end of the movie “Archive,” it becomes clear that George—and not Jules—was the one who perished in the collision. Not Jules’, but his thoughts and memories were kept in a traditional manner. Everything we’ve seen in the movie, including the structure, the J1, J2, and J3 robots, Simone, the company, and the project, is George’s original artwork. It resembles a fantasy that he has imagined.

George holds himself responsible for the collision since he was operating the car by hand when it should have been on automatic. Whether that is accurate or not, he feels bad about it. He imagines a scenario in which his wife, who wasn’t even born yet, passed away and he had been developing Japanese robots to house her consciousness.

In the end, George realises that he is the one who has died, and as he hears his daughter saying farewell, his consciousness gradually vanishes. The movie comes to a stunning and illuminating conclusion.

Archive The Story of the Film| A Walkthrough

George is introduced to us; he is engaged in a unique effort to save people’s thoughts.

George is extremely sorry for what he believes he did to bring about the death of a significant person in his life.

To keep track of the thoughts of his loved one, he is creating robots.

Simone is a character that may or may not be a robot or a memory.

Although George appears to be in a futuristic setting, this universe is actually simply in his imagination.

In his fantasy, George’s wife had already passed away before she was ever born, and he was using robots to try to bring her back.

In the end, we learn that George—not his wife—was the one who passed away. He bids farewell as his mind vanishes.

George and Jules| who are they?

In a futuristic setting, Jules and George are joyfully expecting a child. Fast self-driving cars are available in this future, and there is a technique to preserve people’s thoughts after they have departed away. Robotics engineer George is looking for funding for his study. He is given a wonderful opportunity: three years to conduct research and develop a functional prototype. The sole prerequisite is a relocation to Yamanashi, Japan.

Describe Archive.

What an Archive Movie Is -2020 Plot Analysis and Ending

After someone has died away, we can preserve their thoughts via a technique called The Archive. This enables us to communicate with the deceased individual for 200 hours. Jules is hesitant to employ this technology, despite George’s desire to do so. George nevertheless registers them for it. Jules is quite irate and demands that the registration be cancelled when she learns that she was signed up without her permission. George most likely keeps his registration while cancelling hers.

The Mishap

George loves to drive alone and dislikes using his car’s AI-powered autopilot. When he tells Jules about his three-year study grant, they have a car accident on the way there. It turns out that George dies, not Jules, despite what might have seemed to be the case. Archive technology has been used to save his ideas and memories. For over four years, Jules has been conversing with George’s recorded thoughts.

What elements of the film Archive are true?

The only actual flashbacks are those that occurred before to the auto accident. Everything else we see is just in George’s head as a coping mechanism for his emotions, including his activities in Japan. Jules and her daughter appear in the final scene, which is also real.

Let’s look more closely at the first call George and Jules made on the gadget:

What an Archive Movie Is -2020 Plot Analysis and Ending

Jules, how’s my man doing?
George: You’ve been sorely missed. the same as previously.
Jules: I also miss you. You’re staying home, then? What, is it only labour these days?
I’m one of you, George.
Jules: I concur. You are known to me. I sincerely hope you’re happy there, you understand.
George: You know, this place is fantastic.
I’m sorry, but I’m unable to go on.
George, don’t say that.
Jules: Use such language… Just too challenging.
George says to Jules, “Listen to me.
Jules: I’m sorry. George, goodbye. I treasure you. (Pauses Call)

Jules has never been in favour of the expansion of the deceased’s consciousness. She is aware that George is still potentially alive, yet she is unable to resist staying away as well. They have kept in touch throughout the years, although their exchanges have been limited. Because of this, George still struggles to accept that he is the one who died.

Simone’s identity is unknown.

In George’s thoughts, Jules is producing prototypes for a large firm while working in Japan. Simone, her manager, is eager to learn how George’s robots turn out. The Archive technology in this made-up universe not only aids George’s studies but also acts as a repository for human awareness. But it’s important to keep in mind that none of this really matters because these occurrences are just constructs of George’s imagination and hence not real.

What an Archive Movie Is -2020 Plot Analysis and Ending

What about Melvin and Vincent Sinclair, then?

George and Jules are both actual members of Archive. These have to have been people George knew before the accident when he joined Archive. However, in his imagination, they have changed into enigmatic foes out to prevent him from finishing his covert endeavour. We see Vincent and Melvin waiting for Jules’s final call to offer their condolences. They are actually merely two of Archive’s employees. They are now seen by George as evil characters who want to reveal his plans.

What is George doing in the film library?

After his death, George has been working on developing the advanced robot J3, which has a biological component. His initial prototype, J1, has the mental capacity of a 6-year-old but is limited to thinking at that level. So he develops J2, which, before it finishes developing, has the mental capacity of a 15-year-old. He then creates J3, which has adult-like thinking capabilities.

J1, J2, and J3 have been connected by George using Jules’ analogue signal. Once J3 is capable of supporting himself, he intends to erase J3’s personality and replace it with Jules’.

George’s thoughts are occupied with all of this for several years. Because George’s daughter went from being between three and four years old to eight months pregnant, we can determine how much time has passed. Because consciousness, unlike a human, cannot exist in isolation for an extended period of time, George’s mind has constructed this complex, fictitious mental world in order to keep itself occupied.

What an Archive Movie Is -2020 Plot Analysis and Ending

Why does J2 kill himself? What does it all mean?

George imagines a sequence of robot prototypes, each one more sophisticated than the one before it. J1 is only roughly 5 or 6 years old mentally, therefore he is unable to fully comprehend what is happening. J2, a more advanced model, on the other hand, views George as a father figure. Unfortunately, George develops the J3 model, which makes J2 envious of George’s earlier work. When George takes J2’s legs to give to J3, J2 feels entirely abandoned and decides to terminate its own life by straying into a lake. Things then take a tragic turn.

It’s vital to understand that J2 only lives in George’s mind; there are no genuine robots in the real world. George regrets using a manual gearbox while driving and feels guilty for the deaths of his wife and child. He imagines a situation in which J2, symbolising his child, perishes as a result of his own carelessness.

What is J3? Where is J3 going?

In this case, J3 is a distinct being developed utilising Jules’ memories and consciousness as a foundation, not just a figment of George’s imagination. Consider J3 as a replica of Jules with a distinct personality. J3 swiftly becomes an adult and begins to feel affection for George thanks to Jules’ recollections. J3 wants to take Jules’ place in George’s life.

This is the conversation:

Greetings, Jules. Who are you then? George has vanished.

J3: “George is unable to answer the phone at this time.”

“What has happened to him, Jules?”

J3: “You don’t need to worry about George. After you leave, I’ll look after him.

“Jules, are you there?” asked George.

“Who was it, George?” asked Jules.

Jules hears two voices, proving that a mind inside Archive is capable of generating voices that can be heard by real humans. It is strange that Jules doesn’t alert the business to this unusual occurrence or voice her concerns about it.

What an Archive Movie Is -2020 Plot Analysis and Ending

Is George aware that he is dead?

It does appear that George’s id is thinking about the potential of his death. This is demonstrated by the fact that when George contacts Archive’s support, they alert him to his wife’s weakening signal and advise him to get ready for a possible final call. Despite the poor signal, Jules still plans to phone George one final time.

Additionally, during the movie’s conclusion, J3, who is a part of George’s subconscious, tells him not to answer the phone, indicating awareness of the impending call. These specifics imply that George’s subconscious is wrestling with the possibility that he might have died, and that as a result, his relationships with Jules and Archive are taking on new significance. Your observation emphasises how intricate the narrative is and how the film explores the line between life and death.

The Climax, an old film

J3 doesn’t want to pass away, so George decides to wipe her and replace her with Jules’ mind. This means that George is fighting against his own awareness vanish within Archive.

J3, who represents a portion of George’s awareness, starts to understand that George is fading inside Archive and has departed away. J3 agrees to be wiped because she believes she will eventually reunite with Jules and experience a happy ending.

The company’s recovery team is on its way to get him and his robots when George, overseeing his personal sub-project, causes it to abruptly vanish.

Even though his subconscious is trying to prevent him from learning the truth about his death, George unwillingly picks up the ringing phone. J3 tells him to decline the call because the information is unkind.

Just when George is going to pass away, Jules calls him one more time. When George answers the phone, he is informed that he has passed away. George ultimately accepts the reality of his condition before saying his final goodbyes and fading away while sobbing.

ALSO READ THIS: How the 2018 film Jonathan ends

Enter the digital haven designed for movie fans! Meet Namolaturkar, our seasoned film expert, on a year-long journey to decode cinema's enchantment. With a pen mightier than a director's lens, NamoLaturkar doesn't just write articles, he opens doorways into the intricate layers of film narratives. Take a cinematic journey with NamoLaturkar's guidance, where each article is your pass to the heart of storytelling, shaped over years of passion and unwavering love for the big screen. Get ready to learn about film from the experienced eyes of a master storyteller.

Leave a Comment