Never Let Me Go Essay On Mortality

How does Romanek illustrate his views on Mortality in “Never Let me Go?”
Mark Romanek’s film adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go depicts a world that we are unfamiliar with. With major scientific advancements relating to DNA, the artificial creation of organs is now possible through the cloning of humans. While normal society are able to use these people to their own benefit and increase their own lifespan, the donors are forced to suffer and have a very short-lived life. Despite this, all humans have an inherent awareness of their death as we all eventually pass away. Themes relating to mortality are demonstrated in the film through us human’s persistence to live and delay fate, our inevitable acceptance of death, the importance of relationships and love and how impactful the death of a close person is.
Throughout the film, characters aim to delay their inevitable death and make the largest impact they can to help others. The idea of a “deferral” is a symbol of hope and how Kathy and Tommy share “verifiable” “true love” for each other. It is a possible pathway that the couple can take to delay their inevitable “completion” and allows them to spend a few more years with each other to further develop their relationship. As Tommy and Kathy visit to apply for a deferral,
While the film’s main purpose is not about cloning but rather what it means to be human, the former idea puts greater focus on the idea of mortality through the delaying of one’s inevitable death. Furthermore, themes of love, loss, acceptance and relationships also help motivate and give significance to Kathy, Ruth and Tommy’s lives. As stated by Japanese author Yoshida Kenkō, “If man were never to fade away ... but lingered on forever in the world, how things would lose their power to move us. The most precious thing in life is its