Exploring Everything, Everywhere, All at Once in the Deleuzean Light of Pure Becoming and Affect

Abstract

The film Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, which received tremendous praise and won seven Oscars at the 95th Academy Awards, offers an expansive exploration of science fiction, comedy, and a profound investigation into love. This movie goes beyond the typical SF and family drama genres, providing audiences with a reflective experience that encourages a deeper exploration of life’s facets. Centering on family ego conflicts and set against a multiverse backdrop, it challenges the binary concepts of morality. This paper endeavors to understand true love and identity through “ethical deconstruction” and “postmodern ethics,” particularly employing Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s concepts of “becoming” and “virtuality,” along with thought from Emmanuel Levinas and the issue of the sublime. The story begins with the dissatisfaction of the Wang family and follows their journey across multiple universes, unveiling the complexities of identity and choice. The work is explained through Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of “becoming,” symbolized by a circular motif representing an endless dynamic process. The narrative emphasizes Evelyn’s transformative journey, challenging the fixed notions of good and evil, and aligns with Deleuze’s transcendental empiricism. Her experiences across universes represent not just shifts in identity but the embodiment of Haecceity, the unique essence of each moment. The film’s narrative is interpreted to showcase the concept of “pure becoming,” emphasizing the transformative role of emotions and experiences beyond moral binaries, inviting viewers to participate in a journey of becoming that leads to empathy and understanding. Exploring Everything, Everywhere, All at Once through Deleuze and Guattari’s philosophies in this way highlights the film’s distinctiveness in exploring identity, love, and existence, allowing viewers to deeply understand and feel moved on an emotional and spiritual level.