High-Rise

JG Ballard's novel of social breakdown encapsulated in a high rise skyscraper was written in 1975, when the Barbican in the City of London was the height of fashion. The story is timeless, however, and easily translates to the modern cityscape's of 21st Century - "the ragged skyline of the city resembled the disturbed encephalograph of an unresolved mental crisis."

It has a brilliant hook of a first sentence - "Later, as he sat on his balcony eating the dog, Dr Robert Laing reflected on the unusual events that had taken place within this huge apartment building during the previous three months."

Ballard seems to explore two main aspects of human psychology in the book. The often examined nature for setting societal strata - even in a building containing purely high income professionals, the residents set about dividing the floors into groups with higher ranking upper classes on the top floors and the "proletariat" with children at the bottom. Social subdivisions are based on power, capital and self-interest.

The other theme is that of architecture and modern day surrounding - given a high-tech but bland minimalist building, people will feel more free to set their own mark on it and treat it like a canvas for self expression - not just in the physical addition of graffiti and rubbish, but in the loss of moral standards.

I wanted to fully believe in Ballard's vision but the fact that they could easily leave the building if they wanted to at any time seemed a major flaw. Unlike Lord of the Flies, where the boys are trapped on an island with no where to go, the residents of the High-Rise have well-paid jobs they could go to if they so wished, and the normal rules of society and law and order are just a thrown bottle away. I am not convinced that given the choice, sane individuals would rather revert to a savage and primitive lifestyle of killing and eating another human being, when a supermarket is within walking distance. I could understand if, like in James Herbert's The Fog, some malignant influence drives people insane, or like Cormac McCarthy's The Road, it's a post apocalyptic scenario, but the influence of architectural design cannot have such an influence on removing the thin veneer of society.

Official film site

I loved the film. It really captured the essence of the original novel and built on it to make a few connections to the UK's current political situation. I hadn't made the link between the Architect (Royal) and Royalty before now, so the whole hierarchy of the High-Rise echoing British society became more clear and the upper floor fancy dress party with everyone dressed as pre-French Revolutionary Courtesans rammed it home.

There was one big difference between the original and the film. In the book, although Morton's fall from the top floors is the catalyst for the violence and breakdown that follows, it is never clear whether it was suicide or whether he was pushed (by his wife). In the film it is Dr Laing's harsh trick "to bring him down a peg or two" by telling him he has a brain tumour that causes his suicidal slo-mo plunge and sets the wheels in motion. Throughout the film Robert Laing is detached and doesn't get involved unless its in his own self-interest (the petulant and violent struggle for the paint can), which makes him the most dangerous of all according to Wilder.

The issue of why don't the residents just leave the building is perhaps hinted at from the very beginning when one car races another around the car park for the best parking space. Most of us have experienced road rage and been tempted to retaliate - it makes it easier to understand how things can escalate. The police are fobbed off in the novel by all the residents pretending that nothing is wrong, as what happens in the High-Rise stays in the High-Rise. Equally Cosgrove the news presenter doesn't talk about what's happening on air, nor do others when they go to work. In the film Royal tells the police it can all be brushed under the carpet, as he does not want his work to be deemed a failure.

The cinematography was sumptuous in its 70s style with surreal twists including the roof garden complete with white horse. Clint Mansell's soundtrack has the right amount of balance between innocence and sinister synthesiser undertones and we get treated to two versions of ABBA's SOS - one orchestral and the other a haunting cover by Portishead, which plays out over a montage of the characters' new survivalist lifestyle ala Mad World in Donnie Darko.

The final scenes end with a recording of Margaret Thatcher from a parliamentary speech, saying we need less state control and more power handed to the people. A direct link to current Tory policies of austerity where the state is being dismantled and given to business or left to the people to pick up the pieces and volunteer, look after their relatives and give to charities to support those in need. We can see signs that echo High-Rise, the withdrawal of state intervention and what happens when we leave things to the people if we look at the increase in rubbish at the sides of our roads. Also, things fall apart quicker when those who do all the maintenance and essential behind the scenes jobs leave - as London becomes too expensive for those on lower salaries or the minimum wage, will the rich be left to fight it out amongst themselves as bin men, cleaners, nurses and teachers are priced out of the city?


If you enjoyed the film, I would suggest A Clockwork Orange or Doctor Who episode Paradise Towers

If you enjoyed the book, then try Golding's Lord of the Flies or Ballard's Drowned World