Upstream Color - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.

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Upstream Color
Upstream Color is a 2013 American experimental science fiction
Upstream Color
film written, directed, produced, edited, composed, designed, cast by
and starring Shane Carruth. The film is the second feature directed by
Carruth, best known for his 2004 debut Primer.[3] Upstream Color
stars Amy Seimetz, Carruth, Andrew Sensenig, and Thiago Martins.

Upstream Color is about two people whose behaviors are affected by a

complex parasite—without knowing it—that has a three-stage life cycle
in which it passes from humans to pigs to orchids.[4]

Contents
Plot
Cast
Production
Themes
Release
Directed by Shane Carruth
Reception
Critical response Produced by Shane Carruth
Awards Casey Gooden
Music Ben LeClair
References
Scott Douglass
External links
Written by Shane Carruth
Starring Amy Seimetz
Plot Shane Carruth
The film starts with a man (mentioned in the credits as the "Thief") Andrew
who appears to be harvesting a type of larva for the unusual effects it Sensenig
has on the human mind when ingested. Thiago Martins

At a club, Kris (Amy Seimetz) is tasered and kidnapped by the Thief. Music by Shane Carruth
He makes her swallow the larva, inducing a sort of hypnotic Cinematography Shane Carruth
susceptibility, which causes an extremely suggestible mental state that Edited by Shane Carruth
the Thief then exploits. He uses an elaborate set of distractions, such
David Lowery
as getting her to create a paper chain where each link features a
transcription from the book Walden, in order to distract her while Production ERBP
company
performing his mind control. He eventually manipulates her to
liquidate her home equity, reveal to him a stash of valuable rare coins Distributed by VHX
and empty her bank account. Through hypnotic suggestion, Kris is Release date January 21, 2013
prevented from consuming solid foods. She is only allowed to drink (Sundance)
small portions of water at regulated intervals, which she is compelled
April 5, 2013
to perceive as extremely refreshing and delicious. Thief eventually
(US)

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releases Kris, who binges ravenously and falls asleep in soiled clothes Running time 96 minutes[1]
in her home. She awakens to find several large worms visibly crawling
Country United States
under her skin. She unsuccessfully attempts to remove them by using
Language English
a kitchen knife.
Budget $50,000
Later, a pig farmer and avid field recorder—the "Sampler"—draws Kris
Box office $584,881[2]
to his farm using infrasonics. The Sampler silently sets up a
transfusion through which he transfers a worm from Kris's body into that of a young pig. Kris then awakens in an
abandoned SUV on the freeway with no memory of these recent traumatic events. Upon arriving at her disordered
house, she quizzically notices blood on her sheets and floors and considers calling the police. She realizes she has
no information to tell them and stops dialing. After cleaning up, she heads to work, where she is promptly fired for
her unexplained absence. A trip to the grocery store reveals to Kris that her personal funds are gone.

A year later, Kris meets a man named Jeff (Shane Carruth) on a train and connects with him. Kris and Jeff meet
several times, before finally spending the night with each other. Afterwards, they realize that they both retain
identical stitching scars from the aforementioned, forgotten, transfusions. The two of them soon realize that they
both had similar experiences; Jeff lost his job as a broker due to shifting company funds around to cover for money
stolen from him and attributed the incident to drug abuse. At the same time, it is made clear to the audience that a
parallel exists between the emotions Kris and Jeff have been feeling and two pigs, one of which is the host to Kris's
parasite. As an example: Kris mistakenly believes herself to be pregnant at the same time her pig counterpart is
actually pregnant. Upon consultation with a doctor, she is diagnosed with having had endometrial cancer that was
successfully removed. The supposed cancer, she is told, is no longer a threat to her body, but it has rendered her
infertile.

The Sampler finds that the pig containing Kris's worm has now given birth to piglets. He throws the piglets into a
burlap sack and tosses them into a river. This event coincides with Jeff and Kris feeling an extreme sense of loss
and frustration, and both act as if something terrible is happening to them; Jeff spontaneously picks a fight with
two of his co-workers while Kris frantically searches as if she'd lost something. The two, in their panicked state,
reunite and travel to Kris's house, where they gather supplies, including a gun, and make camp in her bathroom's
tub, expecting the worst. Meanwhile, the sack of piglets is seen rotting away and a blue substance bursts from the
piglets' open wounds, filling the surrounding waters, from which orchids have emerged. The orchids eventually
turn the same color blue and are collected by farmers, who sell the plants in the neighborhood where the Thief
operates.

These events seem to mark a change in the state of things. Kris and Jeff begin to remember each other's personal
histories as their own. Jeff discovers Kris mumbling the text of Walden while swimming. It is while performing this
ritual that Kris comes to sense things that the Sampler has sensed, and it is this moment that the two start to piece
together what happened to them both. In a dreamlike sequence, Kris, Jeff, and the Sampler all sit down at the same
table in a bare, white room where Kris reveals to the Sampler that she is aware of him; the Sampler collapses from
an apparent heart attack. The scene then cuts suddenly to a parallel shot back at the pig farm, where Kris shoots
and kills the collapsed Sampler. Kris and Jeff collect a box of written records revealing others who were similarly
drugged, and the two summon these other past victims to the farm by sending them copies of Walden. The farm is
thereafter remodeled and the pigs are better cared for; as a result, no more pigs are drowned, the orchids in the
river no longer turn blue, and the Thief is deprived of the larvae for his drug. The film ends with Kris cradling a
baby pig, at peace.

Cast
Amy Seimetz as Kris
Shane Carruth as Jeff

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Andrew Sensenig as Sampler

Thiago Martins as Thief
Kathy Carruth as Orchid Mother
Meredith Burke as Orchid Daughter
Andreon Watson as Peter
Ashton Miramontes as Lucas
Myles McGee as Monty
Frank Mosley as Husband
Carolyn King as Wife
Kerry McCormick as OBGYN
Marco Antonio Rodriguez as MRI Tech
Brina Palencia as Woman in Club
Lynn Blackburn as HR Manager
John Walpole as Bank Investigator

Production
In October 2011, it was revealed that Upstream Color would be Carruth's second feature, taking precedence over
his science fiction film A Topiary. It was announced that Upstream Color was in the process of casting in Dallas,
Texas, in preparation for a forty-day shoot, set to begin in early November 2011 and end in late January 2012.[5]

Themes
In April 2013, io9.com asked director Shane Carruth if the film's point regarded a return to nature. Carruth replied
that the film explored breaking cycles:

"It's more about what those pigs are now embodying. I mean, there is a break of the cycle. These
people that have been affected by this are now taking back ownership of the thing that they’re
connected to...I don't believe that narrative works when it's trying to teach a lesson, or speak a factual
truth. What it's good for is, an exploration of something that's commonplace and universal — maybe
that's where the truth comes from."[6]

Regarding the role of The Sampler, Carruth told io9, "So the idea that they would find this pig sampler, or this pig-
farmer/sampler character, to be the culprit for all of their problems — when, in reality, we of the audience see
[that], of the three people continuing this life cycle, the thief is definitely malicious, the orchid harvesters are
definitely benign. It’s the sampler who is interesting, but not necessarily doing anything wrong. He is an observer.
You can make a case for whether or not he's culpable, in being able to benefit from the observation..."[6] Regarding
the peace experienced by Kris at the end of the film, Carruth told io9, "By that time, we know that she can’t have
children. So whatever it is that she is peaceful with there [in the pig farm] is not going to return the affection she
might have for it. It is always going to be that broken state of things, regardless of what that moment is like right
then."[6]

Release
The film premiered on January 21, 2013 at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, followed by a theatrical release in the
United States on April 5, 2013,[7] self-distributed by Carruth.[8] Carruth explained, "Everything about the choice to
do the distribution is about contextualizing" the movie.[3]

The film was shown at South by Southwest on March 8, 2013.[9]

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Reception

Critical response
Upstream Color has received widespread critical acclaim. [10] After its premiere, Keith Kimbell wrote "most critics
couldn't stop talking about it".[8] Mark Olsen, for the Los Angeles Times, wrote, "For a time, Upstream Color was
trending higher on Twitter than Sundance itself."[3] According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an 86% approval
rating, based on 140 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "As technically
brilliant as it is narratively abstract, Upstream Color represents experimental American cinema at its finest -- and
reaffirms Shane Carruth as a talent to watch."[11] The film also holds a score of 81 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on
27 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".[12]

Sam Adams of The A.V. Club gave the movie an "A" and wrote, "having the movie wash over me was one of the most
transcendent experiences of my moviegoing life". Adams wrote, "It's utterly perplexing, and heart-stoppingly
beautiful, quite literally overwhelming", comparing parts of the movie with Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life
(2011).[13] In her review for The New York Times Manohla Dargis also notices Malick's deep imprint for Carruth,
stating that the influence is "evident in Mr. Carruth’s emphasis on the natural world; his use of "Walden"; the
hushed voices and many images, including some time-lapse photography of a dead pig decaying underwater, which
registers as the catastrophic inverse of the time-lapse sequence of a seed sprouting underground in "Days of
Heaven"", adding that "Mr. Malick’s influence also extends to shots of Kris and Jeff walking, whispering and
touching that are not moored in a specific time but could be from the past, present or future. In these Malick
Moments, time becomes as circular as the rising and setting of the sun."[14]

Olsen of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "With its densely layered, thematically rich storytelling, Upstream Color is
in part about the mutual psychosis that can be an essential part of romance, the agreement of a shared madness.
It's intense and hypnotically powerful, and a more intimate and moving film than Primer. Color is somehow at
once emotionally direct, while narratively abstract."[3] A reviewer who enthused about the score wrote that he
"found the film itself to be a messy, story-less, meandering abstract drug trip, but I admire the filmmaker and
performances."[15]

Jeremy Kay of The Guardian thought the film "a baffling, opaque mess" and said that it "contains striking
microscopic imagery, cute pigs and alarmingly aggressive foley work. It's meticulous, methodical and educated –
but also extreme, and extremely pretentious",[16] though his colleague Peter Bradshaw called it a "flawed,
experimental, fascinating film".[17] Philip French of The Observer said "The minimal dialogue is gnomic, often
inaudible; the settings suddenly change without any apparent consistency of purpose... Upstream Colour has the
makings of a cult movie, though it's not a cult I feel inclined to join.".[18]

Writing for Music Box Theatre 2013 Spring Calendar film critic Mike D'Angelo concludes that "while Upstream
Color has a fair amount of (purely functional) dialogue, it’s essentially a silent film, obsessed not just with color but
with texture and movement and rhythm".[19] He also adds that the "film is a study of damaged people in which both
the damage and the method of recovery has been made productively strange, allowing Carruth to reclaim some
potent ideas that have become clichés". D'Angelo further states that the film is "a dazzling exercise in pure form,
with a cinematic syntax that’s confident and exacting yet still feels wildly spontaneous—part Kubrick, part Malick",
concluding that the "most exciting aspect of Carruth’s movies, though, in the end, may be the immense respect they
afford the viewer. Not only does he refuse to spoon-feed, in the tiresome manner of most Hollywood fare (and even
a sizable percentage of indie films), but he continually credits you with the intelligence to infer cause from effect,
presenting you with B and trusting that you’ll work out A, which remains firmly offscreen, on your own."[19]

The Hollywood Reporter declared that "Carruth's is a cinema of impressions and technique, not overt meaning"

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and gave a positive review: "The experience of watching the film...is highly visceral and sensuous; the images
possess a crystalline clarity that is exquisite, and they're dispersed in rapid rhythmic waves in a way that's
especially mesmerizing during this first section." In the second third of the film, after Kris and Jeff meet, the film
"veers in the direction of romance in which two people who have presumably been genetically re-engineered
attempt to redefine themselves and see what kind of connection they can make with someone else and what that
might mean, if anything. They both remember and don't remember things from the past and sometimes argue over
whose memory is whose."[20]

The Salt Lake Tribune reviewer wrote that the "head-scratching science-fiction drama, about people finding
themselves connected to each other and a parasite's life cycle, is beautiful to watch and contemplate."[21] Reviewer
Christopher Kelly, who was among other reviewers reminded of The Tree of Life, described it as "a puzzlebox
narrative involving (among other very strange things) worms that are harvested for psychotropic drugs; a pig
farmer who composes music inspired by the emotional anguish of others; and a group of people who have been
kidnapped and bilked out of thousands of dollars. All of this unfolds in free-associative fashion, with one scene
barely seeming to connect to the next." He said that the movie "floats gorgeously from one passage to the next,
building a mounting sense of anxiety and melancholy at each mysterious step along the way."[22]

Similarly, The Miami Herald called it "a puzzle that may be impossible to solve", saying that Carruth's
"mesmerizing use of imagery—of textures and sounds, of crisp lighting and radiant natural beauty—has a haunting,
lyrical quality reminiscent of Terrence Malick... But he also injects some moments that are so horrific and squirm-
inducing, they're downright Cronenbergian. Although its title suggests a sense of direction, Upstream Color
defiantly eschews a traditionally linear narrative format; it moves ahead in time but in an elliptical, hypnotic way.
And Carruth's rhythmic style of editing draws you in and keeps you hooked even when it may not be entirely clear
what you're watching. He's technically meticulous but the results are dreamlike."[23]

The Film School Rejects reviewer gave an A- grade; he praised the film's "ambitiously big and brave themes" and
the "finely effective score."[24]

The film review website The Dissolve rated Upstream Color #5 in its list of the top 5 films of 2013.

Chris Tookey of the Daily Mail wrote, "With its cliched, counter-productive ideas of what makes an art-house
movie deep — unintelligible plotting, ponderous pacing, poorly acted characters gazing vacantly into space,
meaningless images of wildlife — it makes the average Terrence Malick film look like The Dam Busters."[25]

Awards
At the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, Upstream Color received the Special Jury Award for Sound Design, which was
shared by Carruth, Johnny Marshall, and Pete Horner. The Georgia Film Critics Association nominated Upstream
Color for six awards, including Best Picture, Director, Actress, Original Screenplay, Cinematography and Score. In
addition to her nomination for Best Actress, Amy Seimetz was also included in the Breakthrough Award
category.[26]

Music
The soundtrack for the film features music composed by Carruth. It has been described by one reviewer as "a
moving, symphonic and emotional score".[15]

References
1. "UPSTREAM COLOR | British Board of Film Classification" (https://bbfc.co.uk/releases/upstream-color-film).

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bbfc.co.uk.
2. "Upstream Color (2013) - Financial Information" (https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Upstream-Color). The
Numbers.
3. Olsen, Mark (2013-01-14). " 'Primer's' Shane Carruth in total control with 'Upstream Color' "
(http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-sundance-carruth-
20130115,0,6953593.story). The Los Angeles Times.
4. Wickman, Forrest (April 9, 2013). "FAQ: Upstream Color" (http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/04
/09/upstream_color_faq_analysis_and_the_meaning_of_shane_carruth_s_film.html). Slate.
5. Fischer, Russ (November 28, 2012). "See Three Images From 'Primer' Director's New Film 'Upstream Color' "
(http://www.slashfilm.com/see-three-images-from-primer-directors-new-film-upstream-color/). slashfilm.com.
Retrieved December 5, 2012.
6. Anders, Charlie Jane. "Director Shane Carruth explains the ending of Upstream Color" (http://io9.com/director-
shane-carruth-explains-the-ending-of-upstream-475087719). io9.com. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
7. "Upstream Color – Movie Trailers – iTunes" (http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/upstreamcolor/).
apple.com. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
8. Keith Kimbell (January 28, 2013). "2013 Sundance Film Festival Recap" (http://www.metacritic.com/feature
/sundance-film-festival-reviews-2013). Metacritic. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
9. "What's Happening! March 8 - Film and Interactive PM Edition" (https://web.archive.org/web/20130324011157
/http://www.sxsw.com/happening-film-interactive/news/whats-happening-march-8-film-and-interactive-pm-
edition). South by Southwest. 2013. Archived from the original (http://sxsw.com/happening-film-interactive
/news/whats-happening-march-8-film-and-interactive-pm-edition) on March 24, 2013. Retrieved March 29,
2013.
10. "The Cautionary Rhapsody of "Upstream Color" " (https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/the-
cautionary-rhapsody-of-upstream-color). April 5, 2013 – via www.newyorker.com.
11. "Upstream Color – Rotten Tomatoes" (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/upstream_color/). Rotten Tomatoes.
Retrieved February 20, 2018.
12. "Upstream Color" (http://www.metacritic.com/movie/upstream-color). Metacritic. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
13. Sam Adams (January 22, 2013). "Day Five at Sundance is all about the perplexing, overwhelming, heart-
stoppingly beautiful Upstream Color" (http://www.avclub.com/articles/day-five-at-sundance-is-all-about-the-
perplexing-o,91442/). The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
14. Dargis, Manohla (2013-04-04). "Worms, a Botanist and Pigs. Sounds Like a Love Story"
(http://movies.nytimes.com/2013/04/05/movies/upstream-color-directed-by-shane-carruth.html?partner=rss&
emc=rss&_r=1&). The New York Times. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
15. Billington, Alex (February 20, 2013). "Shane Carruth's Score for 'Upstream Color' Available to Buy & Stream"
(http://www.firstshowing.net/2013/shane-carruths-score-for-upstream-color-available-to-buy-stream/).
firstshowing.net. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
16. Kay, Jeremy (January 23, 2013). "Sundance Film Festival 2013: Upstream Color – First Look Review"
(https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jan/23/sundance-festival-upstream-color-first-look-review). The
Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
17. Peter Bradshaw. "Upstream Color – review | Film" (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/aug/29/upstream-
color-review). The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-11-09.
18. Philip French. "Upstream Color – review | Film | The Observer" (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/sep/01
/upstream-color-shane-carruth-review). Theguardian.com. Retrieved 2013-11-09.
19. D'Angelo, Mike (2013). "You're Going To Want To See It More Than Once: UPSTREAM COLOR". Music Box
Theatre 2013 Spring Calendar March 1st through May 30th. Music Box Theatre: 30–31.
20. McCarthy, Todd (January 21, 2013). "Upstream Color: Sundance Review" (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com
/movie/upstream-color/review/414175). The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 1, 2013.

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21. Means, Sean P. (January 23, 2013). "Sundance: Best bets for Friday, Jan. 25" (https://archive.is
/20130411201055/http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile2/55627289-218/sundance-bets-festival-2013.html.csp). The
Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original (http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile2/55627289-218/sundance-bets-
festival-2013.html.csp) on April 11, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
22. Kelly, Christopher (January 27, 2013). "Texas Filmmakers Shine at Sundance Film Festival". Fort Worth Star-
Telegram.
23. Lemire, Christy (April 1, 2013). "Review: Upstream Color a Bold, Artful Challenge"
(http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/01/3317695/review-upstream-color-a-bold-artful.html). The Miami
Herald. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
24. Hunter, Rob (January 25, 2013). "Sundance 2013 Review: Stunning Upstream Color Puts Swine Before Pearls
and Finds Universal Truths Along the Way" (http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/reviews/sundance-2013-review-
shane-carruth-upstream-color-rhunt.php). Film School Rejects. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
25. Chris Tookey (2013-08-30). "Upstream Colour: Art-house film pretentious and not visionary or challenging |
Mail Online" (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2406252/Upstream-Colour-Art-house-film-
pretentious-visionary-challenging.html). Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-11-09.
26. Cameron McAllister (2014-01-06). "Georgia Film Critics announce nominees for 2013 awards"
(http://www.reelga.com/2014/01/georgia-film-critics-announce-nominees.html). Reel Georgia. Retrieved
2014-01-06.

External links
Official website (http://erbpfilm.com/film/upstreamcolor)
Upstream Color (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2084989/) on IMDb
Upstream Color (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/upstream_color) at Rotten Tomatoes
Upstream Color (https://www.metacritic.com/movie/upstream-color) at Metacritic

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