Severance: A Cinematic Exploration of Corporate Hell

The series uses old cinematic resources that evoke office classics. But it also uses some resources exactly in reverse.

In Severance, the Apple TV+ series about a mysterious company where some employees have their consciousness split into two parts, with the innie doing all the work and the outie not remembering anything, the office is a dispersed and lifeless environment. The program reinforces that theme with its cinematography and production design. Here are some ways in which Severance (which means rupture, indemnification, or separation by dismissal in Spanish) invokes and subverts classic film tricks to create its corporate hell.

Isolation

The series continues to delve into the theme of corporate dehumanization by drawing stark parallels between the past and present workplace environments. While Severance borrows heavily from mid-century aesthetics to construct its office spaces, it does so with a purpose that emphasizes the extreme disconnection between personal and professional life. The show not only uses familiar cinematic techniques to create an environment where individuality is suppressed, but it also introduces a unique twist by literally separating the consciousness of its workers. This narrative choice magnifies the underlying commentary on modern work culture, illustrating how corporate environments can become a breeding ground for isolation and identity loss. The series further critiques these spaces by highlighting the bleakness and impersonality of the office setting, suggesting that despite technological and cultural advancements, workplace dynamics continue to strip away personal agency.

Powerlessness

Escape

The illusion of choice permeates Lumon Industries, creating an environment where escape seems plausible but remains elusive. In Severance, the innies might sometimes fantasize about an outside world they hardly know, but their attempts to break free often end in aimless wandering down identical corridors or being redirected by the omnipresent security protocols. This orchestrated semblance of movement within the confines of the office is designed to maintain control while providing a false sense of autonomy. Similar themes are explored in films such as The Truman Show, where the protagonist lives in a constructed reality he gradually seeks to surpass. Like Truman, the innies must meticulously navigate their constrained universe to uncover the truth of their existence and possibly disrupt the deceptive facade that surrounds them.

Low Ceilings as a Tool for Psychological Confinement

Depersonalization

Severance deftly explores the theme of depersonalization within the corporate structure. The show illustrates how employees at Lumon Industries are stripped of their individual identities, reducing them to mere functional components of the workplace. This theme is starkly captured through the sterile, uniform design of the office space, where personal expression is not only discouraged but made impossible. Each worker’s identity is restricted to their workplace persona, with personal mementos and external influences removed entirely. The cinematography enhances this by maintaining a monochromatic palette, which saps the workplace of vibrancy and individuality, resonating with the characters’ sense of being mere cogs in a machine. The result is an unsettling atmosphere that underscores the loss of personal autonomy, a notion further symbolized by the lack of windows or outdoor views, leaving the workers disconnected from the natural world.

Visual and Cinematic Techniques in Severance

In conclusion, Severance artfully deconstructs and reimagines the classic office trope through its skilled use of cinematic techniques. The series achieves this with its depiction of isolation, confinement, power dynamics, transitions, and the superficiality of forced fun within a corporate setting. By drawing on and subverting familiar film tricks, Severance constructs a world that speaks volumes about identity and corporate alienation, while keeping its audience both intrigued and unsettled. The show’s nuanced portrayal of office life serves as a thought-provoking reflection on the nature of work and individuality.