Philosophical Movies

**Xei** · 01-02-2009 07:18 PM

I think it's quite interesting that more than half of my favourite movies of all time are deeply philosophical, often with existentialist undertones... I love the serene, introspective feeling you get from them. I thought I'd start up this thread to get some philosophical discussion going and hopefully find some new favourites; don't hold back if it's not strictly related to philosophy though. Here's mine;

- The Truman Show
(incredible score, concept, acting, and overall vibe... I like to think of it as a metaphor for the allegory of the cave, but there are many other ideas here and completely different meanings to take from it).

- Blade Runner
(again, the music blows you away from the opening... the low-tech special effects used for the dystopia make a mockery of the plastic CGI around nowadays, and you can't help but think it's prophetic. I agree with the main philosophical message of the movie, which is that machine could someday emulate the mind; strong existentialist overtones too, in a world where morals seem completely futile).

- 2001: A Space Odyssey
(same as above; again I interpret this one as I do the Truman Show, with overtones of a technological singularity).

- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
(Carrey again... I just watched this recently and it inspired this thread. I like the disorientating aspect of the film, and was proud to have worked out what the hell was happening not too far into the movie... the clues are very clever. The subtle visual effects are brilliant... I loved the introspective vibe of the whole thing more than anything).

- The Matrix
(I was quite young at the time but I thought it was great the first time I watched it; the philosophical questions it raises are obvious).

- Lost In Translation
(beautiful movie, just for the visual and aural aspect (I'm a huge shoegaze fan). Deeply introspective and existentialist... I love this film).

- Groundhog Day
(the concept and execution is genius).

-Brazil
(brilliant from an artistic point of view... often very funny. Not what you'd expect from the title if you've never seen it before; it's actually about a totalitarian hyperbureaucratic dystopia).

That'll do for now I think.

**TimeStopper** · 01-02-2009 07:32 PM

Dark City - deals with memory and reality, as in what if your memories were implanted?

**drewmandan** · 01-02-2009 07:50 PM

If you think The Matrix was really about simulated reality, you missed the point.

**CoLd BlooDed** · 01-02-2009 07:58 PM

Fight Club.

**Xei** · 01-02-2009 08:02 PM

I've heard those two mentioned here and there... I'll try to find them.

If you think The Matrix was really about simulated reality, you missed the point.

Please elaborate.

**MrDoom** · 01-02-2009 08:05 PM

Originally Posted by CoLd BlooDed

Fight Club.

/signed

Also, if you liked 'The Matrix', check out Mamoru Oshii's 'Ghost in the Shell' and 'Avalon'.

**grasshoppa** · 01-03-2009 01:17 AM

Originally Posted by drewmandan

If you think The Matrix was really about simulated reality, you missed the point.

Yay, I don't have to be the asshole in this thread!

You really did miss the point, OP.

**Xei** · 01-03-2009 04:19 AM

Elaborate ffs?

P.S. Movies are subjective.

**Bonsay** · 01-03-2009 11:41 AM

Don't forget The Cube (1969) by Jim Henson. (There are a bunch of them on google video.)

About the Matrix:
I understood the movie from a Buddhist point of view.

**wendylove** · 01-03-2009 11:54 AM

-Brazil
(brilliant from an artistic point of view... often very funny. Not what you'd expect from the title if you've never seen it before; it's actually about a totalitarian hyperbureaucratic dystopia).

Brazil is basically a rip off of 1984, watch the 1984 on youtube its good.

Equilibrium- Human race survives a third world war, however to prevent another emotions of the survivors are wiped out by taking drugs and all forms of art is destroyed. A group of rebals are trying to overthrow it. Its really good.

Oldboy- Really good.

Although not strictly a movie, but Outer limits is really good. If I was you, I would watch some episodes on youtube, dead man switch. However, my favourite is got to be the chilling and really thought provoking deprogrammar, that is really good and really scary you should watch it now http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=weofJfGNWhw
This is a really good one too http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=uN25Am...3C5D&index=112

Anyway, everyone should watch the outer limits, so much better then the twilight zone.

**Snooze** · 01-03-2009 12:10 PM

D O N N I E D A R K O

<333333333

**drewmandan** · 01-03-2009 12:13 PM

Donnie Darko was a little too religious for me.

As for The Matrix, try to think about the ways you're "under control".

**Jeff777** · 01-03-2009 12:14 PM

Waking Life

What the Bleep

**Bonsay** · 01-03-2009 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by drewmandan

Donnie Darko was a little too religious for me.

As for The Matrix, try to think about the ways you're "under control".

I would, but then people laugh at you because you are a "conspiracy theorist".

**wendylove** · 01-03-2009 12:44 PM

Waking Life

If you didn't like lucid dreaming then I'm pretty sure you would conclude the film was rubbish, as it was.

What the Bleep

Quantum mysticism is rubbish. Also, if you knew anything about Quantum mechanics you would conclude the film was nonsense.

**drewmandan** · 01-03-2009 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by Bonsay

I would, but then people laugh at you because you are a "conspiracy theorist".

It's a shame that the legitimate philosophy often gets entangled with the crackpot bullshit that you see a lot on these boards.

**StonedApe** · 01-03-2009 04:16 PM

Slacker. It's similar to waking life, but it isn't about lucid dreaming and it isn't squigglemation. Pretty much all of Linklaters work has some philosophy in it.

**Xei** · 01-03-2009 04:43 PM

Brazil is basically a rip off of 1984, watch the 1984 on youtube its good.

It was meant to be an adaption really; as I said though, I think it's a brilliant piece from a visual perspective, and it's also hilarious.

I didn't think much of Equilibrium... I found it basically to be a cut and paste job of the Matrix to even the most superficial levels.

Waking Life

What the Bleep

I enjoyed the vibe of Waking Life, but there was a lot of nonsense to sift through.

What the Bleep was exlusively nonsense, coming close to unlawful propaganda.

As for The Matrix, try to think about the ways you're "under control".

I'm not so sure The Matrix explored this aspect as such... The Matrix was in my view a basic presentation of a simulated reality enslaving a population, without much exploration of that concept. The Truman show on the other hand really went into the nature of why (to quote), 'we accept the reality of the world we are presented with'.

Personally I'm relatively happy with my social freedoms though.

D O N N I E D A R K O

<333333333

I found Donnie Darko to be without any particular purpose or meaning... there are supposed to be 'clues' in the movie for you to figure out what's happening but when I read the director's interpretation it was absolute nonsense with no higher truth and there was no way you could have worked it out. Eternal Sunshine did this much better.

**drewmandan** · 01-03-2009 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by Xei

I'm not so sure The Matrix explored this aspect as such... The Matrix was in my view a basic presentation of a simulated reality enslaving a population, without much exploration of that concept.

Hint: The simulated reality is a metaphor.

**Oneironaut Zero** · 01-03-2009 04:58 PM

The parallels behind The Matrix and many other analogous forms of control are practically limitless. I agree that it's not only about the simulated world vs. physical world the rebels fought for. What I don't see is why the OP's posting it on this list means he "missed the point." I don't see him go into his interpretation of the Matrix at all. All I see is that he notes it as a philosophical film which (regardless of what you believe the particular subject - which is being analogized - to be), is pretty much correct. It is a very philosophical film.

[Edit: After reading a bit further, I see that the OP actually did miss that point of the film. Ok, then. Never mind. At the time that the statement "If you think The Matrix was really about simulated reality, you missed the point." was posted, I wasn't quite sure why it was.]

**Bonsay** · 01-03-2009 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by Xei

I'm not so sure The Matrix explored this aspect as such... The Matrix was in my view a basic presentation of a simulated reality enslaving a population, without much exploration of that concept.

What about the part when Morpheus explained:

The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around. What do you see?
Business people, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds
of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these
people are still a part of that system, and that makes them
our enemy.

You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to
be unplugged. And many of them are so inert, so hopelessly
dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it.

Sounds like something from a mouth of a modern day revolutionary. It can be taken totally out of context (meaning the whole Matrix/robots/dystopia story) and still be applied to the modern day society. At least this is what came to mind when I read drewmandan's post. Call me a stupid conspiracy theorist, but this is how I see the world. Maybe this doesn't apply to you, but it does to humanity in general.

**drewmandan** · 01-03-2009 05:01 PM

Originally Posted by Oneironaut

The parallels behind The Matrix and many other analogous forms of control are practically limitless. I agree that it's not only about the simulated world vs. physical world the rebels fought for. What I don't see is why the OP's posting it on this list means he "missed the point." I don't see him go into his interpretation of the Matrix at all. All I see is that he notes it as a philosophical film which (regardless of what you believe the particular subject - which is being analogized - to be), is pretty much correct. It is a very philosophical film.

I could tell from the OP that he was just seeing the layman's philosophy regarding simulated reality and not the deeper meaning.

**drewmandan** · 01-03-2009 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by Bonsay

What about the part when Morpheus explained:

The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around. What do you see?
Business people, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds
of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these
people are still a part of that system, and that makes them
our enemy.

You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to
be unplugged. And many of them are so inert, so hopelessly
dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it.

Sounds like something from a mouth of a modern day revolutionary. It can be taken totally out of context (meaning the whole Matrix/robots/dystopia story) and still be applied to the modern day society. At least this is what came to mind when I read drewmandan's post. Call me a stupid conspiracy theorist, but this is how I see the world. Maybe this doesn't apply to you, but it does to humanity in general.

That's what I was thinking of, yes. Also, the battery scene comes to mind.

**Oneironaut Zero** · 01-03-2009 05:03 PM

Originally Posted by drewmandan

I could tell from the OP that he was just seeing the layman's philosophy regarding simulated reality and not the deeper meaning.

Ok. I gotcha. Carry on.

**Xei** · 01-03-2009 05:05 PM

Hint: The simulated reality is a metaphor.

...yes? Maybe read my post again, I understand that, although I should point out that movies don't have objective meaning (a poster above sees parallels with Buddhism).

I assume your interpretation is related to the system of modern society stupefying the vast majority of the population (proles, you could call them) into fulfilling largely pointless functions.

I've read into it and apparently the film was actually based upon a philosophical manuscipt about how mass production and commercialism have veiled reality behind symbols.

I could tell from the OP that he was just seeing the layman's philosophy regarding simulated reality and not the deeper meaning.

I was talking about simulated reality and the meaning discussed above.

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