# Decent films of a philosophical nature? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 27, 2006, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468 "2006-05-27T18:01:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hogwash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e57/32.png) [@Hogwash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hogwash)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468/1 "2006-05-27T18:01:18Z")
Being someone who has an active and visual mind, a selectively strong memory (I can remember licence plate numbers of junior school teachers) and experiences vivid (and occasionally lucid) dreams, I find myself being drawn to movies which deal with these and related issues - existence, reality, dreams, memory and the like - that is, themes which are philosophical in nature (or at least I assume are philosophical in nature, not being a student or aficionado of the field). Generally, I prefer the pairing of philosophy with technology (e.g. virtual reality games) and/or science (e.g. time travel, Many Worlds theory etc.), so anything that’s more spiritually oriented or in a a non-modern setting is less likely to appeal, although I would welcome suggestions. In particular I am fascinated by the notion of chaos theory/the butterfly effect as well as parallel universes. I’m greatly intrigued by the idea that by choosing one popsicle flavour over another when I was four years old I would effect large changes to my later life (e.g. if I had chose strawberry I would have been run over and killed by a car aged 11). The films I have already seen and the categories in which I personally define them are as follows: Layered/Virtual/Mock Reality or “How did we get here?” _eXistenZ_ The _Matrix_ series _The Thirteenth Floor_ _The Lawnmower Man_ _The Truman Show_ _Dark City_ The _Cube_ series (Lucid) Dreams/Memories _Memento_ _Mulholland Drive_ _Vanilla Sky/Abre Los Ojos_ _Eternal Sunshine_ Butterfly Effect / Parallel Universes _The Butterfly Effect_ (duh) _Lola Rennt - “Run Lola Run”_ _Donnie Darko_ _Mr. Destiny_ _Sliding Doors_ Other/Mixed/Misc. _The Game_ _I Heart Huckabees_ _Swimming Pool_ _Fight Club_ _Minority Report_ _Groundhog Day_ - I _love_ the concept of a time loop. _Clockstoppers_ - Ditto for time freezing. Anything involving time travel, of which there are far too many movies to list. I’ve probably forgotten to include some really obvious titles (damn you, fickle memory!) but I think that paints a picture of what I’m after. So I put it to you, fellow Dopers, to suggest movies that are suited to the (somewhat broad) spectrum given above. I’m not averse to anything low-budget, cult or foreign, so bring 'em on. Basically, anything that makes you think, makes you wonder, makes you question reality, makes you think of places in your memory that you’re sure don’t exist, makes you remember dreams, sights, smells and tastes, or makes you shout ‘THAT IS FREAKING COOL!’. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468/2 "2006-05-27T19:05:46Z")
I’m not sure that it falls within your classifications, but [Pleasantville](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120789/) is one of my favorites. The symbolism and allegory is sometimes so blatant as to be ham-fisted, but the satire is great (“We’re safe for now. Thank God we’re in a bowling alley,”) and the performances are outstanding, particularly Jeff Daniels as the diner owner and Joan Allen is the June Cleaver-esque mother who discovers what all the kids are doing up on Lover’s Lane. “Where’s my dinner?” Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468/3 "2006-05-27T19:10:34Z")
_Stay_ is an excellent film that belongs in _one_ of those categories. (Won’t spoil it.) _Waking Life_ goes in the “lucid dream” box. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468/4 "2006-05-27T19:37:22Z")
Bernt Amadeus Capra’s _Mindwalk_ is definitely of a philosophical nature, but you might or might not like it. It’s three intellectuals discussing philosophy while touring Mont St. Michel. It’s not **about** that, it **is** that. All talking heads, no real story. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindwalk](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindwalk) ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468/5 "2006-05-27T19:41:10Z")
Rashomon ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468/6 "2006-05-27T19:53:35Z")
> [@Hogwash](#): > > Layered/Virtual/Mock Reality or “How did we get here?” IMO, there’s only so much you can do with, “Are we out of the game yet, or is this another layer of VR?” And every bit of it has already been done, more than once. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468/7 "2006-05-27T20:14:12Z")
Ooh! Ooh! Anything by Andrei Tarkovsky, especially \*Stalker \*(alternate universe) and \*The Sacrifice \*(alternate reality). Plus loads of juicey philosophical talk. Loads. Come to think of it, you get all that and more in Tarkovsky’s \*Solaris \*too. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468/8 "2006-05-27T20:37:03Z")
A couple of films that haven’t been mentioned so far _The Stunt Man_ and _Roasencratz and Gildernstern are Dead_ both fall into the “is this a film or is this real life” type genre. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468/9 "2006-05-27T20:54:46Z")
**My Dinner with Andre**. A two-hour philosophical discussion – and you keep wanting to join in. ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468/10 "2006-05-27T20:59:35Z")
Definitely [Solaris](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0307479/). I admit to not having seen the 1972 **Solyaris** , but the 2002 version with George Clooney rocked my socks far more than I was expecting. ---
**Author:** ![Hogwash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e57/32.png) [@Hogwash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hogwash)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468/11 "2006-05-27T21:57:27Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > IMO, there’s only so much you can do with, “Are we out of the game yet, or is this another layer of VR?” And every bit of it has already been done, more than once. While I agree that the concept you describe has been well-visited, I’d say that it’s presumptuous to write off a genre completely; you never know when a film that takes an overdone premise and offers a novel and innovative twist may slip through the cracks. I’d imagine that the ‘is this reality the real reality?’ theme wasn’t helped a great deal by the arrival of at least three very similar films (_The Matrix_, _eXistenZ_, and _The Thirteenth Floor_) within a very small time-frame at the end of the 90s. As far as Virtual Reality itself is concerned, the field has greatly suffered due to being over-hyped in a period where the technology was nowhere near capable enough to offer a feasible projection of a reality. Ask people about VR now and most would still cringe and think of idiots prancing around in bulky headsets in some 80s shopping mall. Still, the gamer in me yearns for a virtual reality revival, and I’ll watch any movies on the subject with enthusiasm. Thanks for the recommendations so far, folks. I’ve added what I can to my DVD rental queue, although a good few of them are either unavailable or Coming ‘Soon’, which is annoying. :mad: Here’s a few devices that I would like to see implemented in a film in some shape or form: [ul] [li]A secret organisation with some sort of ‘look-ahead’ ability exploits the butterfly effect in their favour: e.g. by killing a postal worker in Ohio they can install a dictator in an African state. Could be as part of some Illuminati-esque conspiracy.[/li] [li]The central character recalls childhood memories which are displayed on screen through the eyes of a child - the sense of scale is all off, everything’s in ‘hypercolour’, people are caricatures etc. I believe there’s a Dylan Thomas poem referencing this idea - a child sees blades of grass in a field as towering giants. _Eternal Sunshine_ dabbled in this briefly and sparingly in the kitchen scene, and I suppose _Big Fish_ draws upon this idea of creative licence and grandeur.[/li] [li]A character needs to recall dreams for some important purpose but, as time goes by, the memories of the dream deteriorate and details change - people’s faces are literally blank (like in _Eternal Sunshine_), text written on posters is unintelligible etc. Might work better with lucid dreaming - the character might have to ‘return’ to the dream world and use the lucidity to change details. But can he do it in time? Can he find out what was in that toy chest? Nobody knows but him and his subconscious! 😉 [/li] [li]Sleep paralysis, or ‘The Hag’, plays an important part somehow. Would be suited to a horror film, I’d expect. I know that thinking of the episodes I’ve personally experienced brings shivers to my spine…[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2006, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468/12 "2006-05-28T13:36:29Z")
Love and death woody allen film ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468/13 "2006-05-29T01:01:27Z")
> [@Hogwash](#): > > (Lucid) Dreams/Memories > > _Memento_ > _Mulholland Drive_ > _Vanilla Sky/Abre Los Ojos_ > _Eternal Sunshine_ A few to add to this category: _The I Inside Jacob’s Ladder Identity The Jacket_ Also, some miscellaneous “maybes”: _Sixth Sense The Others What Dreams May Come The Village Pi Solaris_ (Haven’t seen the original, but I dig the remake with Clooney) ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468/14 "2006-05-29T01:07:08Z")
Waking Life 2001, A Space Odessey ---
**Author:** ![JoeSki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b487fb/32.png) [@JoeSki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeSki)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468/15 "2006-05-29T01:18:20Z")
I’m not sure if this counts, but **The Man Who Wasn’t There** offers a very interesting look at the Uncertainty Principle all while paying homage to the noir genre. A very satisfying film in all aspects, and one of my favorites from the Coen Brothers. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468/16 "2006-05-29T01:31:19Z")
> [@Only Mostly Dead](#): > > Definitely [Solaris](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0307479/). I admit to not having seen the 1972 **Solyaris** , but the 2002 version with George Clooney rocked my socks far more than I was expecting. heh, I missed this when I posted my lists. That’s two genuine recommendations, as opposed to an “I second that.” I’m posting again because I forgot to mention _12 Monkeys_, but that leads me to Terry Gilliam. While _12 Monkeys_ is most like what you’re looking for, his other movies are at least in the ballpark. (_Brazil, Time Bandits, Baron Von Munchausen_.) As far as virtual reality, some “oldies” not mentioned yet, roughly ordered from best to worst: _Strange Days Virtuosity Videodrome Johnnie Mnemonic The Lawnmower Man_ In the interest of completeness, the godawful S1m0ne is a recent movie about virtual reality. ---
**Author:** ![Phantom\_Dennis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@Phantom\_Dennis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phantom_Dennis)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468/17 "2006-05-29T01:39:47Z")
Besides **Waking Life** , try out some of Linklater’s other stuff, especially **Before Sunrise** and **Before Sunset**. The guy is as much a philosopher as a writer/director. Don’t overlook Woody Allen. **Crimes and Misdemeanors** is a fantastic, existential meditation on moral relativism. **Match Point** falls into the same basic category. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468/18 "2006-05-29T13:50:20Z")
[Primer](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390384/) Is an excellent movie about the possibiliities of realistic time travel. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468/19 "2006-05-29T15:45:41Z")
> [@Phantom Dennis](#): > > **Match Point** falls into the same basic category. Moral relativism? I don’t see it. If you have to hang an “-ism” on it, I’d go with nihilism – but I think that even more than that it’s just that young fella blurred the lines a little bit between opera and real life. As for **Richard Linklater** – I agree completely. This is in large part why I’m so chuffed that Linklater has made _A Scanner Darkly_. Finally, an adaptation of one of Dick’s major works by someone who has a vague clue. “Let’s hear it for the vague clue!” ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468/20 "2006-05-29T16:39:33Z")
> [@Phantom Dennis](#): > > Don’t overlook Woody Allen. **Crimes and Misdemeanors** is a fantastic, existential meditation on moral relativism. **Match Point** falls into the same basic category. Yep, that was my first thought on seeing the thread title. I havent’ seen _Match Point_ yet, but _C&M_ is definitely my favorite from Woody Allen, and it’s a great existentialist flick. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decent-films-of-a-philosophical-nature/358468.md?page=2)