I chose Being John Malkovich for the required movie included in the upcoming essay. I didn’t just choose it because it’s a movie I have seen before and wanted to make the essay either; rather, I think it’s one of the most unique movies out there and deserves to be covered in some sort of way. It’s a rare take on fantastical experiences in modern society. Magic is usually relegated in movies to high fantasy and such fantastic experiences in the modern world are the products of a child’s imagination. Being John Malkovich brings in the fantasy theme in a modern world at an adult level yet it’s not a horror film; well for the ending your mileage may vary.
For those who haven’t watched the film, a puppeteer discovers a portal in his new workplace that allows him to experience whatever actor John Malkovich sees for fifteen minutes. After that he gets dropped on the New Jersey turnpike and more weirdness ensues. Out of school I’d recommend the film just for sheer originality. How it relates to the Platonic theme of the class so far: I’d say the whole concept of mind control concerns the self and consciousness. A big question is what is John Malkovich’s character in the end? He’s definitely not himself any more but is he a singular entity, or a colony of minds? What’s to become of the next vessel? It’s a hard connection to make because of the high concept nature of the film; it’s not exactly Snakes on a Plane but from what it looks like they took the title of Being John Malkovich and then explore the results. Proof lies in the script, which went under multiple revisions before being released. You can use Plato’s theories and apply them to what concepts Being John Malkovich brings up. Plato’s theories apply to so many facets of social phenomena that even a random idea like this movie can’t escape it.
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