Hollywood cinema has explored some striking philosophical concepts. The characters play out a complex narrative with some even questioning the origin and purpose of our existence.
Philosophy may not exactly be a sub-genre of cinema. These movies come under various genres ranging from sci-fi to comedy. The philosophical concept is skillfully overlaid on a larger and known type of cinema.
Let us look at them one by one:
- Groundhog Day
‘Eternal return’ is a concept proposed by Nietzsche. The film brings this idea to life by making the protagonist live the same day over and over until he realizes the importance of the present. The film is largely a comical account of a reporter’s life who hates the task he is assigned on a routine basis. The script is effortlessly funny and will an extremely delightful watch.
- Apocalypse Now
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52921949/img_42.0.jpg)
A U.S. Army captain is on an assignment of getting back a mad colonel who now supports the enemy’s army. The film builds around the journey of the captain on a quest to capture the colonel. It brings us some undealt with sides of the minds of soldiers fighting wars.
- Naked
Naked explores the mindset of men who treat social institutions with utter disrespect and take pleasure in harming their sanctity. The central characters share the ideology but David Thewlis’ Johnny somehow takes the limelight with his riveting performance.
- Irrational Man
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46803016/Neracionalus-_C5_BEmogus-9.0.0.jpg)
Are rules really necessary in living life? This is the question this film means to invoke in your minds through a subjective human arch and portraying the protagonist making some questionable choices just to fill some excitement in his otherwise boring and mundane life. The film is directed by Woody Allen and stars the wonder Joaquin Phoenix as the lead.
- The Turin Horse
The Nietzschean concept seems to occur more often than not in films that aim at creating an intellectual narrative. The spirit of time has more to offer than just existence. The film will make you rethink your take on relationships and social equations.
- Stalker
The setup of this film is quite unsettling from starting to conclusion. A man called “Stalker” guides two men to a forbidden path along which they come across a spot which is known to fulfil wishes. The film is directed by Andrei Tarkovsky and never lets you be okay with whatever is going on in the film.
- The Double
The construction and destruction of human identity are explained with the aid of an imposter who enters the life of a worked up bureaucrat. The film is based on a novel of the same name by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Throughout the film exists a bleak and confusing streak that aims at decoding the ephemeral nature of human personality.
- Persona
An actress is quarantined owing to a psychological breakdown and the only person she shares a room with is a nurse stationed for her care. Things start to get intriguing as they both enter a state of intense emotional awakening that completely changes their perception of life.
