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The Film was at Heart a Diatribe Against Determinism

posted 10 years ago by billseper
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This is film, which takes place in an "alternate world," shows what it would be like if our own world didn't have free-will. That's the core of it--it's a diatribe against determinism with the smirking prissy Theo Strauss playing the role of a sneaky Satanic type character who, like all evil men, enjoys controlling others. It is essentially a world where a devil can be, and does end up being, king while his father sadly walks away in the last scene knowing all is lost. There are hints this may happen early in the film when Theo doesn't take his piano lessons seriously (the music is specially made to prevent mind control) and instead does the opposite and works on figuring out the patterns of the universe so he can control and manipulate them. It's a very intelligent movie that reminded me in style quite a bit of another great modern mind bending film called Primer.

[–] gerryrival 10 years ago

I haven't watched it yet but I hope not...and I have no choice but that... lol

Life's too short to make others shorter

[–] Dejay 10 years ago

I didn't really get that from Theo. He was obviously a disappointment to his father but he doesn't strike me as evil or controlling. He just wasn't a "player". Instead he seeks knowledge.

And we never see / hear him using the words to manipulate people, instead trying to manipulate through his actions. And that like a Friend to Zak, encouraging him. In a way Theo made the world a MUCH better place already now that they know they can use music to avoid the "ironic particles" or whatever lol.

So I'm not sure what to think of him. He did have that smirk on his face that makes him kind of disagreeable. In the last scene we see that he is tapping his fingers like the others in his room, but is he really controlling them or did he just see a coincidence and plays on it?

I don't think he is going to do anything evil after he says "Ah! I see!".

What I REALLY like about this movie is that there is no "evil villain" or people who act stupid and mean spirited. That was really refreshing imho!