Waking Life

[Cruelty]

So i saw this movie a few days ago (waking life). "whats your favorite movie" is such a fucking easy question for me, now. i loved every damn minute of the movie (aside from like 3 parts which were just a bit too 'difficult' for me). i loved the theories, i loved the art style, and i loved how good it made me feel.

i know i can't be the only guy here who's seen it, so i figured I'd ask what you all think of it.


for anyone that hasn't seen it, heres a halfbaked, quick explanation of it. i dont claim to be a journalist.

Spoiler

Waking Life is a film about a guy who is dreaming consciously. In his dreams he sees, and participates in, several conversations that cover topics like dreams, reality, free will, philosophy, the meaning of life, and just a small bit of politics, among other things. They talk. A LOT. It's a talk-y film. I know it probably sounds boring.. and it probably is for some people. However, it's actually a really interesting if you can get past (or actually fully understand) some of the more difficult conversations.

A short way through the film, the guy realizes he's sleeping. He also realizes that he can't wake up. Every time he thinks he has awoken, he realizes he actually hasn't. That's really about as far as the actual plot goes. The movie isn't really centered around the plot though. It's more about the message(s) it conveys, anyway.

best scene of the movie (slight spoiler, but like i said, the plot isn't that big a deal)

 

[Anonymous]

Spoiler: spoilers

he's not exactly "sleeping", per se.

waking life is fucking excellent. i mean it's kindof LOL EXISTENTIALISM but it's a really good movie still. the soundtrack is so good.

 

[moog]

We watched this in my Philosophy class last semester and I thought it was great. Most kids in my class didnt get it but I couldnt divert my attention for a second. A very excellent movie that I would reccommend, The animation is so unique and frequently changes (depending on the mood) and as Teloch said the music is great. He didnt explain this but

Spoiler

at the end when he floats away when trying to get into the car he dies right? Or is he already dead @.@?

 

[Anonymous]

Spoiler

i interpreted it more that he was already dead (presumably since the car thing at the beginning) and finally accepted that and just drifted away. i base this mostly on the ending of the monologue just before the end:

Now Lady Gregory was Yeats' patron, this, you know, Irish person. And though I'd never seen her image, I was just sure that this was the face of Lady Gregory. So we're walking along, and Lady Gregory turns to me and says, "Let me explain to you the nature of the universe. Now Philip K. Dick is right about time, but he's wrong that it's 50 A.D. Actually, there's only one instant, and it's right now, and it's eternity. And it's an instant in which God is posing a question, and that question is basically, 'Do you want to, you know, be one with eternity? Do you want to be in heaven?' And we're all saying, 'No thank you. Not just yet.' And so time is actually just this constant saying 'No' to God's invitation. I mean that's what time is. I mean, and it's no more 50 A.D. than it's two thousand and one. And there's just this one instant, and that's what we're always in."

And then she tells me that actually this is the narrative of everyone's life. That, you know, behind the phenomenal difference, there is but one story, and that's the story of moving from the "no" to the "yes." All of life is like, "No thank you. No thank you. No thank you." then ultimately it's, "Yes, I give in. Yes, I accept. Yes, I embrace." I mean, that's the journey. I mean, everyone gets to the "yes" in the end, right?

 

[moog]

Spoiler

Yeah I assumed when he got hit he died but after was all his subconscious or some shit, idk. I could tell he was either dead or presumably dead a little while after but the movie was so odd it was hard to tell unless you listened to the conversation (as you posted.

 

[Cruelty]

apparently, the reason the animation changes around so much is because there was a team of artists doing the film, and they all used somewhat different styles. the part with the older guy talking about the 'neohumans' was trippy, the way the guys shape just kind wandered around.

Spoiler

i assumed the part where he was hit by the car was part of his dream, as well. probably because of the paper that told him to look to his right?

 

[moog]

Spoiler

I thought getting hit by the car was reality and everything there after was merely his thoughts.