Recently, I posted a piece on “5 Films That Require Reflective Thought,” recommending some films for individuals keeping their social distance at home, who may have exhausted many of their entertainment options—films that also force viewers to exercise some higher-order cognition. The list seemed to garner some interest on my blog; so, given that I originally struggled to edit the piece down to only five, I thought, why not discuss another five films that require reflective thought!
1. Brazil
Brazil (1985), directed by Terry Gilliam (of Monty Python fame), is a unique film, having been described as an absurdist dystopian sci-fi satire—and it is all of these things. It’s a lot to consider; and it’s perhaps that reason why the film requires reflection from the viewer—in a way, asking them to assess the purpose and role of each and every scene throughout. But, maybe, an easier way of looking at this film is as a deeply existentialist. The jubilee of previous descriptors—which readily lend themselves to being subsumed by this macro-theme, provides for the use of a variety of tropes from their respective genres that provide some fun twists and turns throughout without being clichéd. Brazil tells the story of everyman Sam, played by Jonathan Pryce, who lives a relatively normal, boring life and often daydreams of a ‘grander’ existence. A series of otherwise mundane events involving Sam cross paths with a fugitive woman—whom he recognises from his dreams—which causes him to rethink his boring existence and react accordingly. It’s a film that’s both fun to watch and will keep you thinking about it (and humming the theme) for days after.
2. Eyes Wide Shut
Eyes Wide Shut (1999) was Stanley Kubrick’s final film and, in my opinion, among his best. It’s a straightforward story, adapted from Arthur Schnitzler’s novella Traumnovelle (1926), about a wealthy doctor whose wife, during a conversation about jealousy and sexual desire, tells him that she had fantasised about having an affair and leaving him. Immediately following this revelation, the doctor receives a phone call about a patient who has passed away and feels obliged to go pay his respects. For the remainder of the night, the doctor finds himself, by accident or otherwise, in a variety of sexually-focused scenarios—including the famous (or infamous) ‘orgy scene.’ The doctor returns home very late after experiencing numerous events peculiar to him. The next day the doctor recreates the night before through visiting each of his stops, learning something new about what transpired at each, thus, changing his perspective on things along the way. Though still confused in some ways, the doctor is provided enough information during the film’s climax for some important conclusions to be drawn.
What puts Eyes Wide Shut on this list doesn’t have anything to do with the protagonist's debauched odyssey; rather, the underlying themes throughout the film, such as its subtle commentary on sociology and class divide, the duality of man, the nature of dreams and the mechanics of both sexual and marital relationships. Though the film can be viewed as a psychological thriller, which it is on the surface and can be enjoyed as such, many of the scenes in the film—much like The Shining (see 5 Films That Require Reflective Thought), wind up telling multiple ‘stories’ simultaneously. Of course, much of the fun in reflecting on and unravelling Eyes Wide Shut is deciphering these other stories.
3. Southland Tales
OK, let’s be honest here—if you have heard of Southland Tales (2006) before and judged it on its cast prior to hearing anything else about it, then ‘film that requires reflective thought’ is probably the last thing you’d think it would be—and maybe that casting was done purposefully, like a red herring of sorts, who knows! All I’m saying is that this film is not what you think. OK, yeah, it is an action film in ways; but it’s also a thriller and … at the same time, kind of … umm … a comedy/satire? Well… let’s just call it … no ... Perhaps, it’s just too difficult to label, other than just calling it a strange film. There’s one scene where a drug-fueled Justin Timberlake lip-syncs ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’ by the Killers for over two minutes—and without giving away too much, that’s not by any means the strangest thing that happens. So, am I recommending it because it’s strange? No, absolutely not. I’m recommending it because it’s a deeply psychological film, if approached in such a way, that will get you thinking and potentially ‘unlocking’ the deeper, underlying themes. Southland Tales, written and directed by Richard Kelly, of Donnie Darko fame, won’t be everyone’s cup of tea; but, despite the ensemble cast, if you look at it from the perspective of one or two individuals in particular, with respect to the psychological and sociological ramifications of a post-9/11 America, it might well maximise the film’s coherence and perhaps your ability to enjoy it.
4. Synecdoche, New York
Synecdoche, New York (2008) stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as a theatre director whose life is falling apart around him, particularly with respect to his familial relationships, his health and, arguably, his mental well-being. Despite these misfortunes, he wins a MacArthur Fellowship to pursue his masterpiece play. He builds new relationships around him, which too bring their joys and miseries, all the while immersing himself in his play, which initially starts out being about normal day-to-day life, but grows into this meta-fictional, self-referential epic wherein actors observe other actors playing them, observing other actors playing them, observing … you get the point—Oh, and the setting of the play? Well, it’s staged in a warehouse in a city, that’s built within a warehouse, that houses a city within a warehouse, that … yeah, same again. If you think Southland Tales sounded strange, it’s got nothing on this directorial debut by Charlie Kauffman (writer of other films including Being John Malkovich, Adaptation and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; and director of the recently released I’m Thinking of Ending Things). Despite the strange premise, there are a variety of ways in which to interpret and, thus, reflect on this film—in which case, given you are reading this list, should offer quite some fun in terms of analysis. Of course, in this context, multiple viewings are advised for a different ‘take’ each time around.
5. Mulholland Dr.
Mulholland Dr. won David Lynch a share of the Best Director Award at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival (with Joel Coen) and is, arguably, one of his most accessible films, despite his signature surrealist presentation and non-traditional narrative arc. In the original "5 Films That Require Reflective Thought," I gave warning about David Lynch films being those that are love ‘em or hate ‘em; and, perhaps, this is largely because of his injection of surrealism and unorthodox narrative structures into his stories. In the case of this film, I emphatically applaud that ‘signature’. Mulholland Dr. tells the clichéd story of an aspiring actress who moves out west to make it big; but, apart from that, the story is anything but conventional. The film may require a few re-watches, but once the ‘puzzle is unlocked’, then it’s hard not to appreciate the purposefulness of its surrealist nature, pacing, and sequencing of the film. This is a fantastic movie for anyone who likes to ‘figure out films’ beyond simply searching for hidden themes and meanings.
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