While watching the film initially, the fact that there is a floor 7 1/2 is pretty weird. If you really think about it though, it is a very relevant set (cinematic effect) when discussing the film’s central idea. My interpretation is that the half floor represents the idea of not being in control of your own life. As seen throughout the film, Craig is passionate about puppeteering. More specifically, he is obsessed with the other idea of being in someone’s head and taking full control of them; living someone’s else life for them (as seen when he takes control of Malkovich later in the film). Floor 7 1/2 reflects on this idea of not living your own life. However, in this case, Craig is not the one in control of his life. He is living his life for his boss, Lester, along with all the other employees working on that floor. The fact that the employees are stuck in such a small and uncomfortable setting gives the impression that they are living life as someone else’s puppets. -David B. (177 words)
We could very well be vessel. However, there is a little inconsistency in comparing this situation in real life from the film. John Malkovich knew he was being controlled at one point, therefore if we are comparing it to his being controlled through a vessel then we would at one point understand someone else is influencing us. Perhaps stories told in real life of possession and encounters of being transformed into someone else is indeed real and this would be an example of being controlled or even observed through our own vessel. However, this would be considered a very hard question of consciousness. We would never realistically be able to answer this question with empirical evidence. -Corey Arany
While watching the film initially, the fact that there is a floor 7 1/2 is pretty weird. If you really think about it though, it is a very relevant set (cinematic effect) when discussing the film’s central idea. My interpretation is that the half floor represents the idea of not being in control of your own life. As seen throughout the film, Craig is passionate about puppeteering. More specifically, he is obsessed with the other idea of being in someone’s head and taking full control of them; living someone’s else life for them (as seen when he takes control of Malkovich later in the film). Floor 7 1/2 reflects on this idea of not living your own life. However, in this case, Craig is not the one in control of his life. He is living his life for his boss, Lester, along with all the other employees working on that floor. The fact that the employees are stuck in such a small and uncomfortable setting gives the impression that they are living life as someone else’s puppets. -David B. (177 words)
ReplyDeleteWe could very well be vessel. However, there is a little inconsistency in comparing this situation in real life from the film. John Malkovich knew he was being controlled at one point, therefore if we are comparing it to his being controlled through a vessel then we would at one point understand someone else is influencing us. Perhaps stories told in real life of possession and encounters of being transformed into someone else is indeed real and this would be an example of being controlled or even observed through our own vessel. However, this would be considered a very hard question of consciousness. We would never realistically be able to answer this question with empirical evidence.
ReplyDelete-Corey Arany