Symbols in Movies/Books....

[Capone]

In things like The Matrix, I would never have come up with things like Neo was really a machine, the Oracle's cookie was actually an upgrade to his program....etc.

or these interpretations of the Wizard of Oz

(also its kinda weird that I found that link today, after doing that damn puzzle game last night with turnmeondeadman in it)

Do you think about stuff like this while/after you watch a movie or read a book?

I usually just take it for what it is. I guess thats why I never got into reading.

 

[Bootprint]

Just make up sh1t and use really big words, making sure to include the something about the state of humans.

 

[dighn]

you can come up with anything if you read too much into things

it's really up to yourself

 

[badmouse]

Supposedly, the original Baum book is very symbolic itself. I'm too lazy to Google, but you could look it up.
\
Edit: I never get references in movies either unless somebody tells me.

 

[WhiteKnight]

I usually get symbolism in movies, but I was a film minor.

 

[badmouse]

Originally posted by: WhiteKnight
I usually get symbolism in movies, but I was a film minor.

That explains it. I was a projectionist.

 

[MartyMcFly3]

I dont know but my high school teacher pretty much ruined Cool Hand Luke for me with all the Christ symbolism she said was in there.

Sad thing was I was a big fan of that movie before I took that high school class. Now i cant see it without thinking "Damn... those Electricity poles resemble crosses"

Fvcking English Teacher

 

[glen]

If you were never taught in school to look for the second layer of meaning, you would not think to do that.
Art references itself, so many time you have to be familliar with another work, many times the Bible or Shakespeare or Greek Mythology, to catch something.

 

[DAGTA]

With movies, I try not to look deeper unless I think that I'm intended to look for underlying meaning. For instance, I feel most people miss the underlying meaning of American Beauty but I don't think you have to go very deep in The Matrix movies.

I usually pick up on the symbolism but I also have read a lot of ancient/old literature that is full of symbolism.

 

[purbeast0]

i think the majority of it is BS. it's just like poems ... I took a poetry class in college (the literature core), and we would analyze poems that were 5 lines for like 45 mins ... its just ridiculous. and the worst part is the teachers think that the poets spent all this time thinking of stuff, when it is pretty obvious that sh!t took like 5 mins to write heh.

talk about over-analyzing...

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: Capone
Wizard of Oz

breathe.....
breathe in the air

dont be afraid to care

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: MartyMcFly3
I dont know but my high school teacher pretty much ruined Cool Hand Luke for me with all the Christ symbolism she said was in there.

Sad thing was I was a big fan of that movie before I took that high school class. Now i cant see it without thinking "Damn... those Electricity poles resemble crosses"

Fvcking English Teacher

...I still think it's an awesome movie.

Most symbolism is not BS, and be easily seen, just not by all of us immediately. You can really get some of it to jump out if you start reading a biography of the people who made the stuff. Often writers do not really notice the symbolism until told by somebody else.

Purbeast: . There are very few poems as small as even 8 or 10 lines worth worrying over, IMO.

 

[nageov3t]

I do.

I majored in English and Sociology, though... I spent most of my college career writing about symbolism in books and pop culture.

 

[CrackRabbit]

I hate Symbolism, when I read or watch a movie, I do so for the story and the enjoyment of the story. Ok I dont't hate all symbolism but things like James Joyce, and Virgina Woolf where the stories are nothing but obscure symbolism annoy the hell out of me.

 

[shopbruin]

i missed a lot of symbolism in lit classes because i didn't know religion...

 

[Yossarian]

Originally posted by: DAGTA
With movies, I try not to look deeper unless I think that I'm intended to look for underlying meaning. For instance, I feel most people miss the underlying meaning of American Beauty but I don't think you have to go very deep in The Matrix movies.

what do you think the underlying meaning of American Beauty is?

 

[DAGTA]

Originally posted by: Yossarian

Originally posted by: DAGTA
With movies, I try not to look deeper unless I think that I'm intended to look for underlying meaning. For instance, I feel most people miss the underlying meaning of American Beauty but I don't think you have to go very deep in The Matrix movies.

what do you think the underlying meaning of American Beauty is?

The disenchantment of what has become the typical american life. The main guy in the movie (forget his name) comes to realize that so much of his life is just fake. His wife is the perfect example... she cares more about image than reality. He comes to realize that having 'stuff' and 'being better than the Jones' isn't what life is about. He simply wants to enjoy life and love again, but his wife is too far out of tune to love him anymore. His daughter finds love and that makes him happy.

There's more, but that's the gist.

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: DAGTA

Originally posted by: Yossarian

Originally posted by: DAGTA
With movies, I try not to look deeper unless I think that I'm intended to look for underlying meaning. For instance, I feel most people miss the underlying meaning of American Beauty but I don't think you have to go very deep in The Matrix movies.

what do you think the underlying meaning of American Beauty is?

The disenchantment of what has become the typical american life. The main guy in the movie (forget his name) comes to realize that so much of his life is just fake. His wife is the perfect example... she cares more about image than reality. He comes to realize that having 'stuff' and 'being better than the Jones' isn't what life is about. He simply wants to enjoy life and love again, but his wife is too far out of tune to love him anymore. His daughter finds love and that makes him happy.

There's more, but that's the gist.

I'd call that the meaning of the movie, not the underlying meaning.

Originally posted by: freesia39
i missed a lot of symbolism in lit classes because i didn't know religion...

Originally posted by: badmouse
Supposedly, the original Baum book is very symbolic itself. I'm too lazy to Google, but you could look it up.
\
Edit: I never get references in movies either unless somebody tells me.

I miss symbolism a lot too, though I think I'm becoming a bit better at catching it. Good to see it's not only me

 

[DAGTA]

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: DAGTA
The disenchantment of what has become the typical american life. The main guy in the movie (forget his name) comes to realize that so much of his life is just fake. His wife is the perfect example... she cares more about image than reality. He comes to realize that having 'stuff' and 'being better than the Jones' isn't what life is about. He simply wants to enjoy life and love again, but his wife is too far out of tune to love him anymore. His daughter finds love and that makes him happy.

There's more, but that's the gist.

I'd call that the meaning of the movie, not the underlying meaning.


I miss symbolism a lot too, though I think I'm becoming a bit better at catching it. Good to see it's not only me

A lot of people completely miss it... really.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: DAGTA

Originally posted by: Gurck
I'd call that the meaning of the movie, not the underlying meaning.


I miss symbolism a lot too, though I think I'm becoming a bit better at catching it. Good to see it's not only me

A lot of people completely miss it... really.

yeah, I've talked to people who honestly think the whole movie was just about Lester trying to have sex with the cheerleader :roll:

 

[Deadtrees]

I think some people just lack of understanding symbolism even when it's fairly obvious.
I took an English class with this guy who couldn't get anything out of Lord of the Flies.
No matter what, he thought of the story as 'bunch of boys killing each other because they're just kids.'
Even in real life, he doesn't get twisted jokes or anything that has hidden meanings. He just takes it words as words. He could never understand movies such as Matrix, Blade Runner, and 2001 Space Oddysy.. I just felt sorry for him.

Anyway, if you're one of the people who like finding out symbolisms(semiology), try Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose".

 

[Orsorum]

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. C-beams glittering in the dark by the Tannhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.

 

[Aquaman]

"Those aren't pillows" :Q - John Candy says to Steve Martin in Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Deadtrees]

Originally posted by: Orsorum
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. C-beams glittering in the dark by the Tannhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.

Haha..
Did you know that 'REAL director's cut version of Blade Runner' is coming out soon(3 DVD!)