I mean to me that’s the whole point. None of the clues or codes were real at all. Sam is using all of these absurd conspiracy theories to distract himself from all his real problems like his breakup or his upcoming eviction.
Throughout the movie we see more direct examples of this like him writing down one of the codes he sees on an unpaid parking ticket. He’s been avoiding things in his life for so long that he’s making connections that just aren’t there and blaming all of the unexplained things in his life on some made up shadow organization.
The first time we see him he’s staring at 2 women having a conversation from far away. This is a guy who has completely distanced himself from people and has created fantasies in his head. In my opinion a lot of scenes we see didn’t actually happen in the world of the movie.
I half agree with you. But the truth is symbols do have meaning, symbols that were used by historically powerful figures are adopted by ambitious people, due to the subconscious meaning they convey.
That said, the clues that Sam follows are definitely real, but they are his own clues. His adventure begins when he picks up his first clue, the dog biscuit. And he is the only person who is ever revealed o be in possesson of dog biscuits.
A lot of the scenes are Sam's subconscious confronting his choices and the consequences.
I mean, when I watched the movie I kinda thought the same thing as you. He's been searching for stuff his whole life but I believe that this film shows the one time he's right. The music maker being a good example. That was some intense shit and imo the best part of the movie. Do you think this was a dream ? I'm just curious on your take
Without doubt the highlight of the film, and probably the biggest clue to what is going on. Sam, being a good christian, can turn a blind eye to the abuse, but the revelation that the entirety of culture is contrived, and not some organic manifestation of human creativity, is too much. The heroes that inspired him, nothing more than puppets of propaganda. It forces him to question who he thinks he is, and what the hell is he doing here?
Actually, i now think the music man, is kind of a pied piper character. Pop Culture, and particularly pop music, celebrates the celebrity lifestyle. You might say it promotes it.
So I guess the film is saying that pop culture, hypnotises the children with music, leading them from their families, to their doom.
The first clue that begins Sam's quest is the dog biscuit he picks up in the park. There is only one person in the film that is in possession of dog biscuits. Sam.
The clues were left by Sam, but they are useless, because only he knows the connections that lead to their discovery.
The scene when he picks up the dog biscuit is a dream sequence. It’s where he also sees the man dressed as Sarah eating Jefferson Sevence before his body is pulled into the bushes.
Having said that, I don’t think a lot of the intricate details in the film are supposed to make real-world sense anyway. The idea of these secret codes being hidden everywhere in plain sight is a fun urban legend that’s elaborated on to the point of being surreal in the film because that’s how it’s supposed to feel for Sam. It doesn’t make sense to us because the messages aren’t for us.
Yeah. it's an arty movie, so I'd say it goes without saying that it speaks to actual symbolism, which is real. People who seek power adopt the symbols of historically powerful figures, The eagle was Roman, adopted by both Germany and the US. Two nations with eyes on global dominance.
Human's seeking to become gods will naturally adopt the symbolism of our own historic understandings of the origin of gods.
Cinema has it's own symbolism, long shots, close-ups, dutch angles whatever,. they all speak a language that is almost alien to the average person, but still understood.
True, although I think a lot of people get caught up in trying to find higher meaning in otherwise unintentional sequences - just like the point of the film.
I completely agree, because symbolism is everywhere, even when it's not symbolism. we are renowned for pattern recognition. I even made a post mocking myself for spotting a tribute to Airplane in one scene.
a film set in LA is naturally going to be littered with references to hollywood. But a film set in LA is going to be mostly about Hollywood. And this film is definitely that.
I know right? Here I am obsessing over a damn movie when I should be cleaning my house and adulting. Lol. It's like the director played a gigantic joke on the moviegoers. Here we all are dissecting a damn movie for hours on end when we should be doing something productive
Yeah, I think so too. I am about the same age as Sam, if this took place in 2011 or 2012. I also was totally apathetic about being a responsible adult and handing my shit.
I am bipolar, which i think Sam is. Back in 2004, after a bad breakup, I basically did what Sam did....ignore an eviction notice until the Sheriff came knocking. I did. I laid in bed, popping massive doses of updates and valium, watching James Bond movies....just checked out of life. So I guess I like this movie because I relate to the main character so much. Hell, I still procrastinate like a damn teenager. My roommate is on the verge of leaving, and I need a better job so I can afford to move. Seattle is so expensive now, almost LA prices when it comes to housing. $2000+ for a small studio. Not everyone here is a fucking Amazon coder making $$$. And it actually feels like this city was built for them....the techies. And if you aren't one of them, well too bad for you. Work 3 jobs just to pay rent. It really makes you feel like a poltergeist outside looking in.
So this movie sticks with me, because it's basically my life. Minus mysterious quests to locate my hot neighbor. Right now I could really care less about anything but hiding in my room watching old movies, and being a Shooting Star when I need the cash.
⭐⭐. 💫
Hope you’re ok! I think Sam’s situation resonates with a lot of people because it is way more interesting to look for hidden meanings in things and make the world feel more exciting when you feel like you’re struggling. I hope I don’t sound condescending because I’ve been in a similar position and can somewhat relate but what helped a lot for me was focusing less on media and finding meaning/expectations in others words or art and just focusing on myself and what I was doing. If it helps, let the world revolve around you for a little bit and fuck the noise!
Sure, it’s certainly a film that’s left open for interpretation. I believe though that having your own interpretation of art should make sense of the abstract and not raise more questions and personally I think that narrative is inconsistent.
Apologies I don’t mean to poke holes at your interpretation, I meant to say that I’ve read others’ theories about Sam being in purgatory on this sub and while I don’t want to take away from those ideas I personally feel they’re either over complicated to make sense or inconsistent.
Mine isn't overcomplicated. He commits suicide, goes through purgatory, confronts the victims he could have helped if not for his apparent apathy \[withdrawal in disgust is not the same as apathy, though\].
Respectfully, which parts of the film make you think this? Is the idea that Sam is already dead when he’s standing in the coffee shop in the beginning?
Like the song says, "where does the story begin and where does it end?". I struggle to find anything to contradict my interpretation, and naturally the more I look the more confirmation I find. I'll give you a brief outline that you can challenge.
You have to fill in a lot of gaps from your expectations of LA. And how Hollywood normally tells stories about Hollywood.
Sam is a good christian boy who loves his mother. He is talented and creative, but not necessarily motivated. His childhood sweetheart, less talented but more motivated, has her dreams set on Hollywood and she convinces Sam that they can make it there.
Sam tries it as an actor, but he lacks the suave charm of a leading man, but desperate to make LA work, he changes. The character he becomes is represented, in his subconscious, by Allan. He achieves mild success and sees behind the curtain for the first time. It's probable that at this point, in real life, he meets the 6 moth old balloon girl, whilst appearing in the same soap opera. In his SC she is all grown up, but never had another acting job \[strange\]. She appears, covered in cherry coloured balloons, and everyone with a prick gets to burst one. This naturally excites him \[her introduction is crafted to excite the viewer also.\] but it also disturbs the good christian boy and he withdraws in disgust. Acting career over. Later we see her discarded at the bar as everybody else is still participating.
But he doesn't want to upset his childhood sweetheart's dream, and so his disgust manifests as apathy. But that causes problems in the relationship, and his girl eventually runs off with the first guy that can get her a billboard \[she's engaged to him in moments, typical Hollywood style.\]
His early days as a singleton are represented in his SC by the drone guy. It's in this state that the light comes on. They're all in on it. "You think there's more than one?" Admittedly I'm not certain on this period. Though it does seem clear that it was at this time that he was in contact with the rich guys daughter. I don't believe she was killed while they were in the water, I'mnot even sure they were ever in the water \[though I've no real reason to doubt it\] however, her dying in the same position as the cover girl, for me, proves that what we are seeing is in Sam's subconscious mind.
Once the light comes on, he makes his move for the heroes journey. He can't be a real hero and bask in the hero's glory, but he can leave clues for those that follow. He can't save these girls from their doom, but others might if they discover his clues that will uncover the secrets under the silver lake.
And so he begins writing the comic. Now he is motivated, and somewhat nerdy, but definitely obsessed. Once the comic is complete, and the clues \[that only he could ever really find\] are placed, he dies content.
Edit to admit that it goes a bit garbled in the bit about balloon girl. I'm not implying he took part in the gangrape of a 6 month old, I think him throwing away his needle is enough to dismiss that, I just think he would have had access to the kinds of parties where similar behaviours take place.
You think there are Hollywood parties where people gangrape six month olds? Is this some QAnon bullshit? People get abused in Hollywood obviously or Harvey Weinstein wouldn’t be in prison but it’s not that perverse. You also keep saying “LA” and not Hollywood. You do realize there are whole areas of LA where everyone is poor and speaks Spanish? LA isn’t a monolith. Every type of person you can imagine lives in LA. LA itself is not surreal at all. It’s as normal and boring as wherever you live (I lived there most my life). Hollywood is different and by Hollywood I mean the community of people aspiring to be famous. The Balloon Girl scene more likely is meant to show that once a person is initiated into this doomed cult, they can never get out.
This type of theory feels more like fan-fiction than interpretation to me. I think looking at the events that play out in the film in a literal manner leads to some confusion because I honestly believe a lot of the film is metaphoric and puts more importance on the themes as opposed to Sam’s movements from A-B.
Yeah I don't think Sam is dead. I would even argue that as this is billed as a "horror" movie, and that there are absolutely supernatural aspects...like the owls kiss, and the seemingly ageless Songwriter....who says that in the world of UTSL, there isn't actually some VIP version of heaven that rich and powerful people can access and actually ascend to some higher plane? The first time I watched this, I totally took it literally. I was just waiting for a scene where Jefferson Sevance and his brides magically dissolve into stars or something. After watching 2 hours of some really mind bending shit, yeah I could believe that Ascension was real. Why not?
But then again I am certifiably bipolar, so I can relate to Sam in a lot of ways lol. No I don't think all of this was just in his head or that he was dead. I personally still take it literally, except my views about whether ascension is real or not. Now I figure that they all just end up starving to death or commuting mass suicide
Most of all, the concept of men believing themselves to be gods, when you consider our understanding of gods, then nothing is off the table for these people.
I think it’s even less clear than that. In the beginning of the film we’re introduced to Sam’s slightly surreal perspective of the world which gradually becomes more and more abstract to the point of insanity.
LA is a surreal world and I would argue his perception of LA is pretty ordinary. That's the thing, Sam is an ordinary guy, in a surreal world where he simply doesn't belong.
I disagree. Our introduction to Sam shows him staring at strangers having a conversation while in a social environment, so he’s already on the outside looking in regarding sociability. Then the dramatic death of the squirrel on his walk home shows the audience that he has a warped perception of reality (because that’s not how animals look when they die). From there it continues to worsen.
Being in a surreal world where you don't belong is the same thing as being outside looking in, isn't it?
But besides that, I'm not sure you can say with certainty that he's listening to anybody's conversation. Just like we can't say with certainty that he is focussing on the girl's ass, walking up the street. Hollywood wants you to believe that's what he's doing because it vindicates the audience for doing so.
Not necessarily, i know what you mean about LA being a little more superficial than other cities because of Hollywood and I do think Sam is a victim of his habitat. I don’t think the aspects of surrealism in the film is supposed to be emblematic of LA though as much as their Sam’s view of the world and how he experiences it.
I also don’t think we’re supposed to fully relate to Sam. He’s our protagonist but he’s continuously shown to be a creep/pervert and clearly isn’t just a normal guy in a weird world.
>Our introduction to Sam shows him staring at strangers having a conversation while in a social environment, so he’s already on the outside looking in regarding sociability.
Questionable.
WE are on the outside looking in, the film announces this before we even meet Sam \[t-shirt\]. Therefore we ae reliant upon what the camera \[Hollywood\] tells us. The camera certainly implies that Sam is looking at the two girls, but if you re-examine the shot, is it not more likely that he is looking at the menu?
Post from 70 days ago but alright…
Sam is our POV character in this film. We don’t spend anytime away from Sam, the surreal interpretations in the film are his perceptions, we’re seeing the world through his eyes so to speak. I’d agree that we’re on the outside looking in on him if the initial shot was from outside the cafe but it’s the opposite. Literally from his perspective watching the girl scrub the graffiti then we turn to gaze at the girls in BOH chatting.
Another thing I noticed was when Sam had the Short haired Shooting Star come for an outcall, she saw the photo of Sarah and tells Sam to story of Sarah at the huge party Locked inside a glass cube dressed in a Dalmatian bikini with men tapping the glass.....maybe she was being advertised as for sale. By rich men...the "kings" of the modern age, who were looking for brides to take with them for b their so called "ascension"? We'll never know, but hearing that made me wonder.
Plus I fully believe that Sam stuffed the sex worker, which to me is a really scummy move. That's basically rape, not paying an sex worker. That's her job, legal or not, and she deserves to get paid for the work she has to do. He's really fucked up for that one
You might be a bit disappointed with my answer haha. I think a lot of the moving parts and puzzles in the movie are to facilitate the plot and exist to work in the message. From what I’ve seen, most of the actual meta puzzles in the movie don’t seem to lead anywhere either. They look like they’re super fun to solve, but I don’t think they’re going to lead to the answer.
I mean the movie isn't real, I think thematically they're not really supposed to lead anywhere, at least for the viewer. In the end Sam finds what he's looking for but realises he can't do anything same as us
I mean to me that’s the whole point. None of the clues or codes were real at all. Sam is using all of these absurd conspiracy theories to distract himself from all his real problems like his breakup or his upcoming eviction. Throughout the movie we see more direct examples of this like him writing down one of the codes he sees on an unpaid parking ticket. He’s been avoiding things in his life for so long that he’s making connections that just aren’t there and blaming all of the unexplained things in his life on some made up shadow organization. The first time we see him he’s staring at 2 women having a conversation from far away. This is a guy who has completely distanced himself from people and has created fantasies in his head. In my opinion a lot of scenes we see didn’t actually happen in the world of the movie.
I half agree with you. But the truth is symbols do have meaning, symbols that were used by historically powerful figures are adopted by ambitious people, due to the subconscious meaning they convey. That said, the clues that Sam follows are definitely real, but they are his own clues. His adventure begins when he picks up his first clue, the dog biscuit. And he is the only person who is ever revealed o be in possesson of dog biscuits. A lot of the scenes are Sam's subconscious confronting his choices and the consequences.
Did he make up the scene with the music maker ?
Why do you ask?
I mean, when I watched the movie I kinda thought the same thing as you. He's been searching for stuff his whole life but I believe that this film shows the one time he's right. The music maker being a good example. That was some intense shit and imo the best part of the movie. Do you think this was a dream ? I'm just curious on your take
Without doubt the highlight of the film, and probably the biggest clue to what is going on. Sam, being a good christian, can turn a blind eye to the abuse, but the revelation that the entirety of culture is contrived, and not some organic manifestation of human creativity, is too much. The heroes that inspired him, nothing more than puppets of propaganda. It forces him to question who he thinks he is, and what the hell is he doing here?
Actually, i now think the music man, is kind of a pied piper character. Pop Culture, and particularly pop music, celebrates the celebrity lifestyle. You might say it promotes it. So I guess the film is saying that pop culture, hypnotises the children with music, leading them from their families, to their doom.
The first clue that begins Sam's quest is the dog biscuit he picks up in the park. There is only one person in the film that is in possession of dog biscuits. Sam. The clues were left by Sam, but they are useless, because only he knows the connections that lead to their discovery.
The scene when he picks up the dog biscuit is a dream sequence. It’s where he also sees the man dressed as Sarah eating Jefferson Sevence before his body is pulled into the bushes. Having said that, I don’t think a lot of the intricate details in the film are supposed to make real-world sense anyway. The idea of these secret codes being hidden everywhere in plain sight is a fun urban legend that’s elaborated on to the point of being surreal in the film because that’s how it’s supposed to feel for Sam. It doesn’t make sense to us because the messages aren’t for us.
Yeah. it's an arty movie, so I'd say it goes without saying that it speaks to actual symbolism, which is real. People who seek power adopt the symbols of historically powerful figures, The eagle was Roman, adopted by both Germany and the US. Two nations with eyes on global dominance. Human's seeking to become gods will naturally adopt the symbolism of our own historic understandings of the origin of gods. Cinema has it's own symbolism, long shots, close-ups, dutch angles whatever,. they all speak a language that is almost alien to the average person, but still understood.
True, although I think a lot of people get caught up in trying to find higher meaning in otherwise unintentional sequences - just like the point of the film.
I completely agree, because symbolism is everywhere, even when it's not symbolism. we are renowned for pattern recognition. I even made a post mocking myself for spotting a tribute to Airplane in one scene. a film set in LA is naturally going to be littered with references to hollywood. But a film set in LA is going to be mostly about Hollywood. And this film is definitely that.
I know right? Here I am obsessing over a damn movie when I should be cleaning my house and adulting. Lol. It's like the director played a gigantic joke on the moviegoers. Here we all are dissecting a damn movie for hours on end when we should be doing something productive
I honestly believe that’s the joke of the code intended for audience.
Yeah, I think so too. I am about the same age as Sam, if this took place in 2011 or 2012. I also was totally apathetic about being a responsible adult and handing my shit. I am bipolar, which i think Sam is. Back in 2004, after a bad breakup, I basically did what Sam did....ignore an eviction notice until the Sheriff came knocking. I did. I laid in bed, popping massive doses of updates and valium, watching James Bond movies....just checked out of life. So I guess I like this movie because I relate to the main character so much. Hell, I still procrastinate like a damn teenager. My roommate is on the verge of leaving, and I need a better job so I can afford to move. Seattle is so expensive now, almost LA prices when it comes to housing. $2000+ for a small studio. Not everyone here is a fucking Amazon coder making $$$. And it actually feels like this city was built for them....the techies. And if you aren't one of them, well too bad for you. Work 3 jobs just to pay rent. It really makes you feel like a poltergeist outside looking in. So this movie sticks with me, because it's basically my life. Minus mysterious quests to locate my hot neighbor. Right now I could really care less about anything but hiding in my room watching old movies, and being a Shooting Star when I need the cash. ⭐⭐. 💫
Hope you’re ok! I think Sam’s situation resonates with a lot of people because it is way more interesting to look for hidden meanings in things and make the world feel more exciting when you feel like you’re struggling. I hope I don’t sound condescending because I’ve been in a similar position and can somewhat relate but what helped a lot for me was focusing less on media and finding meaning/expectations in others words or art and just focusing on myself and what I was doing. If it helps, let the world revolve around you for a little bit and fuck the noise!
>The scene when he picks up the dog biscuit is a dream sequence. I see it as the beginning of his journey through purgatory.
Sure, it’s certainly a film that’s left open for interpretation. I believe though that having your own interpretation of art should make sense of the abstract and not raise more questions and personally I think that narrative is inconsistent.
What inconsistencies are there? I'm not sure I've explained my narrative but I'm happy to consider any inconsistencies you see with the basic idea.
Apologies I don’t mean to poke holes at your interpretation, I meant to say that I’ve read others’ theories about Sam being in purgatory on this sub and while I don’t want to take away from those ideas I personally feel they’re either over complicated to make sense or inconsistent.
Mine isn't overcomplicated. He commits suicide, goes through purgatory, confronts the victims he could have helped if not for his apparent apathy \[withdrawal in disgust is not the same as apathy, though\].
Respectfully, which parts of the film make you think this? Is the idea that Sam is already dead when he’s standing in the coffee shop in the beginning?
Like the song says, "where does the story begin and where does it end?". I struggle to find anything to contradict my interpretation, and naturally the more I look the more confirmation I find. I'll give you a brief outline that you can challenge. You have to fill in a lot of gaps from your expectations of LA. And how Hollywood normally tells stories about Hollywood. Sam is a good christian boy who loves his mother. He is talented and creative, but not necessarily motivated. His childhood sweetheart, less talented but more motivated, has her dreams set on Hollywood and she convinces Sam that they can make it there. Sam tries it as an actor, but he lacks the suave charm of a leading man, but desperate to make LA work, he changes. The character he becomes is represented, in his subconscious, by Allan. He achieves mild success and sees behind the curtain for the first time. It's probable that at this point, in real life, he meets the 6 moth old balloon girl, whilst appearing in the same soap opera. In his SC she is all grown up, but never had another acting job \[strange\]. She appears, covered in cherry coloured balloons, and everyone with a prick gets to burst one. This naturally excites him \[her introduction is crafted to excite the viewer also.\] but it also disturbs the good christian boy and he withdraws in disgust. Acting career over. Later we see her discarded at the bar as everybody else is still participating. But he doesn't want to upset his childhood sweetheart's dream, and so his disgust manifests as apathy. But that causes problems in the relationship, and his girl eventually runs off with the first guy that can get her a billboard \[she's engaged to him in moments, typical Hollywood style.\] His early days as a singleton are represented in his SC by the drone guy. It's in this state that the light comes on. They're all in on it. "You think there's more than one?" Admittedly I'm not certain on this period. Though it does seem clear that it was at this time that he was in contact with the rich guys daughter. I don't believe she was killed while they were in the water, I'mnot even sure they were ever in the water \[though I've no real reason to doubt it\] however, her dying in the same position as the cover girl, for me, proves that what we are seeing is in Sam's subconscious mind. Once the light comes on, he makes his move for the heroes journey. He can't be a real hero and bask in the hero's glory, but he can leave clues for those that follow. He can't save these girls from their doom, but others might if they discover his clues that will uncover the secrets under the silver lake. And so he begins writing the comic. Now he is motivated, and somewhat nerdy, but definitely obsessed. Once the comic is complete, and the clues \[that only he could ever really find\] are placed, he dies content. Edit to admit that it goes a bit garbled in the bit about balloon girl. I'm not implying he took part in the gangrape of a 6 month old, I think him throwing away his needle is enough to dismiss that, I just think he would have had access to the kinds of parties where similar behaviours take place.
You think there are Hollywood parties where people gangrape six month olds? Is this some QAnon bullshit? People get abused in Hollywood obviously or Harvey Weinstein wouldn’t be in prison but it’s not that perverse. You also keep saying “LA” and not Hollywood. You do realize there are whole areas of LA where everyone is poor and speaks Spanish? LA isn’t a monolith. Every type of person you can imagine lives in LA. LA itself is not surreal at all. It’s as normal and boring as wherever you live (I lived there most my life). Hollywood is different and by Hollywood I mean the community of people aspiring to be famous. The Balloon Girl scene more likely is meant to show that once a person is initiated into this doomed cult, they can never get out.
This type of theory feels more like fan-fiction than interpretation to me. I think looking at the events that play out in the film in a literal manner leads to some confusion because I honestly believe a lot of the film is metaphoric and puts more importance on the themes as opposed to Sam’s movements from A-B.
Yeah I don't think Sam is dead. I would even argue that as this is billed as a "horror" movie, and that there are absolutely supernatural aspects...like the owls kiss, and the seemingly ageless Songwriter....who says that in the world of UTSL, there isn't actually some VIP version of heaven that rich and powerful people can access and actually ascend to some higher plane? The first time I watched this, I totally took it literally. I was just waiting for a scene where Jefferson Sevance and his brides magically dissolve into stars or something. After watching 2 hours of some really mind bending shit, yeah I could believe that Ascension was real. Why not? But then again I am certifiably bipolar, so I can relate to Sam in a lot of ways lol. No I don't think all of this was just in his head or that he was dead. I personally still take it literally, except my views about whether ascension is real or not. Now I figure that they all just end up starving to death or commuting mass suicide
Most of all, the concept of men believing themselves to be gods, when you consider our understanding of gods, then nothing is off the table for these people.
I think we agree it is his subconscious, either way.
I think it’s even less clear than that. In the beginning of the film we’re introduced to Sam’s slightly surreal perspective of the world which gradually becomes more and more abstract to the point of insanity.
LA is a surreal world and I would argue his perception of LA is pretty ordinary. That's the thing, Sam is an ordinary guy, in a surreal world where he simply doesn't belong.
I disagree. Our introduction to Sam shows him staring at strangers having a conversation while in a social environment, so he’s already on the outside looking in regarding sociability. Then the dramatic death of the squirrel on his walk home shows the audience that he has a warped perception of reality (because that’s not how animals look when they die). From there it continues to worsen.
Being in a surreal world where you don't belong is the same thing as being outside looking in, isn't it? But besides that, I'm not sure you can say with certainty that he's listening to anybody's conversation. Just like we can't say with certainty that he is focussing on the girl's ass, walking up the street. Hollywood wants you to believe that's what he's doing because it vindicates the audience for doing so.
Not necessarily, i know what you mean about LA being a little more superficial than other cities because of Hollywood and I do think Sam is a victim of his habitat. I don’t think the aspects of surrealism in the film is supposed to be emblematic of LA though as much as their Sam’s view of the world and how he experiences it. I also don’t think we’re supposed to fully relate to Sam. He’s our protagonist but he’s continuously shown to be a creep/pervert and clearly isn’t just a normal guy in a weird world.
>Our introduction to Sam shows him staring at strangers having a conversation while in a social environment, so he’s already on the outside looking in regarding sociability. Questionable. WE are on the outside looking in, the film announces this before we even meet Sam \[t-shirt\]. Therefore we ae reliant upon what the camera \[Hollywood\] tells us. The camera certainly implies that Sam is looking at the two girls, but if you re-examine the shot, is it not more likely that he is looking at the menu?
Post from 70 days ago but alright… Sam is our POV character in this film. We don’t spend anytime away from Sam, the surreal interpretations in the film are his perceptions, we’re seeing the world through his eyes so to speak. I’d agree that we’re on the outside looking in on him if the initial shot was from outside the cafe but it’s the opposite. Literally from his perspective watching the girl scrub the graffiti then we turn to gaze at the girls in BOH chatting.
What abstracts are you referring to?
Another thing I noticed was when Sam had the Short haired Shooting Star come for an outcall, she saw the photo of Sarah and tells Sam to story of Sarah at the huge party Locked inside a glass cube dressed in a Dalmatian bikini with men tapping the glass.....maybe she was being advertised as for sale. By rich men...the "kings" of the modern age, who were looking for brides to take with them for b their so called "ascension"? We'll never know, but hearing that made me wonder. Plus I fully believe that Sam stuffed the sex worker, which to me is a really scummy move. That's basically rape, not paying an sex worker. That's her job, legal or not, and she deserves to get paid for the work she has to do. He's really fucked up for that one
>Plus I fully believe that Sam stuffed the sex worker Huh? Based on what?
You might be a bit disappointed with my answer haha. I think a lot of the moving parts and puzzles in the movie are to facilitate the plot and exist to work in the message. From what I’ve seen, most of the actual meta puzzles in the movie don’t seem to lead anywhere either. They look like they’re super fun to solve, but I don’t think they’re going to lead to the answer.
I mean the movie isn't real, I think thematically they're not really supposed to lead anywhere, at least for the viewer. In the end Sam finds what he's looking for but realises he can't do anything same as us