Submitted by Steve Roberts on 5 September 2008 - 1:15pm.
[The Wall] The protagonist keeps experiencing a sort of attack of existentialist angst on his way into work – very inconvenient in the Melbourne rush-hour. Lack of motivation; meaninglessness; negativity; the futility of existence. Now, where can he go from here? Ah, he's a media student, so how about making a film about it. Maybe the meaninglessness can itself gain meaning! But of course the same lack of motivation hinders the dramaturgical process…
Our hero feels that there is a glass wall separating him from the world; and he yearns to break through it and become his own alter ego, whom he can see on the other side of the wall, actively enjoying life and contributing to it. The film ends on a note of hope as he begins to take control over his own destiny. He cracks the only smile in the film as he relishes the possibility of breaking through the imaginary wall and joining the active world.
We get the happy feeling that our hero is about to become not only socially empowered and active, but he will also be wise, having experienced the futile, inward-looking approach to life and having found the motivation to progress away from it. His life will henceforth be happy and positive – in contrast to the comfortably-off Buddhists of Brighton, who keep going off to retreats but still lead unsatisfied lives, as shown by having a string of relationships with no end in sight.
Hope
[The Wall] The protagonist keeps experiencing a sort of attack of existentialist angst on his way into work – very inconvenient in the Melbourne rush-hour. Lack of motivation; meaninglessness; negativity; the futility of existence. Now, where can he go from here? Ah, he's a media student, so how about making a film about it. Maybe the meaninglessness can itself gain meaning! But of course the same lack of motivation hinders the dramaturgical process…
Our hero feels that there is a glass wall separating him from the world; and he yearns to break through it and become his own alter ego, whom he can see on the other side of the wall, actively enjoying life and contributing to it. The film ends on a note of hope as he begins to take control over his own destiny. He cracks the only smile in the film as he relishes the possibility of breaking through the imaginary wall and joining the active world.
We get the happy feeling that our hero is about to become not only socially empowered and active, but he will also be wise, having experienced the futile, inward-looking approach to life and having found the motivation to progress away from it. His life will henceforth be happy and positive – in contrast to the comfortably-off Buddhists of Brighton, who keep going off to retreats but still lead unsatisfied lives, as shown by having a string of relationships with no end in sight.