ExistenZ

Barry Shrapnel

Directed by: David Cronenberg Written by: David Cronenberg Starring: Jennifer Jason Leigh Jude Law Ian Holm Don McKellar Willem Dafoe Callum Keith Rennie Christopher Eccleston Robert A. Silverman Sarah Polley

ExistenZ is a deeply thought-provoking movie. After watching it, the philosophic implications of what I had seen began to grow on me, and I kept pondering about the meaning of it all.

The director was inspired by Salman Rushdie, a writer who had a death sentence or "fatwa" placed on him by people who were offended by his novel. In the film, the ''fatwa'' is placed on Allegra Geller by realists who feel her creation is a danger to mankind.

The movie opens with a group of fans attending a test run of game-designer Allegra Geller's new virtual reality game, ExistenZ. As the players begin the game, a member of a radical group called the Realists attempts to assassinate Allegra. The attempt fails and Allegra goes into hiding with security guard Ted Pikul. They end up in a motel where Allegra wants to test her game with Pikul to make sure it isn't damaged. However, Pikul can't play the game because he doesn't have an industry standard bio-port. (A bio-port is a hole in the small of one's back into which one can plug an umbilical-like cord leading from the game pod. The game then feeds directly into the player's spinal cord and brain.) Allegra and Pikul go to a gas station where Pikul has one installed. They then plug into her game pod and enter the virtual world of ExistenZ. (The ability of the ExistenZ game to fuse with the central nervous system is but a logical extension of today's VR technology of goggles and gloves, technology that is an attempt to allow the player to merge with the game.)

The film has several game layers (worlds) within it. As the film progresses the different game worlds begin to intersect and collide, causing one to wonder, at times, what is real and what isn't.

The beginning of the movie is the first game world, though it does not appear so at first. Allegra and Pikul escape to a ski lodge and hook up to her game pod, which takes them to Darcy Nader's Game Emporium (2nd game). At the Game Emporium they buy tiny game pods and insert them into their bio-ports. This jumps them to the trout farm (location of the 3d game). They then go to a Chinese restaurant, Pikul pauses the game and they jump back to the first game. They then return to Darcy Nader's store (2nd game), go to the trout farm (3d game) and kill Yevgery Nourish. They then jump back to the first game. At this point the third and second games interact with the first game, and they all become part of one game world. Then Allegra leaves the game and jumps to the last scene.

I believe the message of the film is that virtual reality, if developed to the extent as in the film, could be dangerous because it makes it difficult for a person to tell the difference between fantasy and reality.

When Pikul comes back to the ski lodge after pausing the game, he says, "I'm not sure here where we are is real at all. This feels like a game to me." This kind of confusion is also highlighted in the end. After Allegra shoots Kin Vanokur, Pikul says, "What if we're not in the game any more." Notice Pikul says, "if we're not in the game"; he doesn't say "we're not in the game". This inability to distinguish illusion from reality is dangerous as people may commit crimes thinking they are in a game.

When playing the game, Pikul surprises himself by acting in ways that are out of character for him, but appropriate to his game character. Allegra comments on this by saying, "It's kind of a schizophrenic feeling isn't it?" (Some characteristics of schizophrenia are delusions, dissociation, and the inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality.)

At one point in the game Pikul says, "I actually think there's an element of psychosis involved here." And he says that he feels, "a little disconnected from my real life." Allegra tells him, "The element of psychosis means your nervous system is fully engaging with the game architecture." (Some characteristics of psychosis are hallucinations, mental confusion, and delusions.)

The film also highlights the problem of distinguishing between fantasy and reality by messing with the minds of the audience. That is, there are times in the film when it is difficult to tell the difference between the (supposed) real world and the VR world.

Everything from the opening scene until Allegra and Pikul begin to play ExistenZ seems real, but is actually the first game level in the film. This does not become obvious until the end of the film, but there are plenty of hints throughout the film that this is the case. Here are two of them:

1. The first scene start abruptly, in the same manner as the transitions to all the games are made.
2. When Allegra is at the Country Gas Station, she smells things, feels things, kicks up dust, and throws a stone. It is as if she is soaking up new and novel sensations. (When Pikul arrives at the Game Emporium in the second game, he feels the texture of things as well.)

I believe the whole movie is a game. There are two reasons for this: First, in a scene that occurs in the first game level (just before the last scene), Pikul asks Allegra, "What if we're not in the game?" Secondly, in the last scene, Allegra and Pikul point their guns at an Oriental man who asks, "Are we still in the game?" Now, as some doubt about the nature of reality exists in a part of the movie that we know is a game, and as that same type of doubt exists in the last scene, I believe the last scene is a game. Of course, this makes the entire film a game. (However, it is possible that the last scene is supposed to be the real world. This possibility then underscores one of the ideas in the film, that it is hard to know what reality is.)

In spite of the fact that we see no bare bodies, there is a strong element of sexual imagery in the film. Examples are the phallic symbolism of the pod's umbilicus being inserted into the body via the bio-port, the nipple-like protrusions on the pods which must be flicked to start the game, and Allegra telling Pikul that new ports are sometimes a bit tight and can get excited because they want action.

Many elements in the plot that could be criticized in a mainstream film are appropriate to ExistenZ. First, the plot has lots of trite dialogue, but this is okay as trite dialogue is characteristic of many computer games. Second, when the assassin in the opening sequence is killed, the over-the-top nature of his slaying seems unrealistic until one realizes that the opening sequence is a game, and over-the-top violence is a characteristic of computer games.

The game even pokes fun at itself. Allegra says that one character in the game is, "Not a well-drawn character, and his dialogue was just so-so." Then, when making out with Pikul, she says their behaviour is a plot device, that is, "a pathetically mechanical attempt to heighten the excitement of the next game sequence."

In general, the film is full of characters who are like us, but are also weird. This creates an unsettled feeling.

Allegra (Jennifer Jason Leigh), as she appears in the first, second and third games, is crafty, insinuating, spontaneous, independent, and inventive She talks to her game pod as if it's alive, seems to feel sorry for it when it is diseased, and calls it her "baby". The Allegra in the last scene is much quieter, but still aggressive. (She is able to carry out the assassination in a cold-blooded fashion.)

Pikul (Jude Law) comes across as a nerd who is slightly confused by it all but still willing to go along to fulfil his mission. He appears to be good in a crisis. In the end of the film he is a person who can cold-bloody and systematically carry out an assassination.

Leigh and Law give us a very convincing portrayal of their characters and the chemistry between them helps carry the film off.

The set design contributed to the weird quality of the film. Instead of seeing advanced looking technology (computers, keyboards or monitors) as you do in most science fiction films, that technology is left out. This creates an unsettled feeling. In fact, from the opening credits, with the strange music and biological images, we know we are in for a weird ride.

The atmosphere of the film is macabre. Several examples are the unhygienic Chinese restaurant, the appearance of the bio-ports, the strange computer games in Darcy Nader's shop ("Hit by a Car" and "Chinese Restaurant - Will you make it out alive?"), and the disemboweling of the mutated amphibians, etc.

The excellent direction was combined with a well-thought out and intelligent screenplay. However, the lack of a director's commentary on the DVD was a disappointment. Also disappointing were the weak interviews with the principal actors.

The atmosphere, the set, and the haunting dark soundtrack made watching the film almost like being in a nightmare. The color palate used expressive colors that were bright and normal in contrast.

Nowadays it is rare to come across a movie that really makes you think. ExistenZ is a rare gem.

Favorite Line: Mutant reptiles and amphibians produce previously unknown taste sensations.