Just like fiction and other types of art, films also hide complex ideas behind an apparently one-sided comprehensible story, which are often difficult to notice even at the first viewing. Films with a hidden meaning, which hide social criticism, psychoanalytic diagnosis of the protagonist, elaboration of different states of consciousness, etc., will pull you into a completely different world from the one shown on the surface on the second viewing.
Movies with a hidden meaning:
Origin (2010): The Making of a Film
The film Izvor (Inception) has an extremely complex story in itself, in which the viewer can easily get lost without additional complications about hidden meanings. But if we think about it, Izvor is a film that would be expected to have buried the hidden and deeper meaning of the story somewhere. If we take the film apart, we find that it is actually about the complexity of making a film in today's film industry. Ariadne writes scripts, Mr. Saito is the studio director who invests in the project, Yusuf is in charge of special effects, Arthur is the art director who helps turn the conceptual project into reality, and Cobb is the director who is the only one who knows the deepest foundations of a good film. The goal of the entire team is to plant an idea in the head of an individual - which, on the one hand, is also the purpose of all films.
The Matrix (1999): A Conspiracy Theory
The film The Matrix offers, like any other good and complex realization of a work of art, several types and levels of interpretation. One of the interesting hypotheses is that the Matrix points to a conspiracy theory. A date is visible on Neo's passport, which pushes the attentive observer out of the comfort zone. His passport has an expiration date of September 11, 2001, even though the movie was shot back in 1999. Is the passport expiration date just a coincidence? The chances are extremely slim.
Endless Day (1993): An Enlightenment Experience
Endless Day (Groundhog Day) is at first glance just a fun story about the main character Phil Connors (Bill Murray), who wakes up to the exact same day every morning until he spends it correctly and productively. When he finally manages to break the loop and wakes up to a new day, he is extremely relieved. The concept of living the same day over and over again illustrates the idea of the Buddhist path to enlightenment. Connors succeeds in the latter when he finds the meaning of the day (or life) and wakes up the next morning to a completely different morning (or reaches nirvana).
Radiance (1980): Native American Massacre
The Shining is a cult film by director Stanley Kubrick, which, in addition to its aesthetics, tense story and excellent acting, pleases the viewer with its complexity. The most interesting theory about the hidden meaning of the film The Radiance is probably the silent criticism of the massacre of the Indians. The hotel, in which the majority of the story takes place, is built on an Indian burial ground, which is called Overlook (Overlooked). The hotel is also full of Native American art and decor, and the only man who dies in the film besides the antagonist is black, which reflects the issue of modern racism in the United States.
The Lord of the Rings (2001, 2002, 2003): The emergence of a totalitarian system
Although the hidden meaning of the Lord of the Rings saga is quite obvious, it does not make it any less complex or interesting. One of the most interesting elements of the story is the all-seeing Eye of Sauron, which embodies absolute evil. Many theorists see in the story of The Lord of the Rings an elaboration of the emergence of a totalitarian system based on intimidation and violence.
The Wizard of Oz (1939): Populism
The popular movie The Wizard of Oz is a so-called family movie. But under the facade of a pleasant fantasy adventure, it hides a critique of populism, of political activity, where political candidates tap into instinctive emotional responses and widely share empty promises. In the film, the magician is full of promises that he ends up breaking, and the Emerald City represents the deceptive power of American greens.
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Coraline (2009): Kidnapping
Anyone who watched the animated film Coraline probably realized after a few minutes that the film is full of hidden dark corners in which dark problems of the modern world are hidden beneath the basic story. The story is about a young girl who escapes to a parallel world. At first glance, this is extremely attractive for a child, but in reality it is full of dangerous traps that lead the viewer to extremely anxious feelings. The hidden idea of the story is to depict the process of child abduction, where the kidnappers reach for similar lures that small children cannot resist.
Miraculous Journey (2001): Child Prostitution
One of the most successful animated films by director Hayao Miyazaki, Spirited Away, hides an infinite number of possible interpretations. One possibility is based on the observation that the story is remarkably similar to Japanese folkloric lore about girls' transition from childhood to womanhood. But woven into the background of the film, the viewer is haunted by the dark issue of child prostitution. Among other things, the main protagonist finds herself in a public spa (which is an embellished representation of a brothel), where she has to serve grotesque male clients, including a faceless rich man who wants to possess her.
