I think I definitely need to see Revolver again. Even if it’s just so I can confirm that nothing slipped by me the first time I saw it.
There are a lot of people looking for a Revolver explanation. I don’t think there’s one but a lot of Guy Ritchie fans feel there must be more to it.
There’s an article in The Guardian that discusses the sly marketing tactics employed by Revolver’s PR agency. It included paying blogger and forum posters to create a “buz” for the movie. I wonder if they are still paying for that because I get quite a few “forum trolls” posting comments about how everyone who thinks this movie is anything short of a masterpiece should “die a horrible death.”
i just watched revolver and i can honestly say my head is in the bin!!!!!
i would recommend people not watch this as it will cause permanant mental damage!!!!!!
Just watched it…..WHAT THE HELL WAS ALL THAT ABOUT??? Is it some crap about internal conflict? i gonna have to watch it again…..
Seriously, I should’ve read the reviews before renting this. All I can say it…what???
Watched this earlier, and are tempted to watch it again just to try and make an even slight bit of sense from it, some of the plot twists werent actually twists and could be seen from a mile off, some of them didnt actually make any sense whatsoever, and some of them were so utterly wrapped in constantly repeated dialogue you spend more time concentrating on the quote on the screen than whats actually going on in the movie, an enjoyable film, but one that will give even the cleverest of people an enormous headache.
i just loved it ..
the best movie i ever had ,,,,
but u have to watch it at least 2 times
I really do loved this movie
All I can say is:
The greatest trick that he ever pulled was making you believe that he is you.
I think it is the definition of a really good movie. Definitly one of the greatest movies ever. What can i say…
The only way to get smarter is by playing a smarter opponent.
I loved the movie Revolver. I’ve watched my share of movies and this one is the best of the best. It’s an allegory.
The movie is about your ego. Your ego is made up of ideas that you have gathered together by the time you were 5 years old. These ideas are what you believe to be you. When in fact they are not. Since you believe these ideas are you. You believe that the voice in your head that is telling you what to do is you. When in fact they are nothing more than a bunch of ideas. Your ego is not you. Therefore, the ego does not exist. Yet, it will rule you until you understand that your Ego is not you. Then and only then will the real you control your life. Until then you are nothing more than a puppet jumping to the whims of your ego. This is a head-trip I know, but if you watch the movie until the credits begin. You will see Chopra and others give you the answers to the whole movie. Afterwards if you watch it again you will get the movie.
Hey jacob if you are that smart explain it
I loved this movie I honestly had to watch it twice but basically like the quote in the movie, “The greatest enemy to have ever existed is a eternal one” and there is no such thing as an external enemy. You can hurt/destroy you eternal enemy by pleasing your external perceived enemy. In the movie Green is telling Macha (Ray Liota) to forgive him for his stupidity and that he has underestimated his intellegence and you can hear his battle with his ego (internal enemy) just think about it. Think about a person you don’t like, someone who has wronged you, can you imagine telling them that they were right and you were wrong. That would bruise your ego right??? That’s the whole concept here. I percieve the ego as being satan considering I’m religious but to non-religious folk think of it as some unexplained force. “The greatest con he ever pulled was making you believe he is you”. (My favorite qoute) “The greatest trick satan ever pulled was convincing man he did not exist”. Catch my drift? My comment goes hand in hand with Mystics.
It is very easy to explain the film.
1) The beginning of the film is the only real scene in this film( when Green went out of prison), and it is also an ending.
Revolver- means rolling back to beginning
2) Everything that happens in this film is illusion(while Green is in prison), all is happening in Greens mind, he is fighting with his own demons, ego e.t.c. Only real person in film is Green. After his victory he wents from proson reborned.
Just wach this film once more and you will understand everything.
The film is about egos and the idea that the person you are is based on the ego you have developed throughout your life. So you aren’t in control of yourself, your ego is in control of you. Therefore, to be in complete control of yourself you need to kill your ego.
Notice at the end, Statham has to do nice things for Liotta (apologises, donates money to charity in his name etc…) He does this to bruise his own ego, when he does it, he loses his phobias and is able to use the lift and stand in front of Liotta with no fear of him.
As a biproduct, this bruises liotta’s ego which he cannot handle so he kills himself.
The con men in solitary successfully teach him all he needs to know while he is inside and then escape two years before he is released in order to prepare the way for him to become one of them, the blood disease is a con but necessary along with taking all of his money. They had to ensure his ego was at its lowest in order to help him attack it. I believe this film also communicates that the bigger your ego, the more delicate is is and therefore, the more vunerable you are (or what you believe is you).
Mr. Gold is a powerful illusion that the two conmen/loan sharks have created which aids them and statham in killing liotta.
So at the end, statham doesn’t have to listen to his ego and therefore plays the “game” by his own rules which no one else can do because they all have egos he and his new assosciates become the most powerful men in the city.
Wes your explanation is about as close as I got, but my frustration was this: why would the chess man and the con man have an agenda about Green having this spiritual awakening, and if that is what it was really all about, then why would they be willing to kill dozens to achieve that? It was a little over the top. If it was a situation like in The Game (David Fincher) where no one actually got hurt, then I could buy it, but it seems like such an abstract, noble ethereal goal that the willingness to whack people seems incongruous.
So I think it must be that he is in prison the whole time and the whole thing is a fabrication.
It is fitting irony that this film, finally irresistible and all-consuming, will persist somehow in the darkness, in the distance, as we fall among the fallen to take our place, once more, in the dirt….–
Wes, you opened my eyes. Als you explained it, it does actually makes sense, and makes it not only and interesting(but weird) movie, it makes it also philosophical and deep!
Matthew, it actually does make sense. You said that, if it was onlly about sprititual enlightment, even a noble enlightment, they wouldn’t kill people for it. But, as they are already “enlightent”, the chess- and conman do not have ego’s. And, since the ego is in this movie explained as what you tell yourself you are, the ego is also your perception of good and evil. You see yourself as good, bad, or something in between. But when the ego, the image you hold of yourself, isn’t there anymore, you don’t see yourself as good or bad, so there is no good or evil. It actually makes sense, when you think about it. Once again Wes, thanks for explaining!
i did not understand ne of the shit involving those chinese people
i watched the film twice in a row between 2-6am in the morning either because i could not get all in the first time and because simply it worths apart from the fact that i play chess and i adore which was one of the reasons already… i watched 4-5 times the scene in which sorter shots the girl who is about to kill Macha in the restaurant with Beethoven’s moon light sonata playing background. i liked very much the half-animation during the white powder operation. i still could not get why Avi and Zach were in that so-called tiny pool smiling and chatting as if everything was hell ok out there. i liked the film very much, i still have some kindda doubts about Green’s hair style though and i am still not sure if the characters are perfectly chosen . i liked Mozart playing in some scenes i wish the film was more serious as i do not like funny or comic scenes-behaviours more than necesary. Ray Liotta is perfect in the final scene. This film is definitely a must-watch…
I think this movie is like life, its confusing, and some people will simply trash it, but the deeper thinkers will examine it, sort out the shit from the truly meaningful, and attempt to piece it together in a way that rings true.
I think it seperates the seekers from the puppets, as it intended. Maybe it woke up a few puppets from thier ego stupor. And it just annoyed the puppets who are committed to live in the ego, which is a lot like choosing the Matrix over the real world. Its flashier, its full of death and sex and shiny stuff and passion. Spiritual serenity doesn’t have a lot of marketability.
What do Walker, Sorter, and Macha’s right hand man represent? Is part or all of the movie simply in Green’s mind? Are Zach and Avi real people? If they’re real, why do they sit in a silly hot tub and toy with Green for no reason? If they’re in Green’s mind, how do they operate as loan sharks known to Green’s brother. What does all the torture and mutilation represent? Why do all female characters disturbingly stare without expression? Why are even straightforward parts of the plot presented in a way that makes them confusing. Guy Ritchie either had definate answers to these questions when he made this movie or this film is a purposeless mess.
It’s no secret that Guy Ritchie is an avid and devoted kabbalah practitioner. The movie is riddled with allusions to gnosticism, Jewish mysticism, and numerology. Jake (short for Jacob), Avi (short for Abraham), and Zach (short for Isaac) represent the 3 major Jewish patriarchs of the old Testament. Dorothy Macha (short for Machiavelli) represents the tyrannical Pharaoh that held the Jews captive. That Dorothy Macha represents the oppressive Pharaoh of the Old Testament is confirmed by all his Egyptian furniture and Egyptian art. Bullshit?? Read on…
In kabbalah there are 3 major pillars. The trinity of Jake, Avi and Zach represent these three pillars. Avi is black and feminine-like. The Left pillar of kabbalah is related to the feminine and the color black. Zach is a masculine man and wears a lot of white or light colors. The Right pillar of the kabbalah is associated with the masculine and the color white. Jake’s last name is Green. The color green is associated with the Center of the kabbalah. You still say it’s bullshit?? Keep reading…
When Jake has his “enlightenment” moment in the elevator scene as he is going down, there is no 13Th. floor. The number 13 has a long tradition of being associated with the occult. In the kabbalah, a boy becomes a man after he turns 13. In this scene we see Jake facing his ego and transforming. His ego is dissolved and overcome. In psychology and in many occult traditions, the ego has been symbolized by a child. We can deduct from all this that Jake overcomes his “child” (ego) and symbolically becomes a man. That is why there is no 13Th. floor.
Still think it’s all bullshit?? It’s okay, you’re entitled to think however you want. We all have that prerogative. Thanks for reading. Cheers!
NO building hasa 13th floor.
what is the lesson jake is forced to learned about his attachments? why is jake willing to go along with th con when he knows he’s under 3 day death sentences? is avi really the bad guy?
I love the movie
You guys are all wrong
…
The movie isn’t about ego or whatever.. It’s all about CHESS.. Mister Gold is the player, nobody sees Gold, and he is playing both sides, black and white. Almost every person is a piece of a chessplay.
There are many many scenes in the movie where you can this clearly.
*Jake and Macha are the kings. In the elevator at the end you can see how the director tries to make this clear. When Jake is face to face with Macha you can see a crown above the head of Jake( there is a statue behind him) and also the necklace of Macha is a cross. A cross is the symbol of the king in chess.
They are also kings because they can not kill themselves. Jake could not pull the trigger standing at Macha’s bed. Macha could not pull the trigger when he had the chance in the elevator. In Chess it’s almost impossible to kill a king with a king.
* The Jake-Macha bedstory is at the 29th floor.
The elevator shows that the building has 32 floors, one side of a chessmap. The 29th place on a map is also the place where you should put your king at the start.
* Sorter never mises.
Sorter is the queen of the play. He is the most dangerous of all. Remember the scene when Zack ( the fat guy) rescues Jake from a shooting fight ( where sorter misses for the first time)? In chess there is a play ( i dont know how to say it in english) where you can destroy your oponent in 4-5 moves. This is the start of the movie.
BUT this move is interrupted by Zack ( the horse). Most of these playmoves are interrupted by a horse taking away the advantage of the queen.
And there are more…
You’re welcome
vv’s yellow pervert anddddd wes are all right and the guy that explained the title revolver is not a gun, in this case, but somewhone who revolves
1. To orbit a central point.
2. To turn on an axis; rotate. See Synonyms at turn.
3. To recur in cycles or at periodic intervals.
4. To be held in the mind and considered in turn.
5. To be centered: Their troubles revolve around money management.
v.tr.
1. To cause to revolve.
2. To ponder or reflect on.
seriously best fucking movie ever
well while some are close to being what this movie is about everyone so far has been wrong.. revolver means stands for the earth.. chess the game is life.. mr gold is not ur ego but the devil.. “the greatest trick the enemy preformed is to make you think he doesnt exist” thats from the bible.. mr gold controls this world the devil is the prince of the earth is in the bible.. mr gold can see all and know all if this was just your ego it wouldnt be able to see everything.. mr gold cant touch mr greens 2 new associates.. zach and avi are like angels or embody what ur guardian angel is and they are in a struggle to free mr green from the grasp of mr gold this is the game.. mr gold is never seen just like how the bible says that you never see the devils face he entices you other ways he use his “agents” greed envy lust hate malice all that against u.. thru the movie when avi and zach started to first try to free green they would also tempt him to see if he would give in to mr gold ie. collecting from the old lady and shooting the guy his self which is the enemy was telling him to do other wise but his rightsous self prevailed and did the right thing.. how does the devil control you thats easy he tempts us daily with money power sex whatever.. look i am no bible pusher in fact if anything mr gold has a hold on me but this was a great movie..
IF YOU TRY TO DESTROY HIM TO SAVE THEM THEN THEY WILL DESTROY YOU TO SAVE HIM see people do this not because they are trying to save HIM but they interpret you trying to destroy HIM as triying to destroy THEM. its trippy because THEY are HIM.. understand..
seriously, people are you insane? or just stupid? this movie is in all senses a masterpiece.
the elements presents in the movie:
critic of idealogical personification of individuality.
Heidegger theory concept of an inexistent ” I ”
an a lot, a lot of Freud…in the idea of ego construction and personification,were are a moral and social creation, not, in anyway individual.
i think revolver is one of the best movies ever made….after reading all these explanations of the movie, it just makes me love it more. its not a straightforward movie, i makes you think. and everyone can draw their own conclusions.
Damn, this is easily the cleverest film ive seen in a long time, having read this.
I’ve had to watch this movie a couple times to try to fully understand it. I will think I have it down pact then i start to question myself again after watching it so many times and have just relized maybe their is no specific explination, its what you precieve it as. Religious people will see it differently than non-religious people and thats a fact.
When I first watched the movie my intial reaction was that of Wes’s. I agree with all of what you said I just dont understand your statment you made saying… “As a biproduct, this bruises liotta’s ego which he cannot handle so he kills himself.” Help me understand that because Liotta does not kill himself. The last scene we see of him is him pointing a gun at Jake and breaking down because his ego can’t handle not being feared by people which Jake is clearly demonstrating to him. He asks Jake “What is your game”? He does not know what Jake is playing at and has a lot of confusion and mixed feelings going on so is not able to pull the trigger. It never shows him committing suicide…unless you meant something else by it and its just whizzing over my head. Anyways everything else you said I totally agree with thats what I think too. Also what Yellow Pervert said, all those kabbalic and numerlogical references are true, Guy Ritchie studies Kabballah and imported a lot of his beliefs into this movie.
BUT after watching this movie so many times my thoughts start racing and I begin to notice and think different things, and here is what I also came up with. Now bare with me it might sound “a little off” but after you read it watch the movie again, pay attention to how Zach and Avi act, they act so smooth and its almost like they know what’s going to happen ahead of time..
Personally, I agree with the fact that that this movie is all about your ego and overcoming it. Sam Gold is your “dark side” if you will…he is the devil in you..and THATS where my conclusion comes that I think that Avi and Zach our Jake Green’s guardian angels, or something along that line. Call me crazy but what is up with the scene at the end of the movie in the casino where Avi runs his fingers across all the slot machines and they start pouring out money? NOT something an ordinary human can do. Also, the way that Zack and Avi just up and vanished one day out of solitary confinement? I mean yeah that is more possible than making money pour out of a machine with a touch of your fingers, but still highly unlikely. Also, this could just be because Zach and Avi have delt with Sam Gold before and know how your ego precieves you, but it’s lke they can hear Jake’s ego inside of his head talking to him. For example the scene where Jake first meets Zach and Avi and they explain the terms and conditions to him and Jake says to himself “This is a con”. Well Zach immediately responds with “You are probally telling yourself this is a con…”. Also the scene on the roof of the building where Jake is learning about who Sam Gold really is and he tells himself “Dont let them play head games with you Jake” and Avi also immidiately responds with “Is it me that is playing head games with you Jake”. And last but not least, when the man is telling Jakes friend about Zach and Avi and he says that “They stepped on Mr. Golds foot and even he won’t mess with them” meaning that they are angels and the only ones that the devil (Mr. Gold) won’t touch.
There is more things but I think you get my point. It would make sense that Guy Ritchie would do it this way because of all the biblical references he has put in the movie. Now mark my words here, I never said that my “secondary explination” was the right one, but it makes damn good sense to me. Next time you watch the movie, which I suggest you do, look out for thoe things and give me some feedback to help me out on my opinion!
…and i thought that Christopher Nolan’s “The Prestige” and “Memento” were complicated movies..hah!
In the end, the movie basically amounts to one thing, and one thing only…Good vs Evil.
Dudes all your comments were great especially the definition of revolver, the kaballah and the chessplay interpretation was ingenous. Loved it. Its a beautiful work of art and hence has a variety of interpretations which are all valid. I think avi and zack are mental characters that were constructed by Jake when he was in solitary confinement for 7 years inorder to cope with the isolation stress. Avi and zack reappear when jake is under stress again when macha (through sorter) kills his buddies. Also when Jake was being chased by the bad guys during avi and zacks bathtub/jaccusi scene, the bad guys didnt shoot or chase avi and zack as they were not physical people. Mr Gold has a face of ego which each one of us have but not all of us is aware (see) of or aware of how deep its roots are. No wonder in christianity it is said the greatest angel lucifer fell because of ego. ego is a mystery and its ambiguity lies in the ability to make us feel good invisible and powerful yet results eventually to us being defeated and weak. It has a way of distorting how we see reality. Gold could also represent our individual and collective negativity . Gold is everywhere thats why he sees everything but no one sees him. The movie really explains it well
man, i love all of your comments and explanations.
i think this movie is supposed to draw your own conclusion, yes there the signs of kabbalah, and the ego stuff but at the end of the day, different people will have different explanations and they’re all valid in their own way.
Did any of the characters, other than Green, talk to or look at Zach or Avi? I don’t remember but if they didn’t it would explain their role as Green’s guardian angels very nicely?
P.S Thanks for all the posts, second time I watched the movie and enjoyed it very much both times, but some of your responses should come in the DVD manual, would make everyone’s feeling of WTF just happened disappear if they read that after watching.
P.P.S I loved the hitman and very much like the idea of him being the queen on the chess board.
how do you know that once you’ve awoken and removed the mask of your ego that now you are under the control of some other entity? Lets call it speto.
All very very close –
I met Guy in Sydney and asked him, and all he said was this ” I never told a single soul and never will, i released different verions around the world simply so everyone can review the story how they want it – We all fight something inside, and call it what we want”
Blew my mind – then so did the bar tab
All of you people saying things like “it will give the cleverest of people a headache” are proving exactly what the message of the movie is saying. You say the “cleverest” because everyone thinks they are the cleverest themselves, no one can be smarter than you. Like Statham said during one of the chess games, “no one can admit their own lack of intelligence”. So therefore if the movie gave YOU a headache, then it must have given EVERYONE a headache because no one is smarter than YOU. Well I saw the movie once, and no headache. I saw it twice, and all I can say is the 2nd viewing only made me more confident in its message. “Your worst enemy is in the last place you’ll ever look”. Your worst enemy is yourself, your ego, the voice in your head. If someone crosses you or embarasses you, then you feel the need to get revenge. That makes you think you’re in control. But who’s really in control if you’re only reacting to what others do around you? You can only be fully in control once you kill your ego, and do what YOU want to do, not what your EGO wants you to do. I don’t know how people don’t understand that. Unless their ego really is protecting itself so much that it tells them to not listen to anything the movie is trying to say. Like the movie said “The greatest con is him making you think he is you”. The ego is not you, but it makes you think it is. If the guys with PHDs during the credits shoving the message down your throat didn’t work, hopefully this comment did. God you people are ignorant.
The concept is definitely a theme in Eastern philosophy & I was absolutely amazed to see it referenced in Revolver..
Its about True freedom, & as long as you listen to the voice in your head you are under its control, you are not free.
Basically just notice how that voice in your head controls you.. Some of the time its fine, I mean its there for a reason, like when it tells you its dangerous to walk across a highway but notice when its affecting you adversely, when it causes you to anger, or to hate, tells you to get into a fight, basically when its controlling you..
I watched this film last night for the first time…I’ve read some of the explanations on here and it’s kind of making a little more sense..lol..
Am I right in thinking that Gold is his alter ego? Please, someone explain it to me in simple terms….
ok my opinion on the ego is as long as there is still a voice in your head you have not beat your ego they are all trying to convince you of the fact that you should not think in some sence and it only seems confusing because your mind or ego is trying to protect your self i fully understand the movie but they make it seem like if you could completely destroy the voice you could play life by your own rules but this is like a double edges sword because it would make you god like and there for feed your ego so i believe that the formula is so perfect so obvious that your mind cant except it to its self and therefor you deny what you are hearing but honestly i believe mr. gold is god and the devil when avi says this is his game we are all in its game my ego trys to tell me that he is mr. gold trying to convince me that i am and every time i get to the end of the movie i have it figured out and the voice is completely gone but it seems that the next trick is to play a smarter opponent then yourself and avi and zach know the secret of life so its almost like when they beet jake at his own game they know the next step being god like but then i let it go and just injoy my freedom and eventually the voice comes back i have been trying to completely destroy my ego for about 2 years when i first watched this movie and i have seen it about ten times and have drawn all the same conclusions as all of you except the little twist about the next step playing the smarter opponent but maybe this is the reason i can beat my ego because i am seeking this forbbiden knowledge but if any one wants to hear more on my theory about the next step ill tell them more and if anyone wants to tell me any ideas how to beat the ego that would be great
The film: 3 stars.
This thread: 5 stars.
The theories on this page are all much more clever, creative and original that the film could ever have hoped to be.
Loving all comments here, after seeing this movie and googling explanations. Beautiful. Something that came up in my (ever talking) head while reading all this, Macha.. He’s always working on that tan, ridiculously too. It’s almost like he wants that glaring golden tan that he gets.. He want’s to be, or to be perceived as golden. He want’s to be Mr. Gold? I dunno..
Cheers!
No wonder this movie considered by majority as a failure. Matrix is a child’s play compare to this. Very amazing. I would consider this movie as a perfect educational material. Ego – is your worst enemy. You have to kill or totally suppres itto become free person. Your world’s perception is beeing controlled by ego – and guess what, it bends the reality.
This movie is awesome (Forget all the references to kabala).
Your life is just an educational process, where you learn leasons every single day, and as soon as you learn one leason you move to another.
I would consider this movie as a can opener (can with worms).
The idea behind the movie is more based on an internal struggle. Whether it be one of good and evil or self vs. ego. In essence, the only way to become victorious is to keep playing someone smarter.
But we keep playing ourselves, to hide from the fact that we’re not as special as we’d like to be. The idea that we must over come what ever forces that push us to do our actions and be the sole force that pushes it. The movie was written from a point of an internal struggle where like in Fight Club, shows that you will only attain what you want when you lose everything.
And giving up your ego is the hardest test a person can go through. To ask your enemy for forgiveness, to give your life’s earnings. However the religious aspect of having guiding forces while true, just shows that we do need a guide or help in the process. Even in the end Mr. Green could not do it himself, and the actions he undertook to do it, was by no means easy.
But once you do it, the natural sense of nirvana (of knowing yourself and hence knowing hte world) will come over you.
But if would be funny, if the movie meant none of this and the main point was to mess with people. Kind of like if we all die, go see the higher power and ask him/her why? The answer that would bother me the most is, “why not?”
Nothing is true, everything is permissable.
Its an amazing movie and I’m enjoying reading all your explanations. I really liked the chess explanation.
Anyway, I think both those who read the movie religious and those who read it as its all about ones ego are right. If you watch the trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svGAucw3Y80, it says “ego, evil, devil” (2.16). I think it means that Mr. Gold can either be seen as the devil or the ego. There are no exact explanation of this movie, but everyone can have their theories..
sam r
How can you know what it is you trully want to do when your ego has been running your life from your first want?
Is what “you” want trully what you want, or is it what it does?
It seems impossible to distinguish to me….
son of a bitch mind. hahah
OK here is what I also noticed after watching the film…reading some comments and watching it again… First a few details…
The asian female assassin that falls under the table represents the ego/greed…everyone is looking around at the obvious places for the enemy, but she is hidden under the tables (sub rosa) from them and represents the real threat .
Also, note that the books Mr. Green has in his prison cell are the same stack of books that are in front of Zak towards the end of the film…suggesting to me that they are figments of Green’s imagination.
Also Also, the handwriting in the books shown coming from Mr. Green matches the handwriting that Avi is shown producing (notice the stylistic number seven is the same). I think the same number appears on one of the money bags that Green is shown to be leaving on an a doorstep. So IMHO Avi is a figment of Green’s imagination.
Here is my take on the whole film: Mr. Green gets out of jail with the intention ( perhaps we should say his Ego’s intention of getting revenge from Ganster Liotta. But the better side of his nature- represented by Avi and Zak – intervene. In fact, they save his life. The Ego, at first, doesn’t let Green take Zak’s advice (take the elevator-in other words, face your Ego) so Green makes himself sick (at an almost subconscious level-demonstrating the power of the mind over the body)…with the possibility of death through a rare blood disease and the possibility of being killed by the gangster, the Ego is now more vulnerable to listening to Avi and Zak who represent Green’s mental tools that he utilises to defeat his Ego. In order to fool the enemy/Ego further Green let’s it believe that it is getting revenge on the gangster by stealing his money and drugs, but in actually he is setting it up for a final blow. This is the stategy mentioned in the movie of letting the opponent think he is getting what he wants when in actuality it is part of the plan of defeating him. In the final part of the film, after letting go of his attachment to money, by giving it away (he is tricking the Ego into thinking the “loan sharks” are making him do it), he delivers the killing stroke to the control that his Ego has over him, by grovelling at the feet of his enemy instead of shooting him as the Ego intends, and showing the Ego that he is in control not it.
a very interesting and thought provoking film disguised as a typical Guy Richie gangster film. Perhaps Guy Ritchie is deceiving the Ego in each one of us into watching what we expect to be a typical film, when in actuality his intention is to get us to think about the power the Ego has over each one of us.
Hey there!
I’ve just read all these posts and I wonder who else is going to do the same and arrive at mine, but I’m leaving this anyway…
Well, first of all, I don’t agree with those who start saying: “All the other guys are wrong, I do have the answer.” I think they may have a good point of view, but that doesn’t rule out the others. In fact, an artist often overlaps several “layers”, and encourages people to find still other keys of interpretation. In this particular case, moreover, if it’s true all that stuff about Kabbalah, it may not be impossible for the director to have conceived a four-level structure, where each level is associated to a kabbalistic interpretation level:
1) simple or literal: the gambler vs. the casino boss;
2) symbolic: the characters as chess pieces;
3) philosophic and moral: the stuff about ego and so on;
4) esoteric or hidden: the three pillars (some guy mentioned them above) and some other issues I’m telling later on.
Do not misunderstand me, that’s just an hypothesis I came up with after reading the previous comments and googling a bit about Kabbalah: I’m telling you just as a possibility, hoping that could be refined or give someone a clue for further investigation.
Coming back to point 4, I noticed during my googling (see for istance http://www.scribd.com/doc/24208373/William-G-Gray-Condensation-of-Kabbalah at page 7) that kabbalists are fixated with colors, and the director as well. Not only do Avi, Jake and Zach respect the black-green-white sequence of the pillars, as I guy said above, but I can’t help realizing that the use of some strong colors, in particular blue, red and yellow, is too peculiar to be fortuitous.
For istance, during the con of the three Eddie brothers, there are always here and there some lights of these three colors.
Or, on the roof where Avi and Zach are playing golf, there’s a bright “Diamonds” sign which makes the scene appear yellow. May there be a link to Mr. Gold, which also recalls such color (plus, diamons and gold go well together…)?
But, above all, don’t you too think that those tan-lights are too blue and too frequent to be a mere chance? Especially if you consider that the other bad guy, the oriental one, is often shown in a flashy, red-lit environment.
This last fact leads me to another question. Everyone knows that blue and red give purple, and about purple Mr. Green teaches a lesson when he challenges Mr. Macha at the beginning of the movie. He says that purple always wins, but also that it’s compressed between blue and white… Isn’t that strange? Let me say now that I watched an Italian release of the film (yes, I’m Italian: sorry for my English!): could it be an error in translation? And, in both cases, what’s the hidden meaning?
In such release, as if this were not enough, I noticed two incongruences with respect to some of the comments above (I’m pretty sure, because I made a targeted check). First, in the golf-on-the-roof scene, Avi and Zach do not desappear or vanish or anything like that. Second, a few minutes after, when Avi touches the slot machines, they do not pour money as reported by someone! Maybe those guys were referring to special contents of their DVDs?
Well, I hope that someone could answer to these questions or at least have some good idea from what I’ve written…
In any case, let me say that the movie is a brilliant puzzle, no doubt about that, but not an equally great film. In my opinion, an artwork which presents several levels of meaning must be solid in each of them, and in fact the lower the level, the more solid the meaning. Here, the weakest level is just the basic one, the story of the gambler and his enemy (at this level, which supports the others but cannot be explained in function of the others, you don’t really understand why Mr. Macha commits suicide. Yes, he gets crazy… but it’s a weak end after two hours of action)!
This makes the film not really enjoyable nor, above all, marketable: I watched the film twice trying to understand it, but how do you think people will feel while coming back home from the movie theater, where it’s kinda difficult to look for hints on the Internet or replay that scene you’ve not caught?
Bye bye!
Sam R, you call us ignorant and put yourself above us all.
Is that your ego speaking?
I have no trouble admiting this is my ego speaking, as long as I drag you down in the fall Mr.Ignorant.
I love that movie, i’ve had to see it twice before i totaly got it but Guy Richie is just amazing!
It is clear that this movie is religiouos that s why they refer to satan, the devil or what his name is in other religions az mister Gold ,a universal devil, evil. Before Jake goes tot the elevator after his apology avi`s voice said that you wil find “him” where you don`t wnt to go and Jake looks at the statue with the forbidden fruit and the snake (satan) around a human and in the alevator Jake stops between 12 and 14 13 exactley wich is dosent exists as a floor but symbolises the age when a child becomes a man And te movie is about the con that satan uses to control ego beeing satan beliving that all crimes and bad things are a product of our own thinking when is the influence of the devil AND the bigest con he ever did is tricking mankind to belive that he does no exist hiding in every man ego. People are like chess pieces black and white, good and evil avi always plays with white so that meens he is good avi an zach biblical names and save jake GREAT MOVIE
there are alot of interesting theories and inturpretations of the film. i enjoy reading all of them and do not try to discredit one from another. my take on the film is as follows….
to put it simply the entire movie is a game set in motion bt the 2 cons jake meets and befriends in prison. they like mr green are him. jake is avi and zach and mr green. jake is the conscious character being manipulated by his 2 egos mr green-1 and avi&zach-2. anytime the 2 cons are in a scene they are really jake. just as mr green is really jake.
no one but avi and zach know about mr green and jake being the same person there goal is to beat mister green and be in controll of jake. so the movie is a game with one opponent avi and zach ego-1 vs. mr green ego-2. jake makes the choice ultimately and is free in his mind.
over all amazing film most def top 5.
donnie darko is still better
I have just watched in for the first time and thought that there were many awesome elements to it, especially the cinematography.
I think that there is a lot of great explanations on this site and hopefullI have just watched in for the first time and thought that there were many awesome elements to it, especially the cinematography.
I think that there is a lot of great explanations on this site and hopefully many people (like me) will be reading them. Thanks for taking the time to write down your thoughts. I particularly liked the Kabballah and chess references.
I agree that this film is about the ongoing internal struggle between good and evil.
I remember asking a Jesuit Priest once about the existence of Satan. He said to me that there was no ‘Satan’ external to us but only our internal struggle between the good sprit and the bad sprit. He said that the bad spirit was the conman inside you, always looking for a way to get out and never ever resting. (a friend of mine and I call this bad spirit ‘Sly’ and always talk about how he is always trying to get control and drive the bus that is you. Even when he is at the back of the bus he is doing push-ups and getting stronger, waiting for the opportunity to move up toward the front and eventually grab the wheel when he has the chance.)
I explained to the Priest that I had voices in my head (not crazy style though :-s) and how would I know which one was the correct one to listen to. He said to me that you know which is the bad spirit by the fruit of its labour and which takes you further away from your true self.
He then proceeded to tell me that you have to sit with yourself and question what this voice is saying. He said that if you listen enough, your heart will show you true path and also expose the con-man inside you. He also said that through prayer and meditation, you could better get in-tune with the good spirit inside.
While I don’t have all of the answers about this, I think that the chess player and the gambler were both representations of Green, as he was certainly had these two characteristics. The solitary confinement was showing his time to focus on himself and this is why he did not like confined spaces, as he (like many people) was terrified to face his true self.
y many people (like me) will be reading them. Thanks for taking the time to write down your thoughts. I particularly liked the Kabballah and chess references.
I agree that this film is about the ongoing internal struggle between good and evil.
I remember asking a Jesuit Priest once about the existence of Satan. He said to me that there was no ‘Satan’ external to us but only our internal struggle between the good sprit and the bad sprit. He said that the bad spirit was the conman inside you, always looking for a way to get out and never ever resting. (a friend of mine and I call this bad spirit ‘Sly’ and always talk about how he is always trying to get control and drive the bus that is you. Even when he is at the back of the bus he is doing push-ups and getting stronger, waiting for the opportunity to move up toward the front and eventually grab the wheel when he has the chance.)
I explained to the Priest that I had voices in my head (not crazy style though :-s) and how would I know which one was the correct one to listen to. He said to me that you know which is the bad spirit by the fruit of its labour and which takes you further away from your true self.
He then proceeded to tell me that you have to sit with yourself and question what this voice is saying. He said that if you listen enough, your heart will show you true path and also expose the con-man inside you. He also said that through prayer and meditation, you could better get in-tune with the good spirit inside.
While I don’t have all of the answers about this, I think that the chess player and the gambler were both representations of Green, as he was certainly had these two characteristics. The solitary confinement was showing his time to focus on himself and this is why he did not like confined spaces, as he (like many people) was terrified to face his true self (clearly the ego creating this fear).
All up, awesome film!
So when Jason Statham’s brother warns him on the phone about the pair he is under the control of, he is referring to two figments of his imagination that have a reputation from someone else who is made up? How was that woman working for Mr gold then and the business with the models?
Fuck me I try to understand it but I keep getting more confused. Some great theories in here to, great read.