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.”
Some very interesting theories have been posted here.
I recently watched this movie and thought it was excellent. I have come to find out that the UK version of the movie differs from the US version that I saw. Apparently, there is an alternate ending in the UK version where Dorothy Macha (Ray Liotta) commits suicide at the end of the movie. I suppose in one of the last scenes in the US version where Macha breaks down and starts to cry because of his bruised ego may imply that he commits suicide in the US version as well (they just don’t show it). Another important difference between the US and the UK version is that when the credits roll in the US version, you see commentary from various persons with PhDs discussing the ego and inner self. Apparently, in the UK version, they instead show various quotes relating to the subject matter of the movie while showing pictures of what appears to be people that committed suicide. I think the commentary by the persons in the US version helped me a great deal in understanding what exactly the movie was about. I saw the alternate ending quotes from the UK version, and while they do help to clear things up a bit, I don’t believe they do it as well as the commentary at the end of the US version of the movie did. With all that said, here is my take on what this movie was about.
The chess references in the movie are obvious. The Kabbalah also definitely seems to inspire some themes in the movie. Both of these concepts seem to be valid and have been explained adequately by other posters, so I won’t go into that.
I think, however, the most important thing to realize in the movie is who the enemy is. This point is heavily stressed throughout the movie. The most obvious choice would be Macha. But, Macha is only the perceived enemy. The ego made Jake believe Macha is his enemy, when the real enemy was his ego. So was the ego assigned a character in the movie? What I believe is that Sam Gold is the ego. The voice inside Jake Green’s head, as well as the voice inside Dorothy Macha’s head, is the voice of Mr. Gold. Gold is a suitable name for the ego as it represents the original standard for currency. The strive for more money, more power, is something the ego makes people do. This is why throughout the movie everyone says Mr. Gold has so much power, he sees and controls everything but nobody sees him. This is a perfect description of the ego, it controls everything you do and makes you fear external enemies that in reality are not enemies at all… your ego manifested them. When Macha is afraid of Mr. Gold because he’s coming to come get him, that was actually what I believe to be Mr. Gold telling him to be afraid. Mr. Gold has no REAL power, however. At one point in the movie Jake is told that Mr. Gold couldn’t touch Avi and Zach. What exactly Avi and Zach represent, I’m not entirely sure. They may either be internal or external forces that helped him along the path of enlightenment. You could argue something along the path of enlightened men for external, or you could say they represent Jake’s conscience. I wouldn’t say angels though. At one point in the movie when Jake gives away his money to charity, Avi says something along the lines of “You don’t do it because it’s good, you do it because it hurts him [the ego/Mr. Gold]“. This is an implication that good and evil are a manifestation of the ego and makes it hard to tie religion into it. An easy conclusion for a lot of people that try to link religion into the movie is that Mr. Gold is the devil/evil/bad/etc. However, in the commentary at the end, Dr. Chopra explains that the ego is very smart, and will create things like the devil for you to fear and blame for the things you do. In fact, your ego created the devil. Just as your ego can create external physical enemies (such as Macha in this movie), it can create enemies that don’t exist physically. This is just to lead you away from the true enemy (itself/the ego). Essentially, this means there are no external enemies, only internal.
And no, I was not saying there is no God with my explanation to this movie… it was just my take on what it means.
-Sid
There are quite a few interesting theories about the plot here and reading some of them was quite entertaining. Others, I felt their stupidity and lack of intelligence was rubbing off a little too quickly.
The people who can honestly sit there and say that the movie was simply about chess and not about ego… I hope your jobs do not require you to have great comprehension skills.
I know that some things get by some people but seriously?
Seriously?!?
If it hadn’t been completely spelled out by a number of PhD’s at the end, I may see how it slipped by you. Clever, yes. Chess was obviously there strategically but also as it pertained to his explanation of the rules. It made for a visual representation of the concept he was laying out.
For those of you who subscribed to the belief that it was not about ego, but rather the devil or evil in general… ignorance is bliss, I suppose.
Find a blanket and hide under it to await the rapture.
But yes, I do now see the ties to the kabbalah and it is of course blatantly riddled with psychological inferences such as Freud’s theory of Id, Ego and SuperEgo.
Everything else that you have read into this movie, assume that is a projection of self from your own egos and insecurities.
I really enjoy movies that make me think and this movie does that. It is not a standard shoot’em up Guy Ritchie movie like Snatch or Lock Stock(which I enjoy also) but is advertised as such and that’s what most people expect when watching it.
Wow, thank you all for your brilliant comments. Some reflected my own thoughts and many opened up new interpretations for me and I think they all can go along together quite well and don’t rule each other out!
And I bet there are various more interpretations to come, as the years go by.
I already loved the movie after watching it once, but with every time I see it, I love it more, and I especially enjoy reading different interpretations and then trying to find those described clues in the movie afterwards, to get yet another point view!
I’m still not sure if Jake sits in prison all the time and the “chess play” is only going on in his own mind, or if he is out of prison and Zach and Avi represent his conscience (or something else, lots of explanations suggested before), but I don’t even think that it matters. Everyone can choose the interpretation that suits them best… in my opinion they are all trying to say the same thing about our internal struggles. Love it!!
But has anyone of you guys an idea what the numbers on the money bags might mean? I bet there is a meaning to them. Probably another chess hint, which I don’t get, because I don’t play chess? I’d love to hear more about such hidden symbols, if anyone has had a thought about it!
Some arrogant pricks posting on here! go shaft yourselves!
This wasnt any enjoyable film, but there is a small(big for some) lesson in it; there is always a voice in humans head that if u search it u ll know itsnt urs, if u can control and stop doing what that vioce tells u to do, u ll win a chess game against the devil himslef…
I’ve read like ….>>alo of comments but everytime i see another theory it makes me confusing the movie even more
I just can’t get it the best way to get it is to find guy’s e-mail on the net and ask him friendly
Thank you all for the many intelligent remarks and thoughtful comments. Your commentary and interpretations have deepened my understanding and appreciation of Revolver. I did not agree with all explanations, but that is the beauty of art, it is a matter of taste and interpretation and `De gustibus non est disputandum´.
The latter is exactly what I would propose for those that feel only one explanation, preferably their own, is ultimately the right one. The acceptance and open-mindedness that I read in many of these comments is inspiring and a breath of fresh air.
I often feel that stupidity and aggressive slander reign supreme on the Internet, not in the last place because of the anonymity of Internet fora and (a large section of) online interaction. Your comments made me happy to find such intelligent people online, willing to openly share and discuss their ideas for the purpose of increasing collective understanding.
Keep an open mind and work on accepting diverging points of view as strengthening, not threatening your own perspectives.
Kind regards and all the best to all of you,
Jort Duijnker
Amsterdam
The UK version is FAR SUPERIOR. I was lucky enough to find a torrent for it, and it is much better than the US version. If only for the fact that we are given detail on Jake/Macha’s history and the much better ending. The development,editing, and overall storytelling are just so much better. Honestly, I don’t get why there was a recut. Most of what was removed was essential to the overall development of the story. It should have just been left alone.
So the ego is the voice inside your head, telling you what to do, when etc… What will you achieve when you remove your ego and how can I do this?
Psychological movies as such are meant for the viewer to arrive at their own conclusion. This movie, as intelligent as ever, addressed the truth behind all our struggles. Guy Ritchie put together an attractive gangster flick that provides an in depth explanation to root of all problems. The base to the rules, ideas, laws etc.. is this one line: “there are no such things as problems, only situations.” .. The rules are one road to the truth. Jake’s struggles are symbolic of humanity’s inability to achieve happiness. Any thought, custom, religious belief, philosophic idea, influential media, tips the balance of that situation to whatever you perceive it to be, in most cases a problem. In life you cannot control situations, you can only control what they mean and how you react. If you can maintain you, despite the weather of situations, then you can break off from dependency. And dependency of climate, people, work, money, etc… is the resistance to true happiness.
Watch the movie this time, forget every post including mine, and take what you need from the film, leave the rest. Move forward from there and focus on that one line, “there are no such things as problems, only situations.”
Thanks –JB
The only way to be free of you own ego/personal Mr. Gold is to humble yourself enough to see your weakness and recognize that you have faults and fears. You must be able to strip yourself of pride and then your ego will show itself. To be completely free yourslef of all your inhibitions and have a showdown with your ego you must go against all of your insticts of selfpreservation and do things to enrage your pride/ego. Once you’ve isolated your ego u must take control of your life and take back your self from the clutches of yourself by facing your fears. You have to remember the formula from the movie and the basic rules. You are your own greatest enemy in many ways, but have been convincing yourself that that you are always right.
The greatest con he ever pulled was making you think that he is you.
Holy Shit…
I just watched the film…. and the titles where all in German. I looked up the translations online. Then when it was over came here and started reading. The guy who said he met Guy and there are different versions in different countries is right. The version I watched had no credits on the end. When I got to the comment that talked about the shrinks in the credits I’m like what, I didn’t see the credits. So I go to Netflix to watch the instant version there just to see the credits… but I watch a little and Whaaaaa – the film is totally different. Whole major scenes Many of them GONE. The ending totally different…
One guy earlier is talking about Macha committing suicide at the end and another guy asking him to explain. Well yeah because they aren’t watching the same fucking versions.
I am excited that my second watching is going to be a totally different edit. Should give some fun extra perspective.
cheers.
what the fuck? how can critics bash this movie?
okay, don’t get me wrong I like David Lynch and I think he is a genius on some level but how can his surreal vague loosely plotted bullshit like Mullholland Drive be hailed by critics everywhere and be nominated for Oscars while Guy Richie makes an intellectual movie actually filled with religious symbolism and allusions and it gets shat on? FUCK HOLLYWOOD AND FUCK TWO-FACED IGNORANT CRITICS
i dont think it helps that there are different versions of this movie. I dont think people see the full story. I believe the main story is about religion (good vs evil). The guy earlier showed us a pic of the 12 dollar bill and was covered with religion. And the version i saw was Andre Benjamin running his finger over the slot machines and coins start pouring out (hello angel?) and Liotta didnt kill himself at the end. Everyone will look at this in their own way but if i had to bet then i would bet the overall theme would be about some kind of religion. Not just ego or a mental disorder. There are way too many religious references in this movie. And Andre Benjamin running hiss finger over the slot machines and coins pour out just tops off my point even more. I do love the extra chess references throwin throughout the movie. I do agree that that was designed to be like that as well as the kabbalah references as well. Also i dont think there is a right or wrong answer on how you feell about the movie. I think it was purposely made for that rezction, that people believe what they want. Also, I wish there were more people in this world like Jort Duijnker. You had a great post and from what i could tell from it was that you seem to be a very kind and open minded person.
Take care everyone
Wow!! Here it is 6 yrs later and I’m just watching this movie for the first time. Why have I never seen any previews to this before? What a concept and a way to put it into perspective. It is definately something to think about and watch a couple more times.
Way to keep the public’s “short attention span” into a movie!! Not many movies can do that now-a-days.
Thanks guys for a GREAT movie with an awsome concept and debate to think about!!!
if they are the cons from jail why didnt he recgnize their voices?
Revolver is trying to explain a concept of Christianity. The devil controls your mind and makes you think the voice inside you is actually you when its not.
I really liked the movie. To think green lost everything he had to get to his own ego. first his health, then he loses all of his money, he loses his sense of protection by geting himself on the elevator.
the character sacrifices all he has in order to beat the game. rembember how he says that by sacrificing the chess pieces and letting the oponent win he actually got closer to winning the game? i think this could be the same principle. The movie has a nice message. forget about material stuff, overcome your fears, learn to sacrifice in order to win.
Some theories on this page are crazy, but not crazy enough to be true. (Niels Bohr, paraphrased.)
Like irrational numbers, some notions cannot be fully presented within so-called reality, within the bounds of sanity, within a dream within a dream.
I enjoy Revolver because its meaning to me changes whenever I view it.
Someone asked earlier why when the two guys are trying to help Mr. Green along on this great spiritual do they have no problem killing people. This is because good and evil are purely concepts created by the ego. Example, animals have no sense of good and evil because they have no ego. If you like the religious angle then this can be shown in Genesis with Adam and Eve eating from the tree of good and evil and gaining an ego where before they were innocent because they had no concept of such things. Like children who have yet to develop an ego. The apple gave them an ego which is why they suddenly felt shame for being naked. No ego no possibility of shame.
Honestly this movie has a seriously important message. The loss of ego would remove basically every evil existent in the world today. Interested in how to achieve that? Look into zen teachings they are almost universally about achieving a loss of ego.
Avi and Zach are not angels or figments of green’s personality. Dive in to some mysticism and you will see why they appear to be these things. They have mastered their reality and thus are able to master all of the physical reality around them. A remarkable film. Now if I can only get out of this monkey suit.
this movie revolver is one master piece… i just loved it…i feel this is something we all experience…. its the conflict between yourself and your mind… the mind makes you believe that its you,and the fact is its not….the conflict starts when u recognize it and start doing something about it…. but the one who succeeds in bringing the mind under his control is next to God….. thatz what i understood from this movie… i appreciate the makers of this movie… they must have had a heck of a research regarding the topic, before making it… just a perfect piece of art….
OK watched this movie the other day…and I’m still obsessing over it!
I think I get it… pretty well.(yes after watching it twice). But why would/did the loan sharks(who even Mr. Gold didn’t want to mess with) get envolved.
And really why would Jason pick solitaire when he can’t even abide an evevator car?
Tanks for fantastic explanations.
Don’t worry when you don’t get it. Read Eckhart Tolle before you watch and it will make more sense. However I’m afraid one can only get it once he already had a battle with own ego. For others it will be just nonsense.
My take on few things not explained here:
Gold is what/who egos aspire to become or get close to.
Con+Chess = consciousness makes perfect sense. Reason and Doubts/Ego-Self-Con form that little voice of pure heart conscience.
Giving to old lady…approval junkie act.
Sorter…feelings.
But I have some questions:
What is that with Three Eddies?
His brother…man of status quo, afraid of confronting ego? He loses his wife to Eddies. And finally is nailed…feelings/Sorter saving his child but ego or Macha eventually threatening to kill her. Green has to save her by standing up to him one more time, bringing back the Gold’s stuff. ??? Wow
This is a great film, the cast are wonderful, and the scenes are brilliantly shot.
I have read some of the comments and thank everyone for taking the time to explain. Guy Ritchie in his commentary explains a great deal,; its on the DVD! Choose a different audio stream!
if mr. green doesnt like confined spaces why would he choose to do solitary.. at first we might think it was to get his time over with quicker, but in reality its his ego that doesnt like confined spaces because then he might be challenged.. why, i dont quite know, but we do see jake get his freedom in a confined space, and in solitary he meets and gets his instruction from avi and zack.. why do confined spaces hurt the ego, i dont have the answer to that, but i do find it curious however that in confined spaces he is armed with the basics and eventually overcomes his ego.
Could the one’s who delivered the books in jail to Green be Avi/Zack ? instead of being neighbours cause how the hell do they disappear and if they are his imagination, who send the Lady that went to Macha with the powder? was Green schizo?
The way I see it Zack and Avi used Green as a pon to destroy the 2 big gangsters of the city Macha’s and Lord’s, but then again how about the jacuzzi scene? some things don’t make sens……
it tells about ego(teach about ego in Buddhist).Actually we are controlled.it’s hard to understand first.think about ur self honestly & try 2 b honest 2 u.After that u’l understand this film. nice film….
This thread is very interesting. Personally, I believe all interpretations are valid and can all exist at the same time, and be a part of the story. The ego, the chess, the angels, the different personalities or different aspects of ones consciousness, the good vs evil, are all elements of life, and thus can all be elements of the movie that coexist without clashing with each other.
Some elements that interest me that were not mentioned:
1) Why does Zach take the watch from the fat Asian guy at the hotel? I think this has to do with another element of the movie which is the illusion of TIME. The theory that time does not exist could be related to this since it is not clear whether the whole movie is happening in Green’s mind while he is still in jail, or if he in fact did get out and parts of the movie really did happen and others did not. This also has to do with the part where he is run over by the car and then time goes back and when they know things ahead of time.
2) Another crazy interpretation could be that all of existence is a game of chess being played again and again by God and the Devil. I do not really believe this is the intention of the movie but just a fun concept to think about (BTW I do not believe in neither one of them)
Finally, I recommend that people do not waste time calling each other ignorant, or try to decide whether or not the movie is a masterpiece or a piece of crap, or which interpretation is correct and which one is not. The great thing about movies and books like these are made is that it makes us think about and discuss these ideas, which I think is what in the end is all about.
some one help me with this- lowkey213@gmail.com
everyone here is talking about ego’s all because the end of the movie says so, but that is part of the illusion of the movie, yes ego’s do exist but that’s a minor part of the movie.
in the beginning of the movie, it states the playing a smarter opponent, which is at the end of the game you, you go from the later to the former(i get the concept but not its entirety).
it also states, #1 rule in business is protect your investment, the title of the book is Etiquette of the banker 1775 – the year is interesting for 1776 and the whole creation of the US and all, not to mention the 12 dollar bill used which goes so deep and long i cant explain it here….
the destroying the ego is to set himself free of himself, you can only really be free when you have lost everything there is to lose, thus rock bottom. break yourself down to rebuild yourself into the former…doesn’t end there.
the books the prisoners were reading were astrophysics books and quantum mechanics books, thus the two conmen were bracing him for a new reality, a reality that MR. Gold lived in and so did they but gold being eternal for he has been their for eternity with the conmen just getting their. The reality is we are in the 3rd dimensional realm, the two conmen and gold have skipped to the 4th dimension, thus they can adjust the 3D realm as they please, hence knowing about the elevator and the shooting, including the disease and curing it, but they needed him to arive their on his own, it cant be forced.
someone help me with this, cause its too much, emails up top, thanx
Mindf**k.
My reaction to this movie is that I can’t easily make any sense of all the symbolism, egoism, and mysticism, but I can’t help myself. I have to try to process and make sense. Stupid ego. While there are many theories and brilliant observations, which I’m sure was an intentional byproduct of this blog and production in general, still the only thing that makes sense to me is that there are some loosely tied together concepts which are simply open to interpretation.
There were times when Jake hears his own voice talking where I was so on edge and thinking that any second that Jake will have an epiphany and it will all make sense, but that never really happens.
In the end, like life, it is what you make of it, even if it doesn’t make any sense. My ego tells me this is unacceptable, that the game really was to make a mindf**k movie which revolves around idealigical concepts which are blurred further by gangster chess pieces and angelic loan sharks and layer upon layer of misdirection and information perpetually revolving, unwinding, revolving some more, and evntually we have a knotted up tale which seems to have no beginning and no end. it is just a knot which is impossible to cypher, unravel, or unrevlolve.
So here is my sequel. Mr green becomes enlightened and decides to take his money and start a Super-PAC and backs Newt Gingrich, stops playing chess and starts playing Scrabble with a caveman and Brian Orakpo and learns that sometimes scrabble words are hurtful to cavemen, but they are amusing to linebackers who play for the Washington Redskins. Hang in there it will all make sense.
Tell you ego that we are you, and the only way to get smarter is by playing against smarter opponents, and the best place to hide is in a C4, and that corporations are people. In the end Mr. Green wakes up and realizes that he is actually renown talk show host Mr. Colbert and was having a terrible nightmare and that there were never any convicts in solitary confinement with him and that Vincent Pastore is a guest on his show with musical guest Outkast, and Ray Liotta is now president and starring in the prequel to Revolver called Rayvolver. In the final scene Stephen figures out the ultimate scrabble con, Sarah Palin admits that she has no idea what she’s talking about, and to top it all off, and here’s the twist, Mr. Colbert is also f**king Madonna which ties in nicely with the Kabbala theme. And during the credits Fox News will explain the dichotomy of having an agenda and maintaining mock objectivity and being paradoxically credible.
I think Jake Green is the second coming of Jesus. He had to overcome the evil within himself. The devil within. The Devil is Sam Gold and it is made clear to the viewer by the choice of name Sa(tan)m Gold and J(esus)ake Green. Gold and Green.
Sam Gold is in all of us and as stated by Avi, he sees all but cannot be seen. Jake must expunge the evil within himself. His seven years in solitary was his purification during the Tribulation.
In the futurist view of Christian eschatology, the Tribulation is a relatively short period of time [some say seven years] where anyone who chose not to follow God before the Rapture and was left behind (according to Pre-Tribulation doctrine, not Mid- or Post-Tribulation teaching) will experience worldwide hardships, disasters, famine, war, pain, and suffering, which will wipe out more than 75% of all life on the earth before the Second Coming takes place. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Tribulation
I would say that at least 75% of the characters shown in the film end up dead! When Macha confronts Jake in the elevator, the elevator wall decoration appears behind his head as a halo indicating that he has purged himself from sin. He can simply walk past Macha because he is pure and cannot be touched – evil has no power over him. The devil cannot kill God. Ray Liotta’s performance in that scene represents the impotence of Satan in the presense of God.
It is possible that the events take place within Jake’s mind while in solitary. In this interpretation, Jake is in the elevator when he becomes pure. The elevator is really his cell which he never left for the seven years of the Tribulation and when he becomes holy, he simply walks out and the second coming has begun. But it could also be that he really did experience the events in the film.
Finally, has nobody commented on the three days Jake was given to live. When he found out he had three days, that is when he “died”. Three days later he finds out he is not dying – “he is risen”. Not sure it fits in the interpretation I have presented, certainly not in a chronological sense, but symbolic none the less. Perhaps this was just a hint to the viewer of what was really going on. Gee, I guess that’s what a symbol is…
It may or may not be apparent, but I am not a theist, I am an atheist. I am not saying this interpretation is correct; I am offering it as one of many. I have only just finished watching the movie, so I may have more comments after a second viewing. I wouldn’t say this is the greatest movie of all time, but I did enjoy it. Entertaining and made me think. What a refreshing change. Can’t wait to watch it again.
Just watched the movie.
Came onto this site to find out what I have been watching for the last couple of hours.
As far as I am concerned the film is a complete and utter load of bollocks.
The pretentious comments of some of these contributors are completely laughable.
There is a saying, related to sufism : “To die before you die”
It is to kill your ego, and with ego’s death, you will be arisen to a new world, unveiled by the veils that the ego presents, which seperates you from the god, which is within you.
The same saying, I have met, in Osho’s book, Ego, and if I remember correctly, Krishnamurti and Eckart Tolle mentions this (Actually, counting Eckart Tolle among Krishnamurti and Rumi is not fair, in my opinion. Osho, not sure.)
The ways to strenghten the ego, which makes you suffer, from the teachings of sufism:
Power – Macha
Money – Green seperated from the money with difficulty
Worldly belongings – ?
Sex – The korean guy
that are used to strenghten the ego, and ego comes to the place, where, you do not obey nor follow the god, but, the ego itself. Thus, this is blasphemy in a way.
Regarding the movie, I was amazed, and I think the death scene might be related to the “die before you die” thing. Another explanation, could be, during the scenes, he said that I have to do that, I do not have a choice, this was because he thought he was dying, so he would not do these, if he did not think, so persuaded himself to think that he was ill / or manipulated himself.
Actually zack and avi were him, in my opinion, and they never existed. Avi might be the brain, whatever zack is, I do not know, could be the heart, and these two, helped him get free from the ego, so they cannot be bad. And Mr. Gold, not being able to touch only the two of them… Hmmm… Strange… Ego is defeated by the heart, or love, in sufi teachings, and there is the soul. But Avi really resembles the brain to me.
Mr Gold could be the ego, and yes, ego does not give second chances or time, it wants. Macha, the pure resemblence of ego, maybe, also gets fed by the charity donations, which is not strange for one who knows ego, even charity could feed ego, if used to get approval. Green bowing to macha and admitting his strength, and macha being surprised, is Green finding macha at the end, and admitting his power. Ego, after being identified, cannot live for long, according to Krishnamurti, which sufi philosophy denies, and which I also believe in, because it has to be battled constantly.
As for the Green’s fears, the confined space may be a resemblence to his cell, where he stayed for long, and which presents a big threat for ego, as he starts to think and see about the ego, or the thing within.
I just watched the movie, and I guess I will be watching it many more times. It is the greatest film ever, in my opinion.
Quote from the end of the film “The Usual Suspects” 1995.
“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist, And like that…he was gone.”
And, of course, “Who is Kaiser Sosa”
…………………………………………………………..
Dialogue from near the end of the film “Revolver” 2005.
The scene is set in a Casino. Two men sit with Jake. One is a black man.
He tells Jake that they have time for a game of Chess (Chess is a reoccurring theme in the film).
They start playing.
Dialogue ….
You know what’s so elegant about this little game Jake?
Nobody knows where the enemy is.
They don’t even know he exists.
He’s in EVERY ONE of their heads.
And they trust him.
Because they THINK they are him.
If you try to destroy him, to save them, they’ll destroy you to save him.
Ahhh .. It’s beautiful man, you have to admire the opponents elegance.
Check
………………………………………
Notes.
Chess.. A game with a King and Queen, knights, bishops, castles and pawns.
A metaphor for the world.
Quote
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
Meaning of name Satan .. The adversary .. Opponent, enemy
I dont get it…
Please tell me what happend
Just wasted 2 1/2 hours of my life on anothe piece of arthouse BS.
Nearly gave up after 1 1/2 hours – but was conned into thinking that it was all coming together. Instead it degenerated into a jumble of pschyo-babble nonsense as both Jake and Macha were each shown going nuts.
(It really pees me off when a character changes personality so much in the space of one movie – and this movie had TWO changlings!)
If Mr Gold wasn’t real, then what were his aids doing – led by the black haired femail?
What about the assasins at the restaurant? Who was the woman assasin under the table – and if she was gunning for Macha – why? Why did the serial assasin shoot her? (Did I blink and miss something (Do I really care?))
Was Jake really ill? (Was the card poisoned?) If so, was it really terminal as the movie guide said?
Did the story tie off? Did Jake get his daughter back? Did he get Machas money (or his own back)?
And what about the REAL con in this movie…….?
When a movie turns out to be a disjointed mess like this one it is a neat trick to sound superior and ascribe hidden meanings – hoping (as a con man would) that people are too embarrassed to admit they have been tricked into spending their money or time on such fools gold.
This Emperor has no clothes.
Jules, you have totally missed the whole move.
Everything in this movie makes perfect sense, everything.
Watch this movie 10 times or more, I guarantee every time you watch it, it will uncover itself bit by bit. When you reach total understanding of what this movie is about……
You can say big thank you to Guy Ritchie.
In order to understand this movie it is obvious that you must go with it, Don’t think it into a mental exercise. There’s too many side topics in this work for those of us without PHD’s to unravel.
The two loan sharks represent the part of you that wants to defeat your ego. When a person has nothing but shit his ego is broken yet free. Thats why they take everything. Like how they wanted to take the dog or cat i forgot. They help people lose whatever their egos care about
To all the people that belive this film was about killing the ego I want to ask a question. I cannot over emphesize the fact that I am not being sarcastic and I really want to know the answer. If we are not the ego then what are we? who should we listen to if dont listen to our own head?
If anyone can tell me anything that anwers my question please do. No matter how wierd the answer.
We were conned!
Easily my favourite film to date, I can’t explain it all in this comment (partly because it’s too long and also because I don’t fully understand all the symbolism) but I want to point people in the right direction.
First of all the film makes complete sense so if you think it’s nonsense please understand that is your ego rejecting something which is clearly telling to identify it and keep it under your heel (Shiva symbolism).
Kabbalah – Jacob’s ladder (hence Jake), tree of life and the three pillars (Jake/Jacob (the supplanter – came to be known as Israel (God Contended) and founding father of the 12 tribes) Avi (father) and Zach (remberance of the Lord)). Kabbalah is the main meaning behind the film, you constantly see Kabbalistic numerology and the reference to colours and the light spectrum is massive. God said “Let there be light” light is the main construct of our reality. E=mc^2; c is the speed of light and to convert energy into matter light is therefore needed. Any athiest, scientist or scpetic will agree there no matter what cosmology you choose to follow. The colours referenced in the movie are very specifically the colours of the light spectrum, understand the nature and origin of light and you understand life. Numbers are the language of truth/divinity/God/love and knowledge or geometria and fundamental/sacred geometry will quickly change your understanding of your reality.
Look up the meaning and etymology of the names of the characters in the film and it will shed some more light. ‘Dorothy’ Macha, ‘Doreen’ – both mean God’s gift. 3 ‘Eddies’ mean 3 witnesses; in the bible “2 or 3 witnesses…” – do your own research the answers are there. The con this film is talking about is real and it is a beautiful message to wake you up, just like they kept saying to Jake (you/mankind/Adam). ‘Billy’ or William – Will, Desire, Protection.
Chess – 64 squares and 32 pieces. 64 tetrahedrons to build a 3D representation of a tesseract (4D object) or 8 3D star of davids which is built of 8 tetrahedrons. Metatrons cube is a 2D representation. Tree of life is an instruction manual on understanding all of this. Geometria numbers can be read in reverse i.e. 46 and 23 – 23 is the 9th prime (1 – 9 are the only numbers which exist) all things relate to 23 or 2,3 first emanations of reality from 1 (singularity) ending in 4 the foundation (1+2+3+4=10) 4+6=10. 64 of our chromosomes respond to love and 20 to fear… quote Zach “20 lengths in 10 seconds”.
Linked films
Constantine (tattoo on his arm is 23rd symbol from alchemical text)
Matrix
The Rite
Prophecy
Rune
Highlander: The Source
The Devil’s Advocate
Angel Heart
The Frailty
The Fallen
Books
Esoteric books on Kabbalah, Mysticism, 4th Dimension
The Kybalion
The Emrald Tablet
Fiction: Darren Shan Demonata series, The Alchemist ‘Paulo Coelho’
email me at 7krazyace@gmail.com if you want to discuss or want youtube links on this stuff because there are loads
The ARK is coming, please get on board and don’t be left behind in the world of Mr Gold the cipher
peace and love, God Bless
Great movie. I watched it for the first time a few days ago. I was getting a strange fealing the entire time and seeing some weird things. Did anyone pick up on some heavy religous symbolism? Jake is in prison with a chessmaster and mastercon on either side of him. My first thought was god and the devil with man in between. I forgot to mention I was watching the US version. I knew that Jakes new friends were his old cell mates so the ending wasn’t a twist for me. What shakes me up is this. God and devil thing. They were partners? Then check out the name. Avi and Zach. Alpha and Omega? Jakes keychain is lion(Jesus).3days then resurrection? Art of con in back of books?(revelation). The seven is an upside down crucifix?machas house like Egyptian temple with gold statue on a throne. Jake passes tree of knowledge with a gold snake and a man with a lions head giving an apple to a small man? avi reading book with formula that has alpha and omega page 187. Macha takes credit for Jakes work(antichrist) and works for imaginary Mr Gold(jewish?). Movie released by Samuel Goldwyn Films(strange). Gold fears avi and Zach? Then the end game I call identity revelation. Jake plays god at chess using gods method and loses. God throws lion(jesus)keychain on table and says checkmate? Quote before the endgame is “friends are close,enemy is closer”. I get the ego is the enemy thing but think about the other symbols I mentioned. I’m not a religous person but mind is spinning with strange ideas. I noticed on the page with rules of the con. Formula infinite and death. Death was crossed out but you could still read it. Then there’s the number seven(in prison). Seventh day? Some strange things out there huh. Could everything just be backwards. Who is the creator? Who is the devil? Who is jesus? Who are Jews? Could everybody be worshiping satan and not even know it? Why is knowledge bad? Could it be someone might find some truth about these games(cons) that are played? I’ve always been confused so who knows what I’m saying. Sorry if your faith has been shook. I’m just dealing with my own ego at the moment. On the thirteenth floor kinda. I’ve forgotten to mention some other things I noticed but there are plenty more I’m sure. I only saw the film once and went back to each scene that I picked up these symbols. I’m sure the second time I watch it things will get stranger. Anyone else find these things in there and could they help me a little because maybe it’s just part of a con and I’m the victim.
Like most people (and critics) you make the mistake of thinking you’re watching a story with a start middle and end. You’re watching a parable, there’s a bit of Mr Gold in all of us or at least the desire to be.
Jack’s illness was a crisis that couldn’t be avoided. The only way we are have to deal with an unavoidable crisis is to use intellect and cunning (Avi) or confront it head on with aggression and force (Zach).
As for Mr Gold’s suborinates there was really only one, Lily Walker who had perhaps the most disturbing scene in the movie. The mother figure checking, inspecting, selecting and approving of the women for Mr Gold (Freud).
Anyone that looks at this as a literal movie will be disappointed. This is the best movie Guy Ritchie has ever made and perhaps one of the best movies ever made. It’s a movie that should be watched atleast once a year to remind ourselves that the ego is our greatest enemy. All the characters have an element of the human ego. Once you see this the movie makes alot of sense.
Destroying your enemy results in your own destruction. It appears to me that Macha, Green, the con man, the chess player, Gold and other characters could be all elements of one single self. I wonder if Macha’s demise also results on the end of Green or just one of the multiple personalities/manifestations of the whole self. I will watch the film again.
Wow this film got me thinking.
I particularly liked Eliyahu’s comments on the similarities with the film and Kabbalah. I know that Guy Ritchie was very much into Kabbalah around the time of the film, before he apparently “quit it” a few years ago.
Can anyone comment on this diagram description of the film, posted here: http://freememberaccess.com/revolver
(I would post the picture here, but I don’t know how to)
It suggests that the film is all about enlightenment? And that Mr Gold is a symbol for ego, and is something that’s in all of us. What do you guys think?
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