ADSactly Movies - Lessons from Movies #1 Birdman (2014)
Lessons from Movies #1 Birdman (2014)
Lessons from Birdman
The best part about movies is that you can see the world through someone else’s eyes and get to understand people better as a whole. Films have shown me a lot of things about the world, not all of them correct since a lot of the movies are polluted with mass-media lies, but there are some gems that I want to share with you.
This is not going to be a just worthless series of movie reviews but a place from where you can get a few ideas and maybe the next time you watch one of the movies I’m talking about, you will look at it with a new set of eyes.
I will not focus on famous movies, nor on unknown ones but on films that I consider as being outstanding, films from which you can learn a few things and see past your limitations.
I have to note that these are my opinions, what I took from the movie, but I advise you to watch it yourself, maybe you will feel differently or pick up on something I missed.
Reality
I feel like Birdman is a movie that likes to play with people’s mind, ten minutes into the film and it’s already mocking the reality, mass-media values, consumerist behaviors and people that are only interested in gossip and meaningless things. Illustrated by Clara’s question “Now, is it true that you've been injecting yourself with semen from baby pigs?” who’s asking about gossip in a press meeting where the main topic is art and theater.
You can clearly see the movie references from our world like Avengers or Iron Man that set the film between our reality and the imaginary world in which Riggan has superpowers that are actually just in his mind. For me, that is an explicit reference to the fact that people construct their own realities, that they are living in a dream world.
Truth
But I think that the best scene that illustrates the fakeness and superficiality of the world is where Mike is caught up drinking on the stage. In this scene, he’s dropping a real gem that in direct relationship with the discussion from the press meeting, “Stop looking at the world through your cellphone screens. Have a real experience!”.
What he’s saying is entirely right, since throughout the movie most people are so focused on their social media life, where everything’s fake, that they forget to live life to its fullest. Also, because they are consuming mass-media nonsense nonstop, they miss the truth, and Mike even stated this through his line, “Does anybody give a shit about truth other than me?”. After which he went on a rant where he was saying that the whole set was fake, a statement that I see as a metaphor for our life and social media in general.
The gap between reality and social media is emphasized over and over again by all the main characters; it’s even seen when Riggan is arguing with his daughter, they both represent different worlds, “you, or your cynical friends whose only ambition is to go viral.”.
Existence
The dual existence of Riggan is illustrated throughout the whole film, Birdman – the comic book character - and the human. This is met in each, and every one of us, the voice that tells us that we are not capable of doing something, the voice that strengthens our insecurities and as in us, the fight between him and the Birdman is intense, both sides are fighting to take over.
After all the anxiety about reality and existence, anxiety that is presented even in the soundtrack of the movie “The Anxious Battle for Sanity”, there’s the grand final metaphorical solution to all, death, suicide, and Riggan almost kills himself, “I don't exist. I'm not even here. None of this even matters. I don't exist. I don't exist.”
Lessons Learned
I think that Birdman is a reflection of our society, people being scared of humiliation putting weight on others meaningless opinions, fame being their holy grail. There’s not a defined line between what’s real and what’s not most of the people living fake lives while valuing all the wrong stuff that got them there in the first place.
The uncertainty is so intense that they are even unsure about their existence and what that consists of, the truth being something rarely met. For me, this movie represents a fight between realities in a world of fakeness.
People should get off their asses, and start something that is real, make real connections with one another and ditch all the mediums that are destroying their brains, being authentic and genuine about their actions. That, my friend, is the most significant lesson I got from this movie.
I hope you enjoyed this post; I will see you next week. Until then, make sure to tell me below in the comments, what movie would you like to see featured here?
Authored by: guyfawkes4-20
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LOVED this movie for so many reasons: great acting, fab script, and the direction--amazing. Keaton is so angry, he is going to will himself back to relavancy. And the questions the movie raises (what's real, what's not, the ending!), really, an amazing film. I love movies about creativity and altered reality--and that's Birdman in spades! The magic bits were perfect (we all have magic powers in our own minds, right)? This is such a private little jem of a film--I know it is not accessible to a lot of folk (their loss, I think)-- I think Birdman should inspire conversation for years to come.
Exactly, it's an inspiring movie, I always love to watch something like it. Just wait till you see the next movie from the series, outstanding.
Wow. It feels good to know that my favorite for 2014 or rather the decade was reviewed here on @adsactly. Awesome review. Although i saw it in 2015. So many lessons to learn from.
I think it's a good movie that focussed on a situation many of us can relate to: when times are rough, one can't help but remember past laurels, but at the same time come to terms with how things have somehow changed.
Keaton is the perfect actor to play the part given his past performance as Batman in the 80's.
The movie reminded me of The Black Swan in ways. Emma Stone in particular absolutely blew me away by her moving performance in the film. I can see why the movie critics like this move, as well. Liked it
I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the review. I saw it quite a couple of times, I can't remember when it was the first time.
I will make sure to check out that movie, maybe I'll write about it, but not yet since I already have a few other great ones in mind.
I haven't watched this movie yet, but I will definitely do that now, because I'm always up for such movies. I have been talking about social media to all my friends. How it screws with our psychology and interactions with each other, how we seek recognition in the forms of likes and shares. Whenever I go out with my friends I always tell my friends to get they faces out of the phones, because there's no communication, nobody talks anything interesting at all. If you remove the phone from someone's hand, they immediately start to talk about something. Social media and smartphones in general are doing a lot of harm when it comes to human relationships.
By the way, it would be really cool if you featured "Mr. Nobody" in the next movie post. It raises a lot of questions about reality as well.
It's not even that social media is necessary bad, but the way people use it because most are just abusing it.
Amazing suggestion, I'm already working on Mr. Nobody, I think it will be the third post from the series.
Yes, social media is like a tool. Every tool has good and bad usages. For example, a hammer is a tool, you can fix things with it, thus it has a good usage. But you can use the same hammer to smash someone's head with it, but does not mean that a hammer is a bad tool just because you used it in a wrong way. The same thing with social medias. It's a tool that most people use it in the wrong way and abuse it, which makes social medias appear like some sort of social life destroyer.
Exactly, and it's the same thing with Cryptocurrencies too, some can use them in a malicious way and others can use them to send money to their families for free. :)
I saw this movie and it was a really good movie , I had just begun following Emma stone then and she delivered a master piece.
I think we all have a lot to learn from this movie. No matter the success we are experiencing at the moment, it is important that we prepare ourselves as it is not going to last forever
Byrdman certainly can be called one of the best films of last year. This film reflects all the vices of our modern society. Modern people are very much concerned about their fake life in the media. This is bad, because that's why such people do not live a full life. Their minds are locked in obscene opinion and they behave like puppets.
The main characters perfectly show us this life gap. In the end which leads to the thought that everything around is unreal and the best solution is suicide, death.
The most important moral is to get rid of the shackles that shackle your brains (opinions, media, etc.)
Thanks for the chic post
I would like to see the film Matrix, it has a profound meaning
Thank you for this great comment. That is what people have to do, to get rid of their shackles but the worst part is not that they have no idea how but that they don't know they have to.
The Matrix, that's a great suggestion, I will consider it after I finish those already planned.
One of the best films in the last few years!
Nice idea ... keep up with more movies .. I wish you shed light on “PK” it’s one of my best avorite movies for the last 5 years
Yes PK is a fantastic film, and one of the best Bollywood films out there. Anyone who hasn't seen it and has the slightest interest in Bollywood should watch it.
We became 2 😆✌️
😂😂
Great
That was such a great movie!
@adstactly
This is a Very well thought out deconstruction of this Film.
Its interesting that you point out the seemingly, unapparent chasm between the virtual and real....or more to the point, the actual*
As you say, the non-sensable layers the whole movie is in your face, its like a Bad Fun House at the fair, but nobody has the needed clarity to find the exit to reality.
I thought about the rest of your commentary on this film which is like decrypting the deeper Iconography and I realized Ed Norton is in (Fight Club) as well, where he lives a split life as a broken down consumer and an (unconcious) wild anti-consumerist Tyler.
He shows everyone how much they hate themselves for being duped into a meaningless life...all the way up the conditioning latter, without a very needed catharsis for all that oppression and repression....which to me represents itself litterally beating the s**t out each other. In the end his choice is suicide as well...poor guy if he only waited for Steemit!
Jezze you got me typing an article here, lol...you inspired me!
Also, I signed up on your discord, but are having trouble with it,
Thanks for the follow wow.
Lynn
Thanks a lot, I am glad my post inspired you to write this comment. I have Fight Club on my list too, I will most certainly write about it in the future, is one of my favorites. :)
I would like to hear your interpretation of Fight Club,
Its one of my favs as well.
Thank you for your vote.
L
It will come at some point for sure. I watched the movie and read the book countless times so far. :)