Why All Movies Are The Same

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There are countless movies about countless topics, but there is one thing that they all have in common. Let's take a look at some classics to explore the obvious yet overlooked similarity between them all.
Twitter: / jacknugent27
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[@NowYouSeeIt]

Anybody have other fun examples of movies that are a metaphor for filmmaking?

[@NowYouSeeIt]

I'll start -- the Wachowskis have said in interviews that The Matrix is a metaphor for watching a movie. Like someone in the Matrix, the a moviegoer is "plugged in" and fed particular genre/narrative elements.

[@noahlasher9724]

This one wasn’t said by Kubrick but a lot of people interpret the scene near the opening of Full Metal Jacket where Pvt. Pyle is choked by Sgt. Hartman as a way to make the audience feel guilty for laughing or finding humor in Hartman’s jokes and insults. Pyle laughs as well and is punished and humiliated

[@Denzelidos]

In Inglourious Basterds the scene where nazis watch movie and applaud violence, and than Hitler is killed and we as viewers enjoying that ( but thats too easy ill try to remember smth else)

[@eoincampbell1584]

In Inception the characters create and direct dreams for their targets to live out, all of them filling different rolls in doing so.

[@FunnelCakeRyan]

Chef is both an amazing love letter to foodies and an exploration of why Jon Favreau didn't want to make Marvel movies anymore.

[@thrillhousevanhouten]

"Movies are made by people who make movies" Tommy Wiseau would like to have a word...

[@mozzinator]

or Neil Breen

[@GoErikTheRed]

And they made a movie about the making of that movie

[@yash124]

Hmm! Yes, the Floor Here Is Made Out of Floor

[@nikkoXmercado]

Hahahah gago

[@sohndustin]

The alien window barrier in Arrival also has a wide screen aspect ratio

[@TheSpotlessMind93]

@Marcus The video uses a couple of examples of this exact thing. Did you not watch the video? He was just mentioning another good example of it. Who pissed you off?

[@Brandon-eh4tz]

@Marcus It's gonna be alright, mane.

[@YourMJK]

IMO, that's one of the weakest arguments in this video (I do agree with the general point tho). Of course those windows are designed to be in a wide screen aspect ratio because that's what the movie is going to be in! If you want to have it all nicely framed, you will have to match the "aspect ratio of your set" with the aspect ratio of your camera.

[@nikkoXmercado]

Oo nga, 'no! Ngayon ko lang napansin.

[@gabrielkwiecinskiantunes8950]

I heard it was inspired by James Turrell art or something.

[@timborowiec]

You made some good points but I think your argument about "the characters directing things" is really farfetched. This would seem to apply to pretty much any character who controls the actions of any other character somehow being a metaphor for filmmaking, when in reality people telling each other what to do is just a really common part of life, and I don't think it reflects this bias.

[@xFlRSTx]

i was thinking the same thing, at one point he even says something like "which ever one of the 2 is in control of the situation ends up directing the other" but thats just tautological

[@AspavientosPC]

@Marcus these are interpretations of movies as metaphors for movies themselves. It's beside the point that these behaviors are also common in everyday life. It's quite literally the last point he makes.

[@z-beeblebrox]

Well, you have to remember it's less about the broad concept of "who is in control?" which is asked in all forms of theater, and instead about how that control is depicted on film vs other forms of theater where it's present. We do what we know

[@timborowiec]

@@AspavientosPC but the fact that they’re so common in everyday life discredits the idea that it’s a metaphor for filmmaking. “Anger” is a common thing on a film set, but any film about anger couldn’t be said to be a metaphor for filmmaking, because anger isn’t SPECIFIC to a film set - and neither is “control” or “status” or whatever

[@cianwalsh409]

Yes my thoughts exactly, I thought the rest of his point were quite good though.

[@SanderVermeer]

The most intriguing observation of 2001: A Space Oddyssey is that the screen is black in the first few minutes, essentially creating a monolith from which the viewer "enters" the movie.

[@noahberkley8461]

Rob Agers of Collative learning goes one step further: The monolith turned on its side is the size of an anamorphic presentation. Really interesting. One other time I saw this is in Argento’s Bird with the Crystal Plumage. The main character witnesses a murder through a window to an art museum but the window is the exact size of the screen we’re viewing. It’s impossible to watch and not think as a viewer how helpless you are to stop what’s going to happen next as well!

[@blt812]

hello😭 I'm having financial difficulties this month, can you send me some money just for once?

[@docflights]

That's actually just how some movies did their overtures during the roadshow era of distribution. Some had big title cards, some had black screens

[@uberminseok23]

Why all critiques of cinema are the same: They see things through what they know and can only explain by what they know.

[@briankim0412]

U know this makes no sense at all right..?

[@uberminseok23]

@@briankim0412 You could explain. I think it makes some sense and to say it makes no sense, well, you haven't read other comments.

[@kys4s4c]

I don't understand your comment. How is one supposed to talk about something they don't know if they don't know it?

[@uberminseok23]

@@kys4s4c I am not saying that they ought to talk about things they don't know and also didn't intend to use "not knowing" in absolute sense. It's just that people see things through what they know best, saying it's "the way" and disregarding "other ways". Check Tim Borowiec's comment.

[@pankakotakismegalomavropou3355]

People seem baffled by perspectivism... hurr durr!

[@MrLukeod]

The man in the Goodfellas painting is real. His name is John Weaving, and the dogs are Brocky and Twiggy. The painting is based on a picture from a 1978 National Geographic feature on Ireland's longest river, the Shannon. This was researched by Alex Godfrey.

[@bearmouse1000]

Yeah I learned about this a few months ago and was honestly surprised, as I thought it was a painting made just for the film! When Tommy gives his analysis of the art and says “one dog goes one way, and the other dog goes the other way” I always cackle LMAO

[@artphone610]

You're only saying this because you're most probably a member of cinema industry. Some of these films might easily be allegories for conducting an orchestra. Or for organizing a riot, or the kids of the neighborhood for a game of soccer. Also a game of soccer. You know what Daniel Plainview was acting like? A coach of a soccer team. He was sitting on the bench and commanding his men or players againts the fire... And Eli was like a rival coach too. He had his own local team. ... this could go on and on.

[@MRswordfish000]

Underrated comment. On the other hand, isn’t maybe directing a movie just like conducting an orchestra, like organising a riot, like coaching a soccer team, like running a company, like caring for ones family? People just doing what people do?

[@marnixsixma5420]

Exactly. I would rather state film is about people (or life) than it is about film. And even that is one way to think about it, there are plenty of interpretations possible. I feel the whole analogy in this essay is quite farfetched. To state that there are similarities between filmmaking and the characters' actions, personalities and relations, that's one thing. But to then state that all films indirectly or worse, subconsciously, are about filmmaking... man, that's quite a leap. I would say creativity goes farther than that. There are plenty of crossovers between film and other art forms. The analogy of film as a depiction of filmmaking is putting creativity as a whole in a box too narrow for any other interpretation to fit.

[@yips91111]

read "Sapiens, a brief history of humankind", it dives into symbols and ideas born from the nature of humans being humans. yes a film director is like a war general is like a football coach is like a CEO. because they're leaders. and people follow directions and symbols. and so on. but i do think the point about film-makers building from what they know still holds true in many ways, not necessarily in every avenue but generally yes.

[@blt812]

hello😭 I'm having financial difficulties this month, can you send me some money just for once?

[@colinjudge1261]

I was going to make this same comment. While this essay is well argued, I think it disregards how similar filmmaking is to almost every other human endeavour. Not every position of authority is a "director", as suggested here. Leadership is simply a factor of human society and interaction. And when he says that HAL from 2001 is designed to "look like a camera" (he means a lens)... he ignores the fact that lenses operate on the same physics as, wait for it, an eye. HAL is an unblinking eye, always observing. So, yeah. This video is kinda an exercise in irony.

[@charleshanson9467]

This really boils down to: Humans require a hierarchy structure to accomplish larger projects, usually with a clear leader. Making a film is exactly that, so it drilling for oil, so is organizing a heist. The connection is teamwork with leadership, not necessarily films are made because of the way films are made.

[@PhantomZtryker]

Yeah this one seemed more like an advert for the sponsors of the video.

[@thedumbdog1964]

That’s how it was in the Middle Ages too

[@gabbar51ngh]

Great man theory

[@FreakStyler]

Here's a thought: I think you have also fallen into the bias interpreting everything in film as being an analogy to film. Only a film critic who spends most of his time analyzing movies will see it that way. You are seeing the metaverse of movies in every movie. Whereas other people will see it completely differently. They will see a film as an analogy to their life. Our perception is shaped by our existence. You see things through your lense, and I see things through my lense. But it is not just a physical process of light transmission into my eyes. My conscious and subconscious manipulate the objective reality into a subjective experience. 2 people seeing the same film, or the same thing in reality, can come out with fundamentally different perspectives of what happened.

[@tenten1417]

Good comment ❤

[@Remiel_Plainview]

Meanwhile in a parallel universe, " All movies are different "

[@drynnbavis]

This feels like a stretch lol. I agree with you on some parts but I don't think this "film within a film" concept is as ubiquitous as you're making it out to be. Your literal examples are good, but once you get to Parasite, TWBB, and 2001 I think it's stretched thin. Are all of these "in charge" characters really metaphors for directors? Or is it simply that directors are another example of "in charge" characters? If you switch "director" for "orchestra conductor" or "circus ring leader" your metaphor still makes sense, so I don't think these movies are strictly making metaphors for "a film within a film" (or at least not all of them). Or could it be that your observation here is clouded in your own bias for film? The same bias you're saying these directors may hold with their constant use of "film within a film" props? Because perhaps you too are more familiar with the concept of a "director" and naturally made that comparison before considering the aforementioned "conductor" or "circus ring leader". Not trying to spark a fight, just sharing my thoughts. Great video again as always man!

[@jevinday]

i turned the video off when he said the monolith from 2001 is the shape of a movie screen. i'm like yeah...it has different dimensions than a movie screen, and it's turned on it's side, but it is a rectangle...and movie theatre screens are rectangles...but rectangles are like one of the most common shapes there is.

[@rolanddeschain6089]

I think you are right. Is not absolutely everywhere someone in charge? Someone directing others? Is not the cinematic aspect ratio very near the aspect ratio of the human vision? Thats why it feels so immersive. I do not say he is wrong. I just say a video called "why every movie is different" would be as true as this one.

[@Brandon-eh4tz]

Nicely put! This post does a great job putting to words the uneasy feeling I had throughout the video. I just couldn't buy into the concept as it was presented. I see status, hierarchy, and control in most films, but I think it has more to do with those those things being so prominent in human interaction, not a filmmaker turning everything into a metaphor for his or her own life's work.

[@z-beeblebrox]

"Are all of these "in charge" characters really metaphors for directors?" The question isn't 'are they metaphors for directors?' because being in charge is just a broad concept. Instead the question should be "is the filmic metaphor for being 'in charge' to emulate a director's behavior?"

[@gabbar51ngh]

Social hierarchy exists within apes, perhaps all directors are unconsciously making movies about apes. That's how much of a stretch the video is. If there's a Common link between all great movies, it's usually whichever movie explores human psyche & conflicts Within himself.

[@OutstandingScreenplays]

If you steal from one author it's plagiarism; if you steal from many it's research.

[@noahlasher9724]

Orson Welles is a thief

[@iododendron3416]

@@noahlasher9724 yes, he stole my lunch money just the other day.

[@281m.wasiqwasim3]

Starts talking about seinfeld's airplane food joke. Shows someone at the laugh factory stage. Veitnam flashbacks....

[@TheCoachZed]

Ever wonder why every Stephen King protagonist in his first three decades of work is either a writer or teacher?

[@z-beeblebrox]

Many characters in many novels are either pseudo-autobiographical, or pseudo-biographical in reference to colleagues or close friends. After King's accident, his main characters became people who lived through a traumatic experience. Crichton's main characters were always scientists. Grisham's main characters were always lawyers. Ian Flemming worked within the intelligence wing of the British military during WW2. Every work of fiction is somebody's backyard.

[@CJWproductions]

I don't think anybody's ever wondered that, no

[@gabbar51ngh]

@@z-beeblebrox true, lot of pulphero & Superhero characters came into existence similarly

[@ditatreese4040]

@@z-beeblebrox what about Nabokov’s Lolita? Did he have a thing for children?

[@z-beeblebrox]

@@ditatreese4040 I don't think observing the behavior of pedophiles makes you one.

[@mopslikvonstein]

"HAL is the shape of a camera"... uhm that is literally HAL's camera that the computer uses to "watch" the ship

[@akielsteewart8577]

Even better

[@ze_rubenator]

There are so many dull books about writers with writer's block, and I will never understand who it's written for.

[@geriburrito]

You mean novels or self-help books? I'm asking because I'm writing a novel about this at the moment, and my fragile ego was hurt by your words.

[@Naruto_from_the_Naruto_show]

Well, they write for themselves, they self insert themselves in their narrative. Reading a book is, for the most part, a journey into the authors mind. Sure it may not be fun for some readers but at the same time it is extremely personal to that author and it to a potential fan. Also, art loves meta. How many songs about music or how many poems about poems have you read/listened to? Art sometimes thrives on its own sake. Adaption is a great film that takes this concept and makes something I've never seem like before or after.

[@ze_rubenator]

@@Naruto_from_the_Naruto_show I'll be honest I feel the same way about all of those. They're usually either boring or utter, self-congratulatory wankery.

[@Naruto_from_the_Naruto_show]

@@ze_rubenator yes, I do agree and there is place for criticism in all of this indeed. Not every comedy is funny, not every horror is scary, not every art piece is successful in what it tries to do.

[@Ten_Thousand_Locusts]

@@geriburrito you're better off not finishing it.

[@juxe411]

they forgot the big one - Inception, a team of characters take a subject on a journey, an illusion to plant an idea in their head the same way a movie does, each team member is a role on a film set, Cobbs the director, Arthurs the producer, Eames is the actor, Ariadnes the production designer, Saitos the studiohead keeping an eye and Fischer is the audience member

[@princessthyemis]

Oooo that's so cool! 😄

[@cadencockburn]

Reminds me of how La La Land and Freddy Got Fingered have the exact same plot, cast, and number of Oscars

[@lolamby1]

Hah. And one is a neodadaist masterpiece that will be analysed in a century or two...

[@santiagorojaspiaggio]

As i remember, New York, New York is very similar, also.

[@a1919akelbo]

Im glad a doodle of Trisha is considered "contemporary art"

[@DarthBiomech]

Hopefully, the industry is changing, as filmmaking becomes more and more affordable and easy so it's not only rich people with millions of dollars who can make a film now.

[@gabbar51ngh]

Indies have existed for a longtime though. I mean just look how Quentin Tarantino got into Hollywood.

[@marcelosantos5683]

I think that sometimes "controling people and organizing things and overdo your job" is way too broad to only mean cinema directors, I understand that directors can impose their way of organizing things into the character, but it is not always because they choose it

[@errhka]

There are tons of abstract films that push the definition of film as an art form in similar ways to what we think of in modern art. No one ever watches them. Why? Because it is the job of a studio to sell art, and these films are not marketable beyond a small subset of movie watchers. Development in film is much more subtle, and linked to the cultural expectations of the time. In that way it is incredibly fascinating

[@pheemer]

This video is not just a breath of fresh air, it's air filled with vitamins and caffeine!! I'd been in a deep depression after watching the trailer for the new Netflix show: "Cooking With Paris", but this one "Now You See It" video has cheered me up! Please, please will all of the intelligent and creative people of the world speak up and share your thoughts and ideas so that we know you're out there!

[@PrimerCinePodcast]

Dude I like your vibe and all the best to you, but if you're bummed out by a trailer for one of Netflix's many really basic productions, maybe put your attention someplace else. Cause they don't deserve it hhahahha

[@pheemer]

@@PrimerCinePodcast Thanks for that! Of course you are right. I saw the trailer here on KZbin, but it doesn't matter. Sometimes it feels like the stupidity of the world is closing in on me.

[@Jesse__H]

@@pheemer 90% of everything is crap.

[@pheemer]

@@Jesse__H You know, whoever you are or whatever you believe in, there's a little hope in that statement. You could've easily said "100%", but you didn't.

[@PrimerCinePodcast]

@@pheemer Sure thing. Happens to me as well hhaha. But there’ll always be entertainment made exclusively for people to shut their brains off (Thought that sounds kinda mean). Just remember to promote the things you really like and try not to give power or the time of day to the things you don’t! That’s what I try to do

[@theonlymegumegu]

The way you bring everything back to your beginning insight was amazing, bravo. I love that sentiment too; movies (and art in general) can be enjoyed all the way from the over analyzing cinephile to the "see a thing, like a thing" viewer. I suppose perhaps like good CG, good filmmaking is "unnoticable" and you can just enjoy the finished product without needing to get metatextual.

[@randomnamegbji]

The interpretation that in 2001: a space oddessy through visual language the villian is a camera and the hero/macguffin/resolution is a cinema screen is really fascinating to me. I feel like Kubrick might have done that on purpose, but might just as easily done so subconsciously.

[@z-beeblebrox]

And what's tricky is you can't really use the book as a way to contrast how things could have been interpreted differently, since the two were developed simultaneously and bounced off each other creatively.

[@pjetrs]

there are many clues that its all about the cinema screen. There are many hints that the 'breakthrough' for Dave is when he sees the monolith for the first time horizontally instead of vertically, thus forming a black screen. Also at the end of the movie, when the camera zooms in on the vertical monolith, until it fills the whole screen; thats where the audience should realize the cinema screen is actually the 'window/monolith'. I cannot explain it as good as some other people,but there is a site dedicated to this movie who really explains this well

[@degrassi420]

The airplane food bit is so funny because nowadays people use it to make fun of Jerry Seinfeld specifically as if he was saying it in a real standup and not making fun of someone else

[@bibektimsina4042]

I think Murder Mysteries or detective movies are other genres where this analogy fits. In such movies, the detective is the writer/director who's trying to figure out a story and what role do the characters play in the story. How important are they? The detectives are also figuring out (writing) the scenario as the writer as they go along.

[@MrWinnieP]

It’s hyperbole to state all films are the same, especially when you throw in animated films, foreign films, independent films (which you mentioned) and using only a handful in your argument severely reduces its validity. I don’t entirely disagree with the premise though, the fact that films are predominantly made by “movie directors” creates stagnant/repetitive solutions to the obstacles visual mediums have…but the alternative of having someone/s direct a film with no prior knowledge of visual story telling has a wealth of it’s own issues.

[@samlibutti]

I mean it goes without saying that it’s hyperbole, you’re not really making any point here that’s needed.

[@H2o3G2a]

You are right. Watch the movie "one cut of the dead", if you haven't.

[@jimmywu1011]

That movie is a masterpiece! So underrated!

[@QuestionableLogic_]

I have nothing to add, I'm just commenting for the algorithm

[@NowYouSeeIt]

Bless you

[@parhamabbaspour6353]

Another movie to mention is Inception, which I think has the most intended movie in a movie feel. The characters each acts as a role in filmmaking, even Leonardo DiCaprio character has Christopher Nolan's looks.

[@MikeyRamone00]

The prop for HAL 9000 in 2001 is indeed a wide angle Nikon fish eye lens.

[@lichtfilme]

The opening shot of NOCTURNAL ANIMALS dares the viewer to react to a heavy dancing naked woman in slomo and it’s revealed to an „art installation“

[@ah_effe]

I'm years after the battle, but I just wanted to point out that I'm French, and our stand up comedy is not as much plane centered as yours. Which completly help your case as it's both a way smaller country with a way more developped railway system. But! We have a lot of jokes on the train voice.

[@razzle1964]

Aah, this better explains ‘Blazing Saddles’, ‘Once Upon a Time In Hollywood’ & even ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ to a degree!

[@ara8682]

"Every movie is the same, because -all of them portray a leading character as film-director- most human interactions require social hierarchy." Pretty bold statement, if you ask me.

[@ara8682]

I'm guessing this time you did not 'see it'.

[@gabbar51ngh]

The entire video could simply be summed up that directors end up injecting their own personal view & perspective into a movie. Just like comic book artists or writers do. Video was quite useless.

[@D.M.Mortem]

Tldr: All movies are the same because they're moving pictures.

[@albeebestre1935]

All humans are the same because they're all beings

[@chipperwhale]

I like that directors will make fun of abstract art, but have the utmost respect for cartoonists. Many famous directors being failed or wanna be cartoonists. I’d love to see a video by you showing the effect comics of the time had on directors. (Like Akira and the Cohen brothers)

[@ifiwere984]

I don’t think all movies are the same but I edit myself into movies and TV shows with green screen. Any movie suggestions would be great!!

[@MsChick-hn1qo]

The Langoliers, Craig toomey 's character or perfect strangers (tv show) balki

[@bearmouse1000]

I have that painting from the Goodfellas framed in my bedroom and it never fails to make my day better when I see it

[@Michaelonyoutub]

I studied physics in university and this phenomenon often appears to get in the way of great science based movies. The majority of people working on movies don't have any deep knowledge of the sciences so writing about them is very hard or requires consulting experts so very few great science movies are made. There is so much potential for science based movies in my eyes because science is just so cool, but even all movies that heavily involve science often only use science for their story rather than making science their story. Interstellar is a great example of what they could be though, while cooper and other character's motivations might be artistic based, the story is really about amazing cool science, and that is just so interesting to me

[@gokham33]

But science isn't a story, its more like reference knowledge. Interstellar had a science ambient but the movie was about love and human behaviour. One movie I can think of which is like 90% science is Primer, and because of that it is hard to follow. Pretty good tho.

[@oliverkky]

I was just waiting 'till he mentions Inside

[@degrassi420]

barton fink is one of those movies that never gets mentioned in videos like this so i was pleasantly surprised

[@FunkyJeff22]

True. I think something similar can be said of the type of personality the people who write our movies and television have. We watch so many stories that feel like they're written by artistic people and not regular people. It shows in the values the heroes and villains have and the lessons people learn.

[@dizisnotavailable]

in christopher nolan's films, the main characters even look like nolan himself, wearing suits, similar hair cut etc.

[@dinospumoni5611]

I think it's worth mentioning that there are films that are much closer to high brow abstract/conceptual/whatever art than to mainstream movies. Jodorowsky, von Trier, Tarr, Cosmatos, Lynch, etc.

[@Cloudy_Jay8]

Very cool video!! I never thought about movies/art in general in that way, now this will always be in the back of my mind haha

[@gl.c_planet613]

Actually the glaringly obvious thing is that a film production/film set, like many other professional working environment or just any general organisation of people doing something together, reflects sort of a miniature of society. With elements that you and I experience on a daily basis - eg. someone in charge/directing, people cooperating to work towards the same goal, people having to put on an appearance and act unlike their private selves, etc. It sounds quite obvious but most movies in its core depicts, with varying degrees of realism, the world / the society we live in. How else are they meant to be relatable to audiences? For example, I’m sure the “down on their luck artist trying to chase the dream they are destined to fulfil” hero trope might have been drawn from the experiences of many working in Hollywood, but in a way it is just as easy to argue that this is due to cultural influence (“the American dream” and so on) on a societal level, hence would be sort of a relatable fantasy to audiences. Not to mention how this reinforces itself over time in the public consciousness. Perhaps there are indeed filmmaking self-insert metaphors in films, and the style and subject of many popular films have definitely been influenced heavily by the culture of the industry; but films are also simply about human experiences in life, and the filmmaking industry is no exception to those common experiences.

[@karlmuster263]

One fun movie about filmmaking is Sion Sono's "Why Don't You Play in Hell." It's about a failed indie film crew making an action movie with actual violence, a war between two Yakuza gangs. The premise alone sells the movie. Spoiler: The film ends with a third wall break. The "director" character narrowly escapes with his life and runs down the street holding the film. Then someone yells "That's a wrap!" and the "director" stops running, and the real crew walks onto the set. I don't think the ending is deep at all, but it's a funny third wall break.

[@Jezzascmezza]

I think there needed to be a better or more interesting argument than that to justify such a bold title

[@timothymclean]

Film vs. Modern Art isn't just populist vs. exclusive. Modern art tends to be highly abstract and up to interpretation, whereas modern cinema tends to be a very _literal_ medium.

[@zealien]

As a french, I'm sure Gad Elmaleh didn't ever made a joke about airplane food but he surely stole one.

[@HeBreaksLate]

This made me think of M. Night Shamalan's Lady in the Water, in which the protagonist consults a film critic to determine how the story "should" end, which turns out to completely miss the mark. So while not strictly a film within a film, it is a commentary on the relationship between a director famous for twist endings and the critics who criticism him for being a one-trick pony.

[@ryanhopkins5239]

This just feels like confirmation bias. You had an idea and because your looking for that in these movies, of course you find them.

[@Apethantos]

All these people commenting about "originality" without watching the video first...what a shame, he makes a very good point and people preemptively comment just by reading the title.

[@burgermind802]

welcome to KZbin comments 😒

[@LE0NSKA]

10:44 that part was super clever. hats off

[@KINOanatomy]

That is utterly brillant, thank you so much for these analyses ! You can also add to these "movies in movies" one of the most preminent exemple Fitzcarraldo ! The fact that Herzog insisted that the real size boat be lifted up the mountain like in the diegesis, that the shoting was as hard on the crew as it is for Fizcarraldo's crew... Even the fact that Herzog was constantly fighting with a crazy Klaus Kinski, puts the movie on the brink between Fiction and Documentary. And the same can be said about Aguire, his previous film.

[@marmiteghost]

damn the way you circled parasite all the way back to the dog painting is actually insane

[@i18nGuy]

Not every instance of someone in control or instructing someone is "directing". That is rather demeaning to directors, since it doesnt include the vision, planning, and other elements of directing that the role requires. Freud said it best. "Sometimes a cigar is only a cigar."

[@trewhite7903]

That Parasite/Goodfellas connection was *awesome*

[@marion_roberts]

Now that's a smooth ad transition. This topic made me think of "Hail,Caesar!".

[@Legalizeasbestos]

Wow, this explains most movie main characters. They always are driven to do something beyond reasoning, sacrifice family/mental health, not driven solely by wealth and everyone else thinks they’re crazy to go for something which is so likely to fail. Which of course is what it takes to become a filmmaker. They’re making characters about themselves really. This video started confusing but now makes a lot of sense.

[@Storyograph]

This video kinda blew my mind a little... Kinda weird how sometimes all the pieces are there in your head and then someone articulates it and it all just suddenly makes sense! You're really living up to your channel's title with this one

[@SaidinCheyneStokes]

You've got a book here, mate.

[@phanie2012fle]

That's also the reason why so many movies are about fatherhood: Captain Fantastic, The Flash, The Road, The pursuit of happyness, Ant-man, The descendants, Finding Nemo, How to train your Dragon, Jersey girl, Paper moon, Big Daddy, Cargo, Interestellar, Searching, Detective Pikachu, The Game Plan, Mrs. Doubtfire, etc.

[@abishaipaul2298]

huh bcz all men most probably will become a father at some point??

[@phanie2012fle]

@@abishaipaul2298 because most writers and directors are busy fathers... Listen to the explanations of the guys of Pixar about how they come up with their ideas and you will see. And huh... no... Not everybody IS a busy (or absent) FATHER. Women exist too. And men who abandon their child. But you don't even seem to have thought about the movies listed. They don't represent most of the families. They all focus on single fatherhood. And many of them kill the mothers to do so. They don't represent real world...

[@abishaipaul2298]

@@phanie2012fle no but it's a trope in movies

[@phanie2012fle]

@@abishaipaul2298 It's my point. Tropes have roots in the people who create and perpetuate them.

[@yeahBradley]

I think that's the best ad segue on KZbin.

[@JebJester]

Absolutely, it made me roll my eyes but I seriously admire the power of this particular ad segue.

[@mofbooks6095]

That Segway to the ad was very good

[@Alex-vd1ir]

That’s what I have been saying for 50 years and nobody listens

[@SourSourSour]

This is a neat observation, but I don't know how to feel about it. It's gonna be stuck in my head for awhile tho so kudos haha

[@MarkArandjus]

I think it was Kyle Kalgren that made a really nice video about how Inception is basically symbolically about the filmmaking process and how films are dreams and visions made reality (literally the plot of Inception).

[@darfoz8807]

very interesting, it's something i never considered. great video

[@LE0NSKA]

I appreciate who you topped this video off with a pizaa

[@jopl4593]

The title is misleading.

[@pheemer]

So is "Goodfellas"! Spoiler alert: The "fellas" in that flick ain't "Good"!

[@Bizarro69]

I can tell you why, because it's SO F#CKING HARD to make a movie. The more you bang your head against the wall and typewriter, the more everything you're studying bleeds into the script, stains the white page, you start to see the world outside through the eyes of the lense, regular people start to look like they're acting, coincidences start to feel like themes. It's inescapable once you are obsessed with the medium and pass a critical point of no return.

[@oldmandoinghighkicksonlyin1368]

The tropes I hate: - the physical answering machine when voicemail existed. I can't remember the last recent movie I saw with a physical answering machine, but it wasn't that long ago. - take-out food is always Chinese, showing that the character is either too busy or immature to cook for themselves. - mid-20th-century historical portrayal of the American south has racism as the centrepiece - And newspaper movies are always journalistic heroes, and not a disgusting cartel of propagandists.

[@RTKdarling]

Always good content, but that was an especially slick segue on this one. Hat's off to you sir

[@paulthedolt]

Comedians are making so many jokes about planes because they're relatable for audience too. A bit weird explanation like it's their unique experience

[@PanteraRossa]

Inland Empire is a movie within a dream within a life. Not necessarily in that order.

[@sharifferdousarko3694]

I love this channel. So with love I say, this video seems to be reaching, a lot.

[@PridelessChickz]

It's kind of scary how most people commenting don't see it.. I have to go so far out of my way to find movies/shows that AREN'T all basically the same.

[@JohnnyBurnes]

Aaaah. I see. This video's really about the common man in the Renaissance. BRILLIANT!

[@metalisica3]

this videos is meta in so many ways

[@unclebill977]

That Goodfellas scene always cracks me up.

[@jello4835]

I feel like you had some really good ideas here and your overarching point about all stories on film being told through the lens of the type of people who make films is really interesting, but I think a lot of your supporting points kind of detracted from your argument. I think I would have preferred a discussion on movies about moviemaking/acting/etc

[@Jwoosle]

This was definitely not the video I was expecting

[@artival22]

I think the topic of „art forms revolving around their own creation“ and recurring motifs im Film is interesting enough to not need such a clickbait title.

[@AnnoyingMoose]

In the script that I am currently writing the criminal that has framed her enemy for attempted murder must be lured out of hiding in order to be brought to justice. The plan of how to do that I now see is the movie within my movie. A fake news story is written and then published to the internet that is intended to produce anger in the criminal so strong that she reveals her location when she corrects the story. I now see my main character as the director, his friend as the producer, and others as critics of this story within my story. Thank you for helping me feel closer to my main character now that I see that our goals are basically the same: to influence people through their emotional reaction to our stories.

[@v0ldy54]

To be fair as an Italian the pizza at 11:06 makes me want to commit war crimes :D

[@KereruEgret]

interesting, could you elaborate why?

[@v0ldy54]

@@KereruEgret cuz you can spot immediately it's a terrible pizza

[@RickLubbers]

This would come full circle if Now You See It started using metaphores for people making video essays critiquing movies.

[@wishiwereclassy]

I wonder what your take is on Miyazaki's portrayal of an artist and her art in Kiki's Delivery Service. It's rather beautiful and poignant, and I think the fact that Miyazaki movies are masterpieces of hand-drawn art are why he portrays paintings with such awe and respect.

[@adversitycartoons4050]

I agree with you because you did a very good job at presenting your point of view, but theoretically you could put any interpretation on any movie. Saying that low budget movies depicts “real life” better than blockbusters is a bit over generalizing and there’s lot of angles you ignore IMO.

[@aolson5795]

I think you're just projecting here. You can find anything in anything if you look hard enough and torture your metaphors. If your whole career is analyzing movies, then you're just going to see film analysis metaphors when you watch movies. Also, there's no movies about regular people doing normal stuff because that would be boring as heck. Of course movies are going to be about epic destinies or whatever! No one would watch a movie about going to the grocery store, because you experience that for yourself on the regular! Even your examples of "less 'cinematic'" movies are interesting stories about people in unusual circumstances. The circumstances in Nomadland and Moonlight are not "everyday living" for 99.99999% of people at all. They might not have explosions or set pieces or whatever, but that doesn't mean they're not "cinematic."

[@nsp51frio]

It's nice every once in a while I feel like to watch an indie or abstract movie where it's less budget but more bang 90% of the time in the character department or visuals. However, one usually has to invest themselves on behalf of the director and crew to really accept the movie and get all the intentions out of it or not in certain abstract film. Furthermore, I agree that in certain films, for example: Baby Driver, you can feel the directorial energy and it feels like you're with the character along for the ride. I think these cult classics like Donnie dark, the craft, baby driver, there's more, all encapsulate that intimate feeling with the character.

[@happyjosiah]

One of the best channels on KZbin. Keep it up!

[@user-ey9os9xi7p]

Criticising this interpretation for being “wrong” “ignorant to other perceptions” is pretty funny, considering it’s an interpretation. Yes teamwork, creation, human spirit, are universal functions. Yes, disregarding their construction within the story *for* the story can overlook their purpose within it. But that’s not what this interpretation is focused on. It’s an analysis of *this* concept. Drawing similarities and opening up interesting and demonstrated dialogue ( why there are so many non-documentary movies about making movies ). Anything beyond direct comparison is food for thought, gives you room to notice these patterns within other works and even amongst other mediums. Not to mention common themes can be implemented for both reasons, yes teamwork is a universal theme, but this is looking into a possible reason it is an easy path for filmmakers to trace. Why must all analysis drag a grand blanket, covering the psyche behind absolutely everything to ever be made? It’s not as if this was without example or poorly produced. It’s ok to say “huh, that’s fun to think about”, then move on. The point was not to be “correct or incorrect”, but to put together observations and construct an entertaining theory, so it feels like a misinterpretation of purpose trying to debunk an idea that was never made to follow common discussions to begin with.

[@user-ey9os9xi7p]

And this isn’t really in praise of the analysis, I learnt something and it was fun, but I agree some points felt so widely applicanle the overarching point came lukewarm; but I can recognise that the point of this video was to discuss that idea. So again... trying to say the idea “missed the mark” of an entirely different concept is just, again, funny...

[@antoniomd3812]

Metalanguage is an essential characteristic of postmodernism. That's why most of recent movies use it.

[@cr0nin]

I just saw Aquaman and I can confirm it is the same as How To Train Your Dragon 2.

The video is very good but, please, let the images breathe a little. The nonstop narration makes this sound like those celebrity gossip videos.

[@Jared-ss3jx]

Wow that's such a cool and interesting interpretation of There will be blood. Seeing movie scenes as metaphors for filmmaking is mind blowing for me