New Twists On An Old Theme
...voice. This thought can be applied in many areas of life and art including the art of filmmaking. There are examples everywhere of classic stories or themes expressed in new formats. Sometimes these duplicates are blatant as in “The Wiz” following “The Wizard of Oz,” the numerous perspectives given to “Cinderella” and recreations such as the modern day telling of “Othello.” Sometimes, though, these older themes are not as obvious, especially when they represent complex thoughts first uttered centuries ago. With the focus in recent years on a return to the classics, it should not be surprising to find allusions to our more famous Greek philosophers represented in popular films and shows. Andy and Larry Wachowski’s movie “The Matrix” shows a strong resemblance in its central theme to that of Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave.”
In “The Allegory of the Cave,” Plato sets forth the idea that mankind is only living in an illusion of life, that the reality is beyond the scope of our own senses and can only be reached through the intellect. In the dialogue Plato presents, Socrates explains “here they [human beings] have been from their childhood, and have their legs and necks chained so that they cannot move, and can only see before them, being prevented by the chains from turning round their heads.” In this vision, Socrates explains that the human beings are watching a giant screen on which marionettes and other things dance, but the humans can only see the shadows of these moving things. The actual colors and nature of these things cannot be perceived from such a perspective, but not having known anything else, Socrates argues that the humans don’t know there’s something to miss: “To them, I said, the truth would be literally nothing but the shadows of the images.” In addition, Socrates goes on to explain that when one of these individuals is released from...
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