A man shuffles through a dream meeting various people and discussing the meanings and purposes of the universe.A man shuffles through a dream meeting various people and discussing the meanings and purposes of the universe.A man shuffles through a dream meeting various people and discussing the meanings and purposes of the universe.
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Sitting in the movie theater, I found that I was wishing for a remote control to pause the film every minute or so and think about what I'd just heard. The movie shows a sequence of characters in a dream rattling off their theories on life with almost no space between, and I found myself confused many times, struggling with transfering from one topic to another.
I'll need to see this movie another seven times to understand everything that was said.... or wait for the video?
I'll need to see this movie another seven times to understand everything that was said.... or wait for the video?
Waking Life is an amazing, visual, and completely original work of art from filmmaker Richard Linklater. It is not only one of the very best films to be released in 2001, but also one of the most thought provoking films I've ever seen. Watching it is an amazing experience in itself. Its visual style is stunning. Digital animation is put over live action actors in a style that every scene is like some kind of a post-modern painting that you would see in an art gallery. The story follows a young man by the name of Wiley Wiggins and his encounters with many interesting people. He listens to their thoughts and theories, but doesn't really understand why. He is in an on-going lucid dream that takes him to odd, but fascinating encounters with people and places. I absolutely loved this film. It is one of those rare films that takes you away from your seat and into a world that you are placed right in the middle of and when it ends, the only thing you can say is, `Wow!'
This film, if seen by someone who has DEEPLY considered the mysteries of life, will thoroughly delight. If you don't have a spiritual bone in your body, avoid. It has its flaws, but only in retrospect or through the eyes of another will they be found--and then forgiven if you have even an ounce of heart or a particle of transcendence.
It gets beneath one's radar and past one's filters.
For instance, it hits you perceptually with constantly varying animation styles, and after some time, you adjust to this so much that when you leave the theater, THE WORLD IS ANIMATED--a poetic way of saying that your connection to the proposition that all things are real is loosen WONDERFULLY!
And then, it hits you intellectually by parading a dozen+ viewpoints of persons who would not necessarily disagree with one another, but show the vast importance to us of the personal way we manifest our philosophical axioms and how much that depends on our individual interests-not all of us are psychologically constructed to be philosophers, but all of us can be analyzed to have a philosophical set of suppositions. Waking Life challenges these suppositions by merely presenting to you, in dramatic form, persons who vividly present their `takes' on the concepts and how they are impacted by them...especially emotionally.
Ultimately, this is not a movie, and it shouldn't be viewed as such; instead, one should approach it as therapy. See it, be with it, relax, and GROW. Every time you see it again, the concepts saturate your nervous system with reinforcing patterns that will later "echo" in your dynamics in synergistic ways. A seed gets planted and with repeated viewings the seed gets watered.
Go to this event. See it from a seat that's within the first ten rows of the theater; immerse yourself. Let go. All you have to lose (loosen) is identification with a reflection of the real you.
It gets beneath one's radar and past one's filters.
For instance, it hits you perceptually with constantly varying animation styles, and after some time, you adjust to this so much that when you leave the theater, THE WORLD IS ANIMATED--a poetic way of saying that your connection to the proposition that all things are real is loosen WONDERFULLY!
And then, it hits you intellectually by parading a dozen+ viewpoints of persons who would not necessarily disagree with one another, but show the vast importance to us of the personal way we manifest our philosophical axioms and how much that depends on our individual interests-not all of us are psychologically constructed to be philosophers, but all of us can be analyzed to have a philosophical set of suppositions. Waking Life challenges these suppositions by merely presenting to you, in dramatic form, persons who vividly present their `takes' on the concepts and how they are impacted by them...especially emotionally.
Ultimately, this is not a movie, and it shouldn't be viewed as such; instead, one should approach it as therapy. See it, be with it, relax, and GROW. Every time you see it again, the concepts saturate your nervous system with reinforcing patterns that will later "echo" in your dynamics in synergistic ways. A seed gets planted and with repeated viewings the seed gets watered.
Go to this event. See it from a seat that's within the first ten rows of the theater; immerse yourself. Let go. All you have to lose (loosen) is identification with a reflection of the real you.
Incredibly origional, beautiful and perhaps even autistic.
There is no plot if you do not take meaning to words. However, to accompany the thought of the film is the visual representation as to what is being spoken of. The film was shot with a HomeVideo camera and then drawn/colored over.
The animation adds personality and independence to each character, moment,
scene. It is certainly not made for the Mtv generation (or degeneration) nor is its purpose lucid enough to summerize into a music video or column. Reccomended to anyone who takes any interest in philosophy, psychology, or film. Anyone serious to any of those fields is subtly handicap if not having seen it.
There is no plot if you do not take meaning to words. However, to accompany the thought of the film is the visual representation as to what is being spoken of. The film was shot with a HomeVideo camera and then drawn/colored over.
The animation adds personality and independence to each character, moment,
scene. It is certainly not made for the Mtv generation (or degeneration) nor is its purpose lucid enough to summerize into a music video or column. Reccomended to anyone who takes any interest in philosophy, psychology, or film. Anyone serious to any of those fields is subtly handicap if not having seen it.
It is rare for a director to return to a film and improve it but Linklater does it here. Taking the general form of Slackers, he adds a metaphysical story line and coats it with extraordinary eye candy.
The rotoscoping really provides an acid trip experience of constantly shifting planes with backgrounds going one way and characters going the other.
The string quartet tango score also is an excellent use of music to reinforce the exotic aspects of the production.
The monologues are thought provoking and compelling. The story line examining dream/death connection is novel. Score points for originality of story, art direction and narrative line. Some quite funny parts (e.g. boat car, bar shoot out, etc.), some creepy parts (e.g. jailbird rant, second boat man meeting, etc.).
I have seen this several times and enjoyed it every time. Farily rare is the movie that can really stand up to multiple viewings. This is one.
Very refreshing. See it.
The rotoscoping really provides an acid trip experience of constantly shifting planes with backgrounds going one way and characters going the other.
The string quartet tango score also is an excellent use of music to reinforce the exotic aspects of the production.
The monologues are thought provoking and compelling. The story line examining dream/death connection is novel. Score points for originality of story, art direction and narrative line. Some quite funny parts (e.g. boat car, bar shoot out, etc.), some creepy parts (e.g. jailbird rant, second boat man meeting, etc.).
I have seen this several times and enjoyed it every time. Farily rare is the movie that can really stand up to multiple viewings. This is one.
Very refreshing. See it.
Did you know
- TriviaThe movie took 3 weeks to shoot and another 3 weeks to edit using Final Cut Pro. It also took 15 months to animate.
- Quotes
Speed Levitch: On really romantic evenings of self, I go salsa dancing with my confusion.
- Crazy creditsBecause almost none of the characters are named, a clip from their appearance is shown during the credits.
- SoundtracksMi Otra Mitad de Naranja
Performed by Tosca Tango Orchestra (as TOSCA)
Written by Glover Gill
Courtesy of Nois Records
- How long is Waking Life?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $2,901,447
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $88,977
- Oct 21, 2001
- Gross worldwide
- $3,176,880
- Runtime1 hour 39 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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