MovieChat Forums > Doppelgänger (1969) Discussion > Why everything is the same on both Earth...

Why everything is the same on both Earth's - Possible explantion

posted 10 years ago by ewaf58
11 replies | jump to latest

Apart from everything being in reverse aspect - the atoms of each version of Earth could be related by Quantum entanglement - that is to say whatever happens to an atom on one planet - must happen to the related atom on the other instantaneously.

Therefore - by definition - all events would have to be the same - their history - current happening etc.

Of course being on opposite sides of the sun it could be that they could get hit by meteorites at different times - thereby altering events on each plant - but I'll let any rocket scientist reading this work that one out.

I really like this film though - and the ending is very downbeat. No Hollywood happy ending in sight.

[–] creatorof2002 9 years ago

This movie is too dated, I do not think quantum entanglement was as well understood back then. Another problem is the view of the OTHER planets and objects in our solar system would be different over there and that would cause slight changes in the other Earth.

I do like the quantum entanglement idea though.

Maybe if a remake is done it can be another universe entirely.

I have read that our understanding of astronomy has advanced to the point that if there was another planet always on the opposite side of the sun we would be able to know about it because it's gravity would cause a very slight but calculable movement of our sun, we have instruments that sensitive now but probably not when this was filmed.

[–] ewaf58 9 years ago

Hi I guess if it was in another Universe the problem would be how on Earth would we get there.

Yes the movie is dated but I've always enjoyed the model work and the friction between the characters.

[–] melnar1 9 years ago

...the view of the OTHER planets and objects in our solar system would be different over there and that would cause slight changes in the other Earth.

Both planets being in exactly the same orbit, would have the same views of other planets etc. but at different times.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] ewaf58 8 years ago

Good point

[–] 8 years ago

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[–] henrimaine 8 years ago

I think the whole mirroring thing was the most stupid part of this otherwise rather interesting idea. Why does everything have to be a mirror (reversed) image on the other planet? Why not exactly the same? If this movie is ever remade, then I hope they drop the mirror image device.

[–] ewaf58 8 years ago

Well the original title was Doppleganger which means double of a living person so dropping the mirror image would mean changing the whole plot.

Yes we could have had a film where they were exactly the same but not mirror images but I feel that that would have been less interesting.

[–] henrimaine 8 years ago

Of course, the idea that there is a planet that duplicates our Earth, is the central part of this movie. Without that idea there would be no movie. But the idea that, on this duplicate planet, everything is reversed - that does not sound very important to me. Sounds more like a useless plot device, to me. The reversion is the reason why the captain finds out that he's on another planet. But I'm sure the screenwriters could have invented a more clever way for the truth to be discovered.

[–] ewaf58 8 years ago

Yes good point. Going on my original post where I mentioned quantum entanglement I was speculating that everything that happened on one of the Earth's would take place on the second Earth at exactly the same time (distance doesn't affect entanglement).

Each Earth would have exactly the same orbit speed and rotation so the seasons would be the same. But the Sun would be different on one side so although events would be duplicated things like solar flares wouldn't be.

So there would be differences in terms of solar activity but that wouldn't ring any alarm bells. But perhaps the location of the other planets would because they wouldn't be in the places they should be in relation to the Earth.

The astronaut would be able to work out that the positions were wrong. And what about the second Earths moon?

Theoretically it couldn't have taken the same meteorite strikes as Earth one so the craters would be different. Perhaps this would be the giveaway which could be skillfully worked into the story.

Imagine Apollo 11 not landing in the same sea of tranquility.

Nb - One more thing - what about the meteor which supposably hit the Earth ad wiped out all the dinosaurs? So it would have to mean that both the actual Earths and their moons had entanglement so that even if only one meteor struck the same damage would happen on the twin. If this is so then the moons wouldn't look any different so it would have to be the location of the planets that was the giveaway.

[–] franzkabuki 8 years ago

"But I'm sure the screenwriters could have invented a more clever way for the truth to be discovered".

Yes, and it should have happened more gradually and subtly, perhaps even allowing for some commentary on alienation and whatnot along the way. Here, the whole idea of the guy finding himself in a wrong place seems sort of wasted.

"facts are stupid things" Ronald Reagan