MovieChat Forums > High-Rise (2016) Discussion > Sit safe in a cage or fly dangerously fr...

Sit safe in a cage or fly dangerously free? (contains spoilers)


So i didn't read the book and overall i found it a decent movie. sloppy at times and confusing but to its core its sort of amazing.

This tower block is trying to offer order and stability to its inhabitants. From the beginning you can already sense the restlessness of the characters. they are almost picking on each other just for kicks to get away from their lives. everyone asks each other what they do outside like it symbolizes how great they are, this also shows in their position in the tower.
We see gatherings of the higher classes literally dressed as bourgeois and the parties of the lower severely less composed. the higher later say they need to show they can have a better party then the "commoners". this shows how the higher wants to be more "free" like the lower and they want to be more respected and flamboyant as the higher, giving us that we all want to be someone else as we are never content with out own lives.
With this the lights start going out and the accessibility to goods and conditions start to have a downfall. before this one character says how we are all biological robots, how we need certain technologies to stay in check.
Without the availability of the normal conditions everyone starts to spiral but still wanting to showcase how they still have it together because they are better equipped.
the main character later is shown trying to lead a "normal" life but cant seem to keep himself humanized with the growing state of "freedom" in the tower. later after losing himself and letting his animal out he says he has never felt closer to being who he wants to be.
Wilder is the character that's really shows this build up into an animal state when he keeps saying his name until he ends with only grunts and then is fed dog food after raping sienna miller's character. Everyone at this point has lost all control the tower is turned into a piles of trash surrounded by orgies, parties, raping and murdering. no one however seems to leave even though they are in danger and lacking any basic "human needs", I think this is because everyone in this state seem to enjoy having no need to rationalize anything, letting their animal roam free is easier than being a citizen. constant control, questioning, asking for permission and self doubt are so hard to keep up with in this growing demand of being a good person. like one character says its like they all made a silence agreement that no more judgement shall be cast no matter how degrading things get because the alternative is going back to being a prisoner of being human.
At the end Laing says he can't wait to see the progression of the next tower, and he and the remaining seem to have this childish freedom to roam and to make choices as they please.
Even though the movie could hiccup at certain times i think overall it gives a lot to think about and consider.
Would we rather stay "safe" but caged in these endless rules and composure or would we rather fly freely in this dangerous and unexpected wilderness?

plus - amazing ABBA covers and kaleidoscope scene

reply