MovieChat Forums > Special (2006) Discussion > Alternative viewpoint

Alternative viewpoint

posted 12 years ago by martinclart
5 replies | jump to latest

So rather than Les being enrolled on a drug trial, what do you guys think about the whole movie being an acute psychotic episode, possibility triggered by cannabis use (we know a few of his friends partake).

All of his interactions with the doc that recruited him feel unreal, maybe the only clear moment was when he returned to the offices with his friends and the doc didn't recognise him. I know Les had pills and the green liquid treatment given to him at this point, but all scenes with these items in could be delusions too.

The scene that really got me thinking was before Les got beaten up by the invisible suits... The resulting injuries, together with the lights, approaching horn and corridor style of the buildings just before the confrontation gave me the impression Les might actually have been on a railway line and was hit by a train. The suits didn't exist at all...

Any thoughts?

[–] ImpotentBoy2 11 years ago

I'm going to assume you've never had weed. Despite what teachers tell you weed will not make you see *beep* or do anything like what Les did, not anywhere close even if you smoked 10 lbs of it. I'm also going to assume you've never been hit by a train, because the movie would have ended right then and there, unless your suggesting the rest of the movie is some kind of purgatory.

Sorry, nothing in your post seems likely, but it was interesting.

[–] martinclart 11 years ago

"i'm going to assume you've never had weed"

Your assumption made me lol.

Dude I've smoked weed daily for over ten years.... *beep*, I'm stoned now! Hehehe. Oh and incidentally, cannabis can induce latent psychosis and can certainly cause acute psychotic episodes - i've seen it in friends.

You're right though, I've never been hit by a train.

[–] gabby_bm 11 years ago

Oh and incidentally, cannabis can induce latent psychosis and can certainly cause acute psychotic episodes - i've seen it in friends.

I need the phone number of your friends' connection because over the last 40 years I have never seen nor experienced such a reaction from any of the weed I've smoked. And frankly, I think I'd like to.

"De gustibus non disputandum est"
#3

[–] LillyStryker 11 years ago

This is an interesting idea and you're right that the scenes interacting with the doctor did feel like hallucinations, I attributed that to the fact that with him hallucinating all of these other goings ons in his life, even the real parts would feel hazy and blend in together. That's part of the reason people who hallucinate can't seperate it from reality, because it all feels the same.

Although weed can definitely trigger psychotic episodes for people who have unstable mentality, I think if they went this route they would have to use a drug that was more convincing because people would think it was some kind of 'above the influence - poster movie' . It doesn't have to be something stereotypical like shrooms or LSD, but just something stronger and less typical. For example heroin, like he fell into a very lucid dream while high and everything he dreamt felt painfully real to him upon waking up. Or maybe he accidentally got something laced that caused an adverse long term effect on his perception on reality, like the drug did.

Honestly I think his personal situation and what really happened chemically and realistically to him is meant to be left up to the viewer.

[–] askmonroville 11 years ago

That is one of the things I love about this movie... it's open to interpretation. I would love to do a fan edit of this where it ends with him truly having super powers, but at the cost of his sanity.

I always felt it would be interesting to show the more horrible consequences to being a super hero: the paparazzi, the police (much less everyone else in government) constantly harassing you; having 1000s of people calling out for help, and you have to pick which ones you're going to save and which ones you're going to let get hurt or die.