MovieChat Forums > The Double (2014) Discussion > A jumble of movies we've seen before

A jumble of movies we've seen before


Before anyone gets all pissy and mentions that this movie is based on a Dostoevsky novella from the 1800s, let me be clear: I am not inferring that the story somehow ripped off other contemporary sources. I'm just wondering if anyone else felt distracted while viewing The Double by its many similarities to films I've seen and that have seeped into popular culture. Specifically, I kept thinking of Fight Club, The Tenant, Rear Window, Brazil, Youth In Revolt, Enemy, and Orson Welles' The Trial. Which leads me to my second question: Do we need this movie? Even if it is a mostly faithful adaptation to a hitherto unadapted story by a world famous 19th century novelist that recalls excellent films from the history of cinema, and which was beautifully, skilfully crafted and acted, do we need another movie with the doppelganger/alter ego paradigm, especially one which does nothing to reinvent or subvert the genre? Ultimately, The Double left me thinking of the films it resembled, as I was already forgetting the doppelganger.

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Yes, we do need this movie, at least I do, for its creativity and imagination, its unique perspective. Most of the films you mentioned Ayoade was not referencing, he does make many references to other films: german expressionism, Kieslowski, etc. - but it's how he pulls it all together and makes it his own that I see as a wonderful achievement. "The Double" has actually quite a lot to say if you dig into it a bit and don't focus on surface references, which may or may not be there - for example, "Brazil".

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It's certainly a skillful production. The image of Wasikowska on the subway was breathtaking. However, I definitely wouldn't call it unique, and I don't think it was trying to be either. You mentioned German Expressionism, and you are exactly on point with that observation. That is, for certain, a reference Ayoade intended to make. And for that, I do not fault him. But you also mentioned Kieslowski, which reminded me (your comment did, not The Double) of another film about doppelgangers which didn't at all feel redundant, The Double Life Of Veronique. Indeed, the film was heralded as an unprecedented work of art, and I would have to agree. I think its charms lie in its ability to subtly hypnotize the viewer into a story that doesn't make sense- a story that isn't supposed to make sense, at least not in a logical, causal sort of way. As Ebert put it, "We are drawn into the character, not kept at arm's length with a plot." While I don't believe Ayoade was guilty of keeping us at arm's length with his plot (which wasn't even his), I do think he manages to do this with his over-abundance of style. It is to the detriment of the film that we as an audience are completely bombarded visually, instead of being led to examine more subtle details/nuances. Add to this the fact that the visuals, though arresting, did not provide us with anything new or original, and we are left with a film that feels almost formulaic. I get a sense of Ayoade being excited about finding an un-adapted story by a famous author that could be so perfectly paired with genres of which he had long since been an admirer: German expressionism, surrealism, even Kafka-ism. And perhaps, in an effort to make it more than just a paint-by-numbers homage, he decided he better throw in a bunch of other familiar tropes (the mistaken-identity dinner scene comes to mind, which felt both farcical and self-aware). Now, perhaps he did no mean to draw our attention to the similarities between his films and the ones I mentioned, but he surely was at least aware of them. He may have even tried to avoid such similarities, and perhaps he succeeded in your view, but at least with me he was unable to prove that his vision was different enough.

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I love "The Double Life of Veronique" (it's in my blu-ray collection), but just because it has a doppelganger theme doesn't mean it has a similar focus or modus operandi as "The Double" - they're, of course, very different. There are, though, a number of Kieslowski influences on Ayoade - of course, the beautiful and specific attention to color coding throughout the film (Hannah is associated with blue and yellow); also aspects of "The Decalogue", particularly the 6th episode; the Soviet-bloc, austere apartment complex setting, the conformity and despair. I also enjoyed the little reference to "Blue" in Hannah's apartment, where she has on display a mobile of blue crystals, as did the Juliet Binoche's character in Kieslowski's "Blue". But Ayoade is much more focused on irony and humor (his first film "Submarine" is another excellent example), and his many references and pastiches are post-modern, but, I would also maintain, that there is a serious reaching for meaning in "The Double" that's quite different than the original novella. If you're interested check out my "Jungian interpretation" thread (below), where I talk about this aspect of the film. If you do, feel free to comment.

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