MovieChat Forums > The Double (2014) Discussion > My thoughts and questions (spoilers)

My thoughts and questions (spoilers)


I personally believe that Simon and James were one in the same, just in Simon's mind. There are several references in the first half of the movie to two things being one or the same. When Simon is first visiting his mother he says "we're the same person," and when Simon first sees James and they're walking down the hall side by side, you only hear one set of footsteps for quite a while and then they branch into two sets. I feel like these are hints.
I also think the beginning of the movie shows Simon scanning his work floor, which is filled with older, white males who all look similar, doing monotonous tasks, and I feel like Simon is subconsciously afraid of himself becoming like that. He wants to be more like the colonel, which I think is shown when Simon is observing the photos on the wall at work, and he's standing just like the colonel is in a photo visible to us. It would also make a connection to his last words about being unique; he doesn't want to end up like everyone else. There are many scenes with a prevalent ticking clock sound, which I interpret as time going by, maybe Simon feels like he's lost and running out of time to have the life he wants. For instance, when Simon and Hannah are in the diner, that corny TV show comes on and the woman says "you'll have to hand in your holo-badge and blaster." Which could be a metaphor for Simons badge at work. Maybe he fears losing his job over being replaced or so unnoticed. I think his work was everything (all we ever see him wearing is his suit)and those were his biggest fears.

The color scheme is almost only a yellowish hue, or a bright blue one, which I take as a symbol for night and day (as in the saying). I think it's trying to show not only how different Simon and James are, but also the life Simon is living and the one he feels he should be living. It's like night and day.

So what it comes down to for me, is Simon was so fed up of feeling invisible, not having the confidence to go after the girl, or share his ideas with his boss to advance, or even be treated politely by a waitress, that he created an alter ego, which he struggled to find balance with. I know some argue that there are many scenes with both Simon and James interacting with other people simultaneously, but that could be all in his mind. I think he felt guilty about some of the more hurtful things he did, but ultimately to get what he wanted he had to "kill" James and just be the one person he had always wished to be.

I feel like this movie is The Machinist meets Black Swan.

My one question, why was the Doctor the same as the security guard? Is that also hinting that Simon and James are the same, because we know the doctor and guard are not the same, more as doubles in Simon's mind.

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I believe that the man at the begining who spoke to the boss aboit regression is both the men and the whole film from that point was an experiement to see which side of his personality would win out. The business is all about knowing people.

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There were many doubles and unexplained conversation parts. Its all a fabrication

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