really obvious symbology in films

[shootthebandit]

So im watching terminator salvation (warning possible spoilers for you slowpokes) and even from the beginning the symbology couldnt be anymore obvious. Marcus wright is set up as a messiah. At the beginning a passage from the bible is read as he is essentially crucified. Later on we see him crucified again. There is also a point where he skims across the top of the water (not quite walking on water). They just havent tried to keep their metaphors subtle

Can you think of any film which has really obvious symbology?

Edit: remember your spoiler warning children

 

[Esotera]

The Dark Knight Rises is pretty much propaganda for why Wall Street is great and Occupy will lead to angry mobs dishing out icy vengeance to the upper classes. It also really doesn't fit in with the rest of the film which makes it even more noticeable. Anyway, other people have described it far better than I can:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jerrybowyer/2012/07/26/why-batmans-the-dark-knight-rises-is-an-instant-conservative-classic/

 

[Johanthemonster666]

The Dark Knight Rises is pretty much propaganda for why Wall Street is great and Occupy will lead to angry mobs dishing out icy vengeance to the upper classes. It also really doesn't fit in with the rest of the film which makes it even more noticeable. Anyway, other people have described it far better than I can:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jerrybowyer/2012/07/26/why-batmans-the-dark-knight-rises-is-an-instant-conservative-classic/

But its use of occupy themes are pretty superficial, it's not elaborated on as anything more than a plot to tear the city to pieces. My friends and I had fun trying to pick apart political subtexts in it but our ultimate verdict was that it had nothing to actually say other than that Christopher Nolan's brooding had to find other movies to be expressed in.

 

[shootthebandit]

The Dark Knight Rises is pretty much propaganda for why Wall Street is great and Occupy will lead to angry mobs dishing out icy vengeance to the upper classes. It also really doesn't fit in with the rest of the film which makes it even more noticeable. Anyway, other people have described it far better than I can:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jerrybowyer/2012/07/26/why-batmans-the-dark-knight-rises-is-an-instant-conservative-classic/

Yeah theres loads of films with really obvious socialist undertones

 

[Nosirrah]

The Dark Knight Rises is pretty much propaganda for why Wall Street is great and Occupy will lead to angry mobs dishing out icy vengeance to the upper classes. It also really doesn't fit in with the rest of the film which makes it even more noticeable. Anyway, other people have described it far better than I can:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jerrybowyer/2012/07/26/why-batmans-the-dark-knight-rises-is-an-instant-conservative-classic/

But its use of occupy themes are pretty superficial, it's not elaborated on as anything more than a plot to tear the city to pieces. My friends and I had fun trying to pick apart political subtexts in it but our ultimate verdict was that it had nothing to actually say other than that Christopher Nolan's brooding had to find other movies to be expressed in.

I don't mean to offend anyone, but the link from bane to Bain seems kind of stupid to me, because bane was just the guy who broke batman's back, which is kind of his whole reason for existence. And probably has nothing to do with anything else.

 

[The Lyre]

The Matrix comes to mind - especially the end 'pose' Neo has in Revolutions.

I freaking hate symbolism in films. It's never as meaningful as the director thinks it is.

I can't think of a single film that I felt was improved by symbolism.

 

[Silvanus]

I can't think of a single film that I felt was improved by symbolism.

The Big Lebowski? Those fellas running at the dude with giant scissors? It's tongue-in-cheek, admittedly.


OT: David Lynch makes great use of symbolism, but he's a very acquired taste. I happen to love it (though Eraserhead has disturbed me more than any other film has managed).

 

[The Wykydtron]

So I just watched the first Death Note opening again for the first time in about a year... That has to count. Not even counting the show itself, the opening has so much "I r god lol" in it it's crazy. Over the top in a good sort of way.

I don't do films by the way. They all seem boring to me no matter how good the concept is... The comic book films are pretty much the only exception. Oh The Purge sounds interesting. They could really do a proper TV series on that. Different Purges every year or just the same Purge but focused on different people repeating the same night. See THAT I could get behind. Again how can they do that concept justice in 2 hours?

The two hour running time the majority of films stick to is too constricting for my tastes. A good story paced over 25 episodes/X hour game or a good story crammed into 2 hours. I know which one I would go for every single time.

I was going to suggest Persona 4 (it's an anime now, that's close enough to a film right? ) but most of that is obvious theming not symbolism. I mean come on, the main battle song is called Reach Out to the Truth and it's a mystery game. How much more obvious can things get? There are some Nietzsche-esque things later on but they're not too in your face about it.

 

[Gatx]

Stain glass Jesus in the Man of Steel. I mean he does the Christ pose a couple times but that's done so often it's cliche at this point, but that scene was just so in your face that it was hilarious.

 

[Tiger King]

In event horizon, the door frames are all coffin shaped and the ship is a giant crucifix shape.
Yeah not that subtle but I quite enjoyed that film and didn't feel it made much impact either way.

 

[Twinkey]

While i think the movie is pretty good
it always irritated me in "Gran Torino" when

Walt (Eastwood) gets shot down by the gang and his body lies on the ground stretched out like JC on the cross
just to symbolize the sacrifice he made

It honestly felt way to crude and simple and imo didn't serve any purpose at all for the drama.

 

[IronMit]

The Matrix comes to mind - especially the end 'pose' Neo has in Revolutions.

I freaking hate symbolism in films. It's never as meaningful as the director thinks it is.

I can't think of a single film that I felt was improved by symbolism.

Movies have the 'jesus cross pose' all the time. It's quite frustrating that directors think this has meaning when they just throw it in.

However in The Matrix it has a bit more context...considering the entire thing is a weird allegory of religion, system , control, prophecy, the savoir etc etc it is not as cringeworthy
At the end of reloaded it is revealed that the entire 'jesus' flex is a lie...so I guess in revolutions he becomes a savour anyway so they threw it in.

 

[IronMit]

Man of steel
Some weird blend of Jesus 'stain glass window', eugenics, communism vs freedom 'america fu*k yeah' theme/symbolism

Smallville is littered with them. Pilot episode his up on a cross but I kind of liked this. It was so obvious it was ok.

 

[AliasBot]

To be fair, Superman has always filled that sort of 'perfect savior' role. He's probably the one character I don't mind that sort of symbolism from, simply because of how obvious it is anyway.

...the movies I seem to notice obvious symbolism in the most generally seem to be young-adult or children's novels that I read when I was too young to understand that symbolism, or at least the books didn't quite bash you so hard over the head with it. Prime examples being The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Deathly Hallows, which both went a bit over-the-top with the whole Christ-figure thing, and The Golden Compass, with the opposing "religion is bad and you should feel bad" thing going on.

And then there's Avatar's over-the-top eco-friendly message (only thinly veiled by all that CGI). I'm sure there have been others, but those are the ones that come immediately to mind.

 

[GonzoGamer]

You want to see really bod, obvious symbology? Try Independent film.
I leave you witha man better now known as, The Imp.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4je71Tz_9IE
"Have you ever had a dream with a dwarf in it?!"

 

[Legion]

Mardock Scramble is an anime film trilogy based upon a book of the same name. The symbolism is not so much obvious as it is "If you don't notice it you are blind".

There is an egg related theme going on.

The main character is called Rune Balot (Balot is a reference to the French for cooking a chick inside it's shell for food).
Her companion is called Oeufcoque Penteano (Oeufcoque means half cooked in French).
Her "trustee" so to speak is called Doctor Easter (he is actually a Doctor).
Her "nemesis" is called Shell Septinos.
Her main enemy is called Dimsdale Boiled.

It goes on...

Some people seem to dislike it, but I find it kind of charming to be honest, and I am normally not a fan of overt symbolism. The anime isn't trying to be "normal" but is relatively grounded compared to some, but this gives it a bit of quirkiness. In most cases it is also quite relevant to the characters as well.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

The Matrix comes to mind - especially the end 'pose' Neo has in Revolutions.

I freaking hate symbolism in films. It's never as meaningful as the director thinks it is.

I can't think of a single film that I felt was improved by symbolism.

I think I'd have to agree with you when it comes to religious symbolism, it's been done to death. I'm not so opposed to less obvious subjects so long as it's subtle. The X-Men films have a long running undercurrent of gay-rights and I actually think it works really well (one of the only good things about the turd that is The Last Stand).

Because I'm lazy, and I can't be bothered to put things into my own words, here's a link to the Cracked article:
http://www.cracked.com/article_20497_5-great-movies-with-mind-blowing-symbolism-you-didnt-notice.html

 

[Pink Gregory]

The Matrix comes to mind - especially the end 'pose' Neo has in Revolutions.

I freaking hate symbolism in films. It's never as meaningful as the director thinks it is.

I can't think of a single film that I felt was improved by symbolism.

?I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history ? true or feigned? with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I think that many confuse applicability with allegory, but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author.?

Tolkien's got your back

And yet he and C.S. Lewis had something of a close friendship.

 

[Pink Gregory]

I can't think of a single film that I felt was improved by symbolism.

[/quote]

Not even something like 2001: A Space Odyssey?

I know Kubrick's films are something of an acquired taste, but how far can you divorce symbolism from evocative imagery?

Admittedly I'm not personally a fan of imagery that explicitly means something, rather than being open to interpretation; but I suppose that's a question of subtlety.