Philosophical Movies

...something to get you thinking.

add some others that you can think of.
& i'm not posting this in the movies forum because i'm interested in what all our hipforums philosophers think of as good flicks; i'm not sure they all visit the movies forum.

memento
the fisher king
the matrix
the truman show
vanilla sky
existenz
gattaca
donnie darko
eternal sunshine
stealing heaven
ghost world
the meaning of life
rashomon
what dreams may come
the last temptation of JC
contact
dogville
strictly ballroom
requiem for a dream
the usual suspects
the thin blue line
dr strangelove
the city of lost children
a clockwork orange
the man who shot liberty valance
blow-up
pi
the cube
the unbearable lightness of being



i haven't seen all these, not even close; people only keep recommending movies to me and i make note of them. i seriously have a crazy long list of must-see films, but i still end up watching crap like 'dude, where's my car' (although, philosophically speaking, where IS my car?)..


carry on.

 

The Truman show will mess with your mind like no other the first time you see it. I still get flashbacks from that flick. See it.

 

"I (heart) hucakbees" is great. i mean, "existential detectives?" brilliant!

 

I was just about to post that.
But ya, definatley a good movie to make ya think

 

Jacobs Ladder, one of my all time favourite films.

 

The Matrix?

 

I can't believe you missed Fight Club
you suck

 

^ lol..... you're right, mofo. and i can't believe i missed huckabees. i just watched that show less than a week ago; it was awesome.
i just found out that my library has a ton of these movies..... to rent for free. i'm never going to the movie store again.

 

Some might argue these fall into the category of psychology rather than philosophy, but both of these films deal with the "big questions" (identity, what defines a "good" life, etc.) traditionally ascribed to philosophical inquiry.

Being John Malkovich
Persona (Ingmar Bergman...enough said)

 

I would actually add Groundhog Day to that list because it directly deals with a philosophical situation and question.

 

Man, "The Cube" was one fucked up movie. Just had to say that.

"What the BLEEP Do We Know" fits this category, though it's more of a documentary.

 

what the bleep do we know?:
i have yet to see that one, trippinbtm.... is it any good?
weirdly enough, we have a poster for it up in the house. i keep looking at it, never rent it.
*shrug*

 

Yeah, it's a cool movie. Can't take it all as fact, but some of it blew my mind. I intend to look into the books written by the people who were interviewed, for further understanding.

 

I heart huckabees was good, although i didnt see any particular existential anything that it constantly billed.

Waking Life, (watch it stoned)

 

"Mind Walk" is an interesting movie, just a long conversation about the world and how we understand it. Based on "the turning point" by Fritjof Chopra

 

That is a pretty decent list you have compiled.

I would recommend starting off with Memento, Donnie Darko, Vanilla Sky (though I did not enjoy it), Ghost World, What dreams may come and Jacob’s ladder. A Clockwork Orange and Requiem for a dream are a bit overrated, in my opinion.

Pi reminds me of Onewayout and the dedication he possess for his work.

I have added quite a few of those to my own, "must see", list.

 

hell yes.

 

Waking Life is probably the most purely philosophical movie I've seen that didn't promote any specific agenda or single philosophy---just an open exchange of ideas.

Just saw Pi: Faith in Chaos a few days ago and I was really inspired by it.

 

Star Wars movies are the most philosophical, especially Episode 3.