eXistenZ and Plato

How does Existenz, the film, fit into Plato’s hierarchical scheme of reality?

Existenz, the film, fits into Plato’s hierarchical scheme of reality because in the film we are tossed into what’s assumed to be three levels of reality, just like in Plato’s ideas. The three levels of reality in Existenz, film, follow as the real world, the first game trancendenz, and the second game existenz, this coincides with Plato’s levels being reality, physical, art. In the movie the real world is the reality, the game trancendenz is the physical, and existenz is the art.

My take on the film:

The film talks a lot about reality as the games themselves are designed to take the user out of reality and liberate them from their normal lives by allowing them to make a new one. Throughout the movie there are scenes that don’t fit what we define as normal, a few examples of this is to play the game existenz you have to have this thing called a bio-port installed which is a direct opening into your spinal cord, next is the game console itself the console is this hybridized creature that’s appears to be part flesh and part technology, after that is the fact that other objects are fleshy technology like their cellphones and the creatures are said to be “two headed amphibians”, lastly is the fact that in the “real world” things are labelled blankly on buildings which to some degree is different from our real world. Along with those strange scenes a few lines stick out, the game design is described to be “like real life just enough to make it more interesting”(eXistenZ), after starting and exiting the game existenz Ted states that “real life doesn’t feel real after the game” and that there is an “element of psychosis in game,” with a response from Allegra where she says that it “means it’s working,” (eXistenZ). I think that the quotes and strange objects are put in place to make the viewer either question if that is truly the real world or something else, but it is then revealed that Allegra and Ted we in fact playing a game within a game allowing for the viewer to understand why certain things were so abnormal.

How does the game, Trancendenz fit?

The game trancendenz fits into Plato’s hierarchical scheme of reality by being the “physical world” because from the beginning of the film to about a quarter of the way to the end the viewer is sheltered from what their “real world” is and have no other excuse than to assume that it’s just a tad bit different from what our view of the real world is. The film’s genre is also sci-fi so in a way it makes sense to not question the reality of things. By the end of the film it is revealed that existenz is a game within a game called trancendenz. For me to personally understand the movie and relate it back to Plato I have to look at it in layers; the outermost layer is reality, or the real wprld, next is the game trancendenz which is the physical world/ creation, and existenz is the art/ the imitation.

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all quotes from the movie eXistenZ