all you people who say you cant understand this film scare me. you're the problem with the world cuz you're too bloody stupid to realize how stupid you are.
the movie isn't that complex. forget the whole gangster plot (i dont have time to explain that stuff). The basic gist of the movie is that the only enemy in life is the self talk that goes on inside your head - so YOU are your greatest enemy.
now the movie calls this part of the human psyche "mr. gold". its all our fears, insecurities, etc. its the dark side of our psyche. hence, as long as you are controlled by "mr. gold" you are still in prison.
the thing is that mr. golds ONLY holds power over you becuase YOU think all these pathetic negative thoughts are your own.
taken a step further, this side of the human psyche is the reason for why society is so shallow and people so materialistic. as they say in the end "if you try to save them, they will kill you to protect him, becuase they believe they are him". Mr. Gold is that little voice in the back of your head that tells you to look out for number 1.
the whole movie is based on the concept that what controls us is our fears and we don't even know it (change the rules of what controls you, and you change the rules on what you can control). we are all "approval junkies" who get up for that "slap on the back" - ie. positive reinforcement to calm our fears and insecurities.
now the movie goes a step further. I see Mr. Gold as being hte devil. usually teh saying is "the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he didnt exist". this film twists that slightly to say "the greatest trick he ever pulled was convincing you that he was you".
its truly a testament that society really is falling into a state of secular materialism when a movie that focuses on what drives people to do what they do - whether that be good or bad - flies right over their heads. people really no longer care about what is right or wrong, or why people do what they do. 50 cent is now the professor tutoring the masses and its starting to show by teh fact that some people lack the intelligence to understand the ideas in this movie (its a sad day when the high school drug dealer gang banger is the one telling people how to think and people actually listen).
the whole movie is about the negative psychological traits that drive people to do what they do - and how the "devil" or "mr gold" or "evil" or "dysfunctional self talk" - is behind it all.
This movie is a much better attempt at looking at the inner psyche of man than the matrix, fight club, or any other movie i've seen. and unlike fight club or the matrix, it actually has a positive message - fear is what drives all the evil in teh world, first recognize your fears (ie. look in the last place you'd ever think to look) then overcome them and you will be a free man.
but if you have no interest in psychology or philosophy, or why people are the way they are, or do the things they do, and were rather expecting a gangsta flick i can see why you'd be disappointed. but it doesn't mean the movie is bad. it's a friggin work of genuiness if you ask me. i liked snatch, but this movie is heads and shoulders above snatch. snatch was a fun romp, but this movie has depth and actually tackles some big human psyche questions.
oh, and on a side note, it was a pleasure to see a script that focused on the ideas in the plot versus structuring the movie based on a checklist of hollywood recipes. Notice how there were no hot babes associated to any of the main characters (except for a very brief seen with the Lord). that to me shows integrity and commitment to the script. Even the matrix and fight club each had their "hot" babes to satisfy the beer gut truck drivers of the world.
if you didn't get this movie, you're an idiot, plain and simple. you're part of the problem with this world becuase you've got zero capability to think about what it means to be a human being - and i wouldn't be surprised if you're favorite movie was the new American Pie Band Camp.
