The Spanish film The Platform, also known as El Hoyo (“The Hole” in English), has one
of the most interesting and most original science fiction thriller premises I’ve
encountered in a while. The story is set
in the Pit a.k.a. the “Vertical Self-Management Center”, a large tower-style structure
of multiple floors. It basically serves
as a prison for sentenced criminals, but people can also voluntarily enter it and
stay for a set amount of time in exchange for a benefit.
Each floor of the tower is
furnished like a prison cell, and houses two prisoners. The exact number of floors is unbeknownst to
the prisoners, but it’s hundreds at least.
At the middle of each floor is a hole, and through it, a platform
descends once a day to feed the prisoners.
An exquisite spread is set on this platform, which stays on the floor
for a certain period before it lowers down to the next. This means that the prisoners on the lower
floor eat the leftovers of those on the upper floor, and so on, as the amount
and desirability of the food decreases as the platform travels. Thus, those on the higher floors can have their
fill, those on the middle floors have to manage with the scraps, and those on
the lower floors are usually left with nothing.
Prisoners are also not allowed to
set aside food for later. They can only
eat the food while the platform is on their floor. If a prisoner of a floor breaks this rule,
the temperature of their floor either grows hotter and hotter until he and his
cellmate are baked to death or colder and colder until they’re frozen to death.
Moreover, once a month, the
prisoners are randomly shuffled between floors.
They are gassed to sleep, and when they wake up, they find themselves on
a new floor, but with the same cellmate.
This means that those at the top floors can find themselves transferred
to the lower floors, and vice versa.
As expected, such system on place
breeds an environment rife with conflict, death, bitterness, and chaos. Actually, if well-rationed, the food on the
platform is theoretically ample to feed everyone, if it’s rationed. However, as typical of human depravity, greed,
spite, and self-preservation win out, which prevents any cooperation among
prisoners from ever happening.
I feel that this movie is worth a
watching based on its interesting premise alone, so I don’t feel like giving a more
detailed plot synopsis aside from this: it revolves around a man named Goreng (Iván
Massagué), who voluntarily entered the Pit in exchanged for an accredited
certificate.
Besides, I don’t feel that the
narrative – fairly absorbing as it is – is as strong as the premise. Still, it explores the intriguing
implications of its setup quite well enough.
As usual from science fiction
films of this kind, The Platform
attempts to have underlying meaning. The Pit is intended to serve as a thought experiment on the human
condition, obviously (which I remember is the favorite word of one the characters. Lol). And it seems like the characters represent certain ideologies and philosophies. However, in the end, I’m not sill entirely
sure if the movie is being deep or pretentious with this. Also, I think it’s guilty of some false analogies with its message.
Moreover, as is also the case
with such movies, not only does the audience need to unlock the undertones, but the actualities in the narrative are also left open for interpretation – especially with
its ending (in which – SPOILER – I think certain rules have been broken, and thus,
the only reasonable explanation I can think of is at some point in the movie,
everything has only been happening in a dying Goreng’s head).
In the end, as what I already
mentioned, The Platform is worth watching
for its unique premise alone. Even with
its ambiguities, I find it satisfyingly unsettling, unpredictable, provocative,
and fascinating.
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