15 films about freedom and the meaning of life

At the beginning of the 20th century in Western Europe, particularly in France, has found a new genre of popular literature. Writers such as Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus began writing about human existence and its crisis, calling it existentialism, philosophical theory, which emphasizes the human existence, defining their own development and destiny.

Together with a friend and associate of Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir challenged the cultural and social aspects that are considered bourgeois. His work influenced not only in sociology, the theory of the colonial and post-colonialism, but also left his mark in the film.

Widely known many works of Sartre, including "Nausea" (1938), "Being and Nothingness" (1943), "Existentialism - a humanism" (1946).

The main idea of ​​the writer and philosopher, is that "man is doomed to be free", meaning that there is no Creator, "existence precedes essence".

Here are 15 films, which reflect the central concepts of the philosophy of Sartre: an existential crisis, the thirst for freedom and the search for meaning in life.

15. Of Machinery / Ex Machina (2015)

In his directorial debut British novelist and screenwriter Alex Garland used the classic story: A scientist and his creation. This is an interesting and intriguing sci-fi reel of film on the experiment, which involved a young programmer Caleb. He will determine whether the world's first self aware artificial intelligence Av.

14. Leviathan (2014)

The film takes place in the Russian Arctic. The plot revolves around the center of the story of a man living on the shore of the bay. The whole of his estate decides to take over the corrupt mayor of the city. This social drama by Andrei Zvyagintsev exposes how the world and the privilege of the powerful. The heroes are faced with an existential crisis and justice, this time not prevail. "Leviathan" - one of the most important films recently shot in the post-Soviet world.

13. Shame / Shame (2011)

Michael Fassbender appeared in the film Steve McQueen as an erotomaniac and Solitary Man Brandon. 30-year-old hero is clearly not able to control their sexual lives, besides depressed and suffering from an existential crisis. Every morning in his New York apartment, he wakes up with another woman. Brandon lives alone and is constantly ignored calls from his sister, but one day she comes in and encourages him to change his lifestyle.

12. A Serious Man / A Serious Man (2009)

A black comedy of the Coen brothers raises many philosophical themes, as well as the most important question: what is the meaning of life. Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) - a physics teacher and comes from a Jewish family, whose life is crumbling before our eyes: a daughter secretly stealing money from his purse, son smokes pot, someone sends him denigrating anonymous letters, the wife wants a divorce and empties their joint bank account. Larry is forced to live in a motel with his brother-loser. His life - a struggle, God's tests, which it must pass, remaining faithful to their convictions.

11. Being John Malkovich / Being John Malkovich (1999)

Spike Jonze film about unclaimed puppeteer Craig Schwartz, which is to feed the family, begins to work in strange company. There he discovers a portal that leads directly into the body of a famous Hollywood actor John Malkovich. Passing through the small door you can be in someone else's mind and see the world through the eyes of Malkovich. Along with the enterprising colleague Craig organizes business - for $ 200 they spend in the body of the actor wanting for 15 minutes. People are dissatisfied with their lives, are lining up to take a look at things through the eyes of strangers. The film shows how estranged the so-called first class from the rest of the people. They share the same reality, but from different perspectives.

10. Cherry Flavor / Ta'm e guilass (1997)

Perhaps the best film of Abbas Kiarostami. Very simple, thoughtful and addictive drama appeals to faith in life and in the power of the spirit. The film tells the story about Mr. measured Badia, middle-aged man, who rides through the desert and is looking for an assistant to help him die. Hero already dug a hole in the mount. But someone has to bury it under the cherry tree.

This film is about life and death, the meaning of life, of a man who decided to die firmly. The main character is surprisingly calm and steadfast, despite the fact that meets people who try to dissuade him from committing suicide.

9. Blow / Blowup (1966)

The famous film by Michelangelo Antonioni, which takes place in London. Thomas - a successful young photographer whose interests are focused on pop music, sex, fashion and drugs. Once he concealed photographs in the park man and woman. She sees him and follows the photographer up to the studio to give away her tape. After development, with enlargements Thomas stranger notes in frame with the pistol and the corpse. Back at the park, he finds the body of a man. The photographer tries to talk about the murder, but no one believes him. Meanwhile, all the negatives are lost in his studio and is now difficult to determine where reality gives way to a game of imagination.

8. Empty House / Bin-jip (2004)

This long history of love and understanding took Kim Ki-duk. Tae Suk - lonely young motorcyclist who rides around the city and posted flyers on the door, then returns and checks them. If the leaflet is not disrupted, he gets into a house and live in the absence of the owners. Tae-suk does not steal anything. The payment for the accommodation he washes dishes, washes things, repairing broken items. Once he gets into a luxury home, the owner of which is subjected to violence by her husband. Tae-suk gets on her defense, and she follows him. Now together they go from house to house.

7. At random, Balthasar / Au hasard Balthazar (1966)

The critics believe the film of Robert Bresson, one of the highest achievements of world cinema. This is a story about a donkey Balthazar, who for the life passed from hand to hand, and each owner treated him differently. Genius director allowed us to look at things through the eyes of a simple donkey, but not a single scene, where you could see the reaction of Balthazar. The plight of the animal takes a noble stoicism, without complaint and without malice.

6. Mulholland / Mulholland Drive (2001)

The film "Mulholland Drive - not for family viewing on Saturday night. It's a psychological thriller directed by David Lynch, one of the best artists of the surrealist cinema, perfectly mastered the skills of interpretation of the human mind of the dark side.

One of the main characters - a girl, Rita, who suffers from amnesia after a car accident in which a miracle she survived only. Second - Betty. It helps Rita put together a forgotten life. In the course of the film, Lynch introduces us to the other characters. But even watching closely what is happening on the screen, it is difficult not to get lost in the story.

5. The Fifth Seal / Az ötödik pecsét (1976)

masterpiece drama Hungarian director Zoltan Fabri, which received the Gold Prize at the Moscow International Film Festival. The film takes place in Budapest during the Nazi occupation. As usual in a bar gather four friends - a bookseller, a watchmaker, a carpenter and the owner of the tavern. That evening, they tied a conversation on a serious subject, and raised the issue the next day will be for each vital. "Fifth Seal" - one of those movies that make people rethink their life choices.

4. Hibernation / Kis uykusu (2014)

for three hours and sixteen minutes - the duration of such films, but this should not scare you. It does not lull but rather fascinating. Measured benefited this film, he reaches the depth of the novel. For "hibernation" Nuri Bilge Ceylan won the Palme d'Or at Cannes.

The tape is loosely based on the story "Wife" by Anton Chekhov, and very reminiscent of European art-house cinema.

3. Pigeon perched on a branch, thinking about being / En duva satt på en gren och funderade på tillvaron (2014)

This is the final film in the trilogy of Roy Andersson, which includes "Songs from the Second Floor" and "You're living." By itself, the story here is not present, and plot the load falls on a couple of the main characters, trading meaningless utensils.

The film is filled with surreal scenes that came to nothing lead, and perhaps not so joined, but the home atmosphere of the film creates a black humor and musical arrangement.

2. Apocalypse Now / Apocalypse Now (1979)

War drama by Francis Ford Coppola had a huge impact in the late 70s, when many Americans did not support the senseless war in Vietnam. "My film - it's not a movie, my film is not about Vietnam, it is Vietnam. This is what really happened, "- said the director. Marlon Brando's character Colonel Kurtz - a nation-wide pain, the mapped time.

1. The Seventh Seal / Det Sjunde Inseglet (1957)

Perhaps the best film of Ingmar Bergman, haunted filmmakers of the 20th century an entirely new level of shooting not only in relation to the script, but also in the work chamber. The film is set in the XIV century, when the knight Antonius Block and his squire Jons return from a ten-year crusade. Knight tormented by the question whether God really exists. To him is death, but Antonius invites her to play chess.

Morality, death and existential dilemma - the main topics here raises Bergman.