I recently re-watched the film Instinct it’s one of those films which quietly works away at you, then jumps up and bites you on the ass as you realise what is going on, of course Anthony Hopkins portrayal of Ethan Powell is excellent which helps. I’ve watched it before and ‘got’ the message, enjoyed the film, the end etc. However, this time through, now knowing the story and how it finishes, leaves a little time for reflection whilst watching, and ignoring the cheesy moments, you can almost fade out of the film for a bit, then focus back in after a bit of thought.
It’s film with a metanarrative unlike so many modern films which dwell on the instantaneous thrill of action, it makes you engage with the story and if you do consequently it effects your story. The film story may not be true, but it holds truths.
The human society, just one of many animal societies, is too advanced for its own good and has lost the social capacity to live harmoniously with others, even others of the same species, let alone those of supposedly inferior species. So are we all supposed to go and live in the jungle? Well no! But it would be good to take a wake up call such as Theo Caulder (Cuba Gooding Jr) does in the film and realise, we are not in control (scary for all us control freaks) we are not free (scary for those in the ‘free’ world) and we need to break the illusion that we are!
The Film was based on the book ‘Ishmael’ by Daniel Quinn, I guess I’ll have to seek it out!
