Film Club #1 - Enemy

[Excited Penguin]

Our first official session.

Got nothing witty to add 


So, how did everyone like the movie?

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enemy_(2013_film)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2316411/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJuaAWrgoUY 

Here's some youtubers' opinions on the movie, for anyone interested in something like that. Feel free to add your own links to anything related to the movie as well - keep in mind that no one should feel pressured to watch these, they're just additional stuff I thought I'd add.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5wNsafEQ2A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9AWkqRwd1I

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Feel free to begin without me. I'm kind of lacking sleep right now, so not sure how much I'll contribute until tomorrow - which was supposed to be when we started this anyway.

[Heat]

This isn't so much a theory as maybe an observation of sorts.

Theory?(kinda)

Did you guys notice how when he was talking to Anthony, it almost seemed like he was staring in the mirror? He repeated multiple times; "You're crazy", and then Anthony pushed him against I think was the table and said "I'M CRAZY!?!?", which to me could possibly indicate that there is some sort of Fight Club theme going on here of different personalities. We can see this indication, again subtly, when his mother says "And give up that acting fantasy" to Adam, who is the teacher. However this becomes confusing when Adam's girlfriend points out a physical change in the ring mark on Anthony(pretending to be Adam), and says that Adam doesn't have that. This conflicts with the idea that it is similar to fight club, as in it being entirely mental, like for instance when, in fight club, tyler derden reviews a tape showing him throwing punches at nothing, and knowing he thought there was someone there, being evidence that it was all mental and he was imagining stuff, the physical difference between the two of something as subtle as a ring or dislike of blueberries contradicts this and adds to the theory that they are different people.

There are lots of different meanings you can take from this movie, i'm waiting however for someone to find something that gives concrete evidence of a single storyline taking place, like "When __ said __ it was clear she knew ___ and that __ was happening", or something like that.

Metaphors within the movie:

If you want to get philosophical, as I was also trying to brainstorm meanings on that spectrum for the movie, we can ignore the story and take a deeper meaning. What I took is that Adam was ironically the polar opposite of Anthony mentally, and personality wise. We can see this in how Adam sees what looks like him in a movie and instantly assumes sinister intention, or is freaked out afraid of it. Anthony hears him talk and doesn't really take any meaning from it, even though Adam clearly seems distraught in the phone call. This is also apparent when they are both in the room together, looking each other over, you can see clear cut differences between the two. The philosophical perspective I took is that;

#1. It could stand for how society tends to imagine themselves as a better, self. Anthony is successful, with a loving wife, and he is assertive, doesn't seem disturbed mentally. Adam in comparison almost seems crazy, he's not assertive in fact he's very passive, lives in an apartment, his girlfriend doesn't want to sleep with him as seen in the first part of the movie, and unlike Anthony who seems to have an interesting life, we can see an example later in the movie when he gets back from jogging, and wants to try something new(blueberries), Adam has a repetitive lifestyle, he repeats the exact same subject in class like three times at the beginning, exact same schedule. We can also see a very subtle but telling personality difference when Anthony goes out of his way to get blueberries, simply because he read they are healthy, but sometime around then Adam is visiting his mom who offers him blueberries, and he isn't willing to try them, instantly denying them. Anthony seems like a polar-opposite of Adam, an extravert as Adam seems like an Introvert. 

#2. The spider could represent our fears as human beings. Arachnophobia is the most common fear humans have. In the very very introduction, beginning scene we see a woman crush a spider, this was very very representative to me, after watching, that by the end of the movie Adam's fear had been crushed(either mentally or physically[Anthony being crushed in a car accident, or that Adam gained confidence mentally and was no longer passive, or afraid.]). We then see the spider, I believe the next time we see it is when the woman has a spider mask on, if we take this as a 'bigger' spider than before, we can also metaphorically infer it means that Adam's fear is growing. Near the end, after that the next time we see it is when there is a giant spider hovering over the city this entire plot is taking place, and regardless of previous instances given that this was right around the time that Anthony was saying stuff like "I'm going to take all your money and take your girlfriend", and Adam looked as mentally confused/distraught as ever, I think this image in specific has direct coorelation with Adam's fear growing out of control. It's getting a bit specific, but to add, the spider's arms when it was hovering over almost looked like tentacles, sticks, something representative of them connecting to something else. So I took this as meaning the arms were connected all around the city, and that metaphorically speaking represents how "Fear" at that late point in the movie has now entirely encompassed Adam's life, or taken control of it. We see the spider at the end as well, and I also think this is an incredibly telling moment. As he is expecting to find Mary, and pretend to live as Anthony we see him confronted with his fear, a giant spider in place of who he expected to be sitting there.

To intertwine #1, and #2, Adam finding the Spider at the end could mean how he has faced up to, and overcome his fear. If we take the dramatic, actual story out of the equation, and focus solely on metaphors, this is pretty apparent imo. Because at the end as Adam finds the Spider, if we take that as fear and think of Adam as previously being an introvert, non-assertive, and reserved, Adam looks his fear right in the face and doesn't flinch, he doesn't look fearful when it looks him in the face, he looks almost as if he expected it, or has seen it before and knows it all too well. So we could almost say the very beginning is actually a sequel type event, that's put at the beginning but is really in chronological order something that happens at the end. If that's the case, say for instance we take the very beginning scene and just chuck it on to the end. We would then see Adam encounter a giant spider, and then moments later see a very small spider, and him watch as a woman crushes it. 

Oh my god I just remembered the thing that connects this entirely, the woman who crushes the spider is pregnant! That is the most obvious coorelation in the entire movie, and possibly we can say that Mary telling Adam that she "Wants him to stay" is not only saying she knows it's Adam, but subsequently "crushing" Adams fear. The fact that it's Mary in the beginning says enough. So then, imagine again that the beginning sequence is thrown on to the ending instead, we see Adam LOOKING FOR MARY only to find 'fear' staring him in the face, and then afterwards we would see Mary crush Adam's 'fear' at the end. Adam's 'fear' could be that Mary would find out he wasn't Anthony, and when she says "I want you to stay" Adam's fear of her finding out, and of Anthony stealing his life is crushed as he realizes for some reason that Mary wants him over Anthony, and he doesn't need to be fearful anymore.

The Spider plays a huge role in the movie, so you might read what I said and think i'm crazy, but let me tell you for a fact that the directors, and makers of the movie did not just put a random spider in there for "no reason". It is clearly meant to serve some sort of meaning, or metaphor.



So that's my personal analysis, theories, and everything else of this movie at least for now, hope you enjoyed reading.



Edit: Just watched some youtube videos "explaining the movie" and they differ wildly from what I theorized. I'm curious to see how you guys interpret my personal analysis.

[Aroura]

Heat, wow, you put a lot of thought into that post!

I agree that the spiders in the movie have a deliberate meaning, and it does seem to be fear, but is it fear of something more specific?

I felt, early on in the movie, that Adam and Anthony were one person, much as you say like in Fight club. The ring thing confused me as well, until the car accident happened. As the car crashed into was like "oh, that must be where the scar came from!"

Since the getting of the scar must have happened before most of the rest of the movie, I also realized the movie was not shown in chronological order. I'm still not certain the exact order of events, but roughly I think that the scene where his girlfriend notices the ring mark must be one of the first, chronologically. Whether he had just gotten married recently or what I'm unclear on, but that is my hunch.

So next is the car crash. Then we can assume both he and the girlfriend live and his wife discovers he was cheating. I only assume the girlfriend lives because later in the timeline the 6 month pregnant wife says "Are you seeing her again?", a very specific accusation.

I think the crash or shortly after it must be where Anthony suffers some sort of mental break. I don't think Adam is just an alternate life because Anthony seems truly unaware of his existence a couple of times, but also semi aware, which makes me think psychotic break
Anyway, he must have created or become Adam at this point, and gotten the university teaching job.

His wife is pregnant at this point, and might also be a cause for his mental break.

After 6 months of this double life, we see Adam discover Anthony, and the meeting they have and all of that actually seems to be pretty much in order, just at the beginning of the film instead of the end.

When he visits the sex club and the girl crushes the spider I am unsure of, but based on the conversation he has with the guy in the elevator, I think it was the night before the last scene, though it may actually be that night when he goes again.

I saw that some people think spiders represent women, but I think they more specifically represent his fear of being tied to one woman, hence the pregnant wife thing scaring the shit out of him...and us. I think he wants to leave his wife, hence his spider crush fetish at the club

A few flaws in my theory that I spot are that it is the Adam personal that visits his mom, though I honestly don't recall if his mom referred to him by name, it was clear she knew of his University job. Anthony seems to be the alter ego. He has the acting job, the nice house, the seemingly lovely wife, and is the more self confidant of the 2, yet it is him that also has the clearly real life, with the house and the wife, whereas Adam, though less confidant and with the crummy apartment with almost no furnishings, has the mistress. So which is which? I'm guessing that Anthony is the original, and Adam the fantasy life, though there are themes mixed between the 2, so it is confusing.

Actually, I just realized he was confused with his mom saying he liked blueberrie, so this actually fits that Anthony is the original persona, and Adam is the alternate identity. Perhaps subconcious guilt for cheating on his pregnant wife makes Adame the nervous, unhappy seeming one.

I've got more thoughts about the teaching job, like his subject matter and some of the stuff written on the blackboard, but will let some others share their ideas. And many thanks to EP for this club idea, and opening this thread!

Last thought, he says someone famous, was it Marx? Said that history always repeats itself. The first time is a tragedy, the second is a farce. This strikes me as an important line, perhaps having to do with his choice to cheat on his wife a second time?

[Excited Penguin]

You're welcome.

[Excited Penguin]

Great analyses, guys!

I'm sorry I don't have one of my own. I watched it already one time before suggesting it to you guys. I watched it again today and didn't feel like analysing it for some reason. I reckon I'll have more of a will to do this once I view something someone else suggests we watch. Hope I'm not spoiling the fun.

[Sterben]

The movie felt to me like it was a little under-cooked, given a little more time and a better budget it could of been better. First of all, what are the odds that a person who is a twin would be dating and married to the same type of woman? Adams wife and Anthony girl friend were the same as well, that was kind of a bazaar twist. A bit unrealistic but, possible that twins like the same type of girl. The 1st scene in the hotel room had me a bit confused. If you did find your identically twin would you not have questions? He went to all that effort to find then he ran away, why? Also, a other plot point that bothered me was this. Anthony did not know this person did not exist when he first got her pregnant then he thinks that Adam was involved. If they were going for that paranoid husband character, they did it on the head.

[Excited Penguin]

The movie felt to me like it was a little under-cooked, given a little more time and a better budget it could of been better. First of all, what are the odds that a person who is a twin would be dating and married to the same type of woman? Adams wife and Anthony girl friend were the same as well, that was kind of a bazaar twist. A bit unrealistic but, possible that twins like the same type of girl. The 1st scene in the hotel room had me a bit confused. If you did find your identically twin would you not have questions? He went to all that effort to find then he ran away, why? Also, a other plot point that bothered me was this. Anthony did not know this person did not exist when he first got her pregnant then he thinks that Adam was involved. If they were going for that paranoid husband character, they did it on the head.

What makes you think they were twins?

I think it was clear Adam simply wanted his girlfriend(if only for a night), and so he faked his anger and jealousy. He created a justification on the spot in that way for his intented actions, albeit it wasn't a very legitimate one.

[Heat]

The movie felt to me like it was a little under-cooked, given a little more time and a better budget it could of been better. First of all, what are the odds that a person who is a twin would be dating and married to the same type of woman? Adams wife and Anthony girl friend were the same as well, that was kind of a bazaar twist. A bit unrealistic but, possible that twins like the same type of girl. The 1st scene in the hotel room had me a bit confused. If you did find your identically twin would you not have questions? He went to all that effort to find then he ran away, why? Also, a other plot point that bothered me was this. Anthony did not know this person did not exist when he first got her pregnant then he thinks that Adam was involved. If they were going for that paranoid husband character, they did it on the head.

I think you took a lot of parts literally that weren't meant to be taken in that sense.

If you look at the entire movie as a whole, it doesnt make sense at the surface. I think it's meant to be looked at beyond the surface though.


That's just my interpretation however, obviously we can all have our own, and what one person finds a deeper meaning in, someone else might not make that connection whatsoever, which is neither a good nor bad thing. It just means we all have different perspectives.

[Heat]

Heat, wow, you put a lot of thought into that post!

I agree that the spiders in the movie have a deliberate meaning, and it does seem to be fear, but is it fear of something more specific?

I felt, early on in the movie, that Adam and Anthony were one person, much as you say like in Fight club. The ring thing confused me as well, until the car accident happened. As the car crashed into was like "oh, that must be where the scar came from!"

Since the getting of the scar must have happened before most of the rest of the movie, I also realized the movie was not shown in chronological order. I'm still not certain the exact order of events, but roughly I think that the scene where his girlfriend notices the ring mark must be one of the first, chronologically. Whether he had just gotten married recently or what I'm unclear on, but that is my hunch.

So next is the car crash. Then we can assume both he and the girlfriend live and his wife discovers he was cheating. I only assume the girlfriend lives because later in the timeline the 6 month pregnant wife says "Are you seeing her again?", a very specific accusation.

I think the crash or shortly after it must be where Anthony suffers some sort of mental break. I don't think Adam is just an alternate life because Anthony seems truly unaware of his existence a couple of times, but also semi aware, which makes me think psychotic break
Anyway, he must have created or become Adam at this point, and gotten the university teaching job.

His wife is pregnant at this point, and might also be a cause for his mental break.

After 6 months of this double life, we see Adam discover Anthony, and the meeting they have and all of that actually seems to be pretty much in order, just at the beginning of the film instead of the end.

When he visits the sex club and the girl crushes the spider I am unsure of, but based on the conversation he has with the guy in the elevator, I think it was the night before the last scene, though it may actually be that night when he goes again.

I saw that some people think spiders represent women,  but I think they more specifically represent his fear of being tied to one woman, hence the pregnant wife thing scaring the shit out of him...and us. I think he wants to leave his wife, hence his spider crush fetish at the club

A few flaws in my theory that I spot are that it is the Adam personal that visits his mom, though I honestly don't recall if his mom referred to him by name, it was clear she knew of his University job. Anthony seems to be the alter ego. He has the acting job, the nice house, the seemingly lovely wife, and is the more self confidant of the 2, yet it is him that also has the clearly real life, with the house and the wife, whereas Adam, though less confidant and with the crummy apartment with almost no furnishings,  has the mistress. So which is which? I'm guessing that Anthony is the original, and Adam the fantasy life, though there are themes mixed between the 2, so it is confusing.

Actually, I just realized he was confused with his mom saying he liked blueberrie, so this actually fits that Anthony is the original persona, and Adam is the alternate identity. Perhaps subconcious guilt for cheating on his pregnant wife makes Adame the nervous, unhappy seeming one.

I've got more thoughts about the teaching job, like his subject matter and some of the stuff written on the blackboard, but will let some others share their ideas. And many thanks to EP for this club idea, and opening this thread!

Last thought, he says someone famous, was it Marx? Said that history always repeats itself. The first time is a tragedy,  the second is a farce. This strikes me as an important line, perhaps having to do with his choice to cheat on his wife a second time?

I read a lot of interpretations and have come to the conclusion that Anthony is most likely the main character. This might ruin the fun, but even the director himself said that was the case.

However, I still like to think this is about Adam, not Anthony.


There are a lot of hidden things in the movie that suggest it is truly about Anthony who is struggling with commitment and has a sex addiction. Such as Adam highlighting things like 'control' in his lectures, and at the end his girlfriend saying he never had a ring. To see a lot more on this look at EP's second video.


I think that's a bit boring though. I didn't like it because I thought it was revolving around someone's sexual desires, or fear of commitment. In fact I would much rather it serve a broader meaning than that. That almost seems too simple for a movie so complex.

[Excited Penguin]

The movie felt to me like it was a little under-cooked, given a little more time and a better budget it could of been better. First of all, what are the odds that a person who is a twin would be dating and married to the same type of woman? Adams wife and Anthony girl friend were the same as well, that was kind of a bazaar twist. A bit unrealistic but, possible that twins like the same type of girl. The 1st scene in the hotel room had me a bit confused. If you did find your identically twin would you not have questions? He went to all that effort to find then he ran away, why? Also, a other plot point that bothered me was this. Anthony did not know this person did not exist when he first got her pregnant then he thinks that Adam was involved. If they were going for that paranoid husband character, they did it on the head.

I think you took a lot of parts literally that weren't meant to be taken in that sense.

If you look at the entire movie as a whole, it doesnt make sense at the surface. I think it's meant to be looked at beyond the surface though.


That's just my interpretation however, obviously we can all have our own, and what one person finds a deeper meaning in, someone else might not make that connection whatsoever, which is neither a good nor bad thing. It just means we all have different perspectives.

I think Sterben understands that mere disagreement doesn't equate hostility, perfectly well. If he doesn't, I'll be glad to reassure him that by merely taking part in our little film club his opinion will always be read, considered and reciprocated, at least by me.