About to watch : THE QUIET EARTH.

[Evan S]

Old film from the 80's. I've never seen it, nor heard of it. Nabbed off of netflix.

PLOT:
After surviving the apocalypse, scientist Zac Hobson (Bruno Lawrence) faces a dangerous and uncertain new world in this thriller. The government researcher wakes up to find all human life on the planet completely destroyed. That is, until he encounters a lovely young woman (Alison Routledge) and a trucker (Pete Smith). Tension mounts as the survivors adapt to their new reality and try to learn to trust one another.

I'll report back. Reply if you've seen the film.
I should like it. I like sci-fi, las man on earth type films. I think they create good discussion.

 

[FilmMakerr]

I've seen it, about three times. Its a silent film basically, but the story is just great because it leaves you guessing..tell me what you think.

 

[Evan S]

I thought it was great.

[spoiler]


The end when he's on that other planet. That was some great imagery. After watching the film though I just can't help but think, " Was he right? Did destroying the grid actually fix it?"

It's sort of like and adam and eve story, IMO. In a sense Zack was really god and jesus all in one. he died for the sins of man, but by dieing he left two people on earth to "start over". At least that's my take.

Good film.

[/spoiler]

 

[Tlalconetl]

I saw this film when it was relseased in theaters. Then I saw it a couple more times when it was released on video. I dig this film. The concept is great. Minimal dialogue, very sci-fi. I was left wanting more. The ending is a total trip. Still don't quite know the whole meaning of the ending--but enjoyed it regardless.

 

[FilmMakerr]

I thought it was great.

[spoiler]


The end when he's on that other planet. That was some great imagery. After watching the film though I just can't help but think, " Was he right? Did destroying the grid actually fix it?"

It's sort of like and adam and eve story, IMO. In a sense Zack was really god and jesus all in one. he died for the sins of man, but by dieing he left two people on earth to "start over". At least that's my take.

Good film.

[/spoiler]

I agree.

********SPOILERS********


But the way I looked at it was a punishment.

Our higher power leaves him the only person alive as a punishment for going through with the project, higher power sees him being lonely so he sends him a girl, now another guy, now that puts him in hell because the girl doesn't need him anymore, she likes this other guy instead.

At the end, he sacrificed himself, and was put into another planet.

I loved this movie.

 

[Evan S]

That makes alot of sense. It was an awesome film tough.

 

[FilmMakerr]

That makes alot of sense. It was an awesome film tough.

There was another one, that was similiar but this time I think it was a comet and it leave two sisters. They go all out and raid places, do random things, I don't really remember what happened later but it was a fun movie to watch.

I think it was called "The night of the comet" I'm not sure though.

 

[wesley]

-------------spoilers?-----------------------














i've seen this as well. didn't really know what was going on in the end either.

here's a nice explanation from imdb. and i think it's way too far fetched and the writer probably didn't mean it like this. but it's still a nice explanation

The short answer Zac already states near the end... "... then I am the effect." But he says he prefers "to think that the grid is the effect."

The long answer begins with the fact that Zac is a scientist and a very adaptable one at that. The answer ENDS (during the credits I might add) with Zac waking on a newer, even more intruiging-yet-plausible scenario... on a beach fully-clothed and with his trusty dictator in his pocket! HE is the effect... He DID die and this is the AFTERLIFE either MADE for him or that HE chose subconciously. He's only beginning to understand that he is at the center of this, so he does not know how to control yet. But one would presume by his scientific nature that, given an eternity, he would likely figure out how to work things.

What about the Joanne and Api you ask? Zac said that too... "... then you're just figments of my imagination." But they are not just any figments... but rather two fragments from Zac's composite character. Joanne represents the Eternal Feminine, gorgeous, hot redhead, smart... Zac's VERY DESIRE! And Api is the Eternal Masculine, the mysterious, powerful RIVAL and Zac's worst NIGHTMARE! Zac says he got the feeling Joanne and Api "have known each other for a very long time"! They did... WITHIN ZAC! Zac only knows his concious mind... not his subconcious, his SHADOW side.

When confronted by extremes, our psyches adapt us to our situations. In extreme ALONENESS... our minds CAN take a character from our subconcious to PROJECT for us although usually on another person or object. Think of WILSON in that Tom Hanks movie.

Anyway, there are MANY significant moments in The Quiet Earth that are turning points or reflect the REALITY Zac denies. This movie is brilliant and I don't tire of seeing it! Not that movies and opera don't always do this but the moment of long-anticipated SEX (Joanne and Api) suddenly triggers DEATH! They are linked in so many ways!

 

[wesley]

here's a different take also from imdb that fits more with what i think

-----------spoilers--------------------

a) At the moment the Event occurs, everyone on the planet who were at the point of death gets transported to a parallel universe where the laws of physics were just slightly off. Same planet, same time, different reality; a second or parallel Earth. (So everyone on the first earth could of been continuing there lives as normal, but from the survivors perspective it seemed like everyone had vanished)

b) There were 'tremors' of the event constantly taking place after the first Event and before the second one. The main tremor that took place when the 3 were in the villa showed how the universe was getting 'altered' or even how the 3 were getting slightly shifted in to different realities, because when the 'tremor' finished they were all in different corners of the villa.

b) Zak kills himself coz he realizes that his calculations were way off and the only way to prevent the 2nd Event from taking place would be to drive the truck of explosives into the facilitiy. Unfortunately he was to late coz the 2nd event took place a split second before the truck exploded. Zak dies at the moment and is automatically *beep* to another parellel universe akin to what happened at the beginning of the movie.

But this time because the 2nd event was larger, or maybe becoz he was at ground zero, Zak gets shifted to another reality that was totally different to the one he was in. In other words when he wakes up on the beach..he is still on Earth, still in New Zealand...just in an entirely different universe(reality).