eXistenZ

The film eXistenZ is very effective in blurring the line between man and machine, as well as reality and virtual reality. The "pods" which house the video games played by humans are hinted at being alive themselves, spoken about with phrases like "it took major hits" and "crying out for help" or "diseased." They do not have a life of their own, but connect to humans and live off of their energy. This brings up a strange symbiotic relationship in which the machine is like a parasite to the human, but it is important that the characters choose to enter these virtual realities. They almost seem to become addicted, to crave more experience in this world that is more exciting than their own. In the case of the game eXistenZ, though, the game is much like reality itself. In fact is it so similar that once entered, the players become unsure whether they are still in the game or not. Even the name sounds like "existence", implying a parallel between the game and reality. At one point in the film Ted pauses the game and then feels very uncomfortable because it makes reality seem less real. This makes a statement on the relationship between people and technology, and the way we rely on electronics so much that we feel we cannot live without them. Suddenly what we thought was real no longer feels natural, and it is hard to tell when one should stop indulging in "games." The complication is that when a game is so similar to real life, it brings up the question of whether we are players in the game of reality regardless.