A look at Hollywood films with hidden messages incorporated into the plot

When it comes to films what you see is not what you always get Plots conceal hidden messages there are movies with scenes that boggle us at first but in retrospect it all falls into place A case in point would be Vishal Bhardwajs celebrated film Haider where the uncomfortable closeness between Shahid Kapoors and Tabus characters isnt what is being conveyedTheir relationship has a strong metaphor in politics but whos going to explain that to us Well nobody This art form is filled with clues and cryptic messages that one might miss mdash 70mm is a huge canvas but not always enough to hold the filmmakers imagination hitlist tries to decode some remarkable films and things the filmmakers were trying to say all alongThe Deer Hunter 1978Director Michael CiminoLowdown A stinker to Vietnam War the epic film walks us through instances of peace and war While doing so it makes subtle references to the Bible especially in the enduring climactic scene Robert De Niro as a hero back from war denies feeling anything while he got shot This is before he lets hisgame escapeThe Shining 1980Director Stanley KubrickLowdown Two years ago a documentary titled Room 237 released to much fanfare It tried to explain the mastery behind Kubricks techniques Going by the documentary almost every second scene in this Jack Nicholsonstarring thriller had a message Furthermore the absolute message being that people get killed when rationality is overlookedScarface 1983Director Brian De PalmaLowdown Al Pacinos Tony Montana is an angry young man and he knows how to get things done The only problem is he is not sure whether anybody loves him and even if they do whether they do so out of fear or obligation But hes sure about one thing He loves his sister but he cant have her A reason strong enough to compel him to kill his only friendGoodfellas 1990Director Martin ScorseseLowdown Scorsese is famous for ensuring his films have marvelous opening scenes But what this crime drama has is beyond words The twominutelong shot mdash employing some genius camera work mdash takes you to Copacabana nightclub without revealing the real intention The guy with the lady doesnt stand in the queue like others He has contactsThe Lion King 1994Director Rob Minkoff Roger AllersLowdown Disney outdid itself with this masterpiece of an animation But then wed be remiss to not point out the hidden messages Disney films are famous for sneaking in for us In this musical adventure film set in Africa the starry blue sky is shown with a constellation that reads SFX mdash a tribute to the rise of Special Effects mdash or sex depending on what you believeGattaca 1997Director Andrew NiccolLowdown Biblical references are common in Western films but seldom do we notice them in a scifi This cryptic endeavour is a ready exception Starring Ethan Hawke and Jude Law in conflicting roles there comes a point it becomes obvious who is playing the devil despite his serpentine handicap And everybodys talking about space conveniently forgetting that they are indeed referring to heavenAmerican Beauty 1999Director Sam MendesLowdown This remarkable film kicks off with a middleaged man masturbating in the shower and culminates with him confronting the girl of his desire But theres a catch there When she unbuttons her shirt for him all he sees is rose petals emerging out Thats the very instance you acknowledge that he has been desperately seeking beauty not youth Which also explains why he abandons her the way he does laterFight Club 1999Director David FincherLowdown There are few films that come along and leave behind so many symbols at once Small surprise how Fincher ended up shooting material enough to last him three films The distinction between whats real and whats not is beautifully showcased through Edward Nortons and Brad Pitts convincing characters Repeat value guaranteedThe Machinist 2004Director Brad AndersonLowdown Christian Bales emaciated character in this film continues to drift from one horrific incidentaccident to another He has nothing but his sleeplessness to blame But things improve when instead of turning left with his car the thin young man takes a right turn mdash a subtle indication that he wont be making those wrong choices anymoreA Bittersweet Life 2005Director Kim JeewoonLowdown Known for their realistic approach Korean films tend to display it the way it is The protagonist of this film goes through everything a man in love ever did before Fortunately he survives to tell the tale but he wont The closing scene of him shadow boxing with his reflection on the window tells us that the world isnt done with him yet And vice versaNo Country for Old Men 2007Director Joel Coen Ethan CoenLowdown Javier Bardems Oscarwinning role personifies evil in its purest form His dead eyes and cold mannerism are the kind of stuff the devil is expected to feel proud of But something is consistent about him he doesnt kill the protagonist in spite of murdering almost all other people on the big screen Turns out you can survive evil provided it hasnt met youInto the Wild 2007Director Sean PennLowdown A young man sets out to ldquoescaperdquo society and pays a heavy price before relishing his solitude In his attempt to stick to the wilderness he depends on the forest for nosh and wonder However a scene where a grizzly bear approaches him only to sniff his hand and spare him justifies the films title Hes finally a part of the wild and his teary bloodshot eyes substantiate the inductionA Prophet 2009Director Jacques AudiardLowdown Throughout this wonderful prison movie you keep wondering why exactly is it titled so And then a miraculous scene involving a car crash and a wild animal takes place Thats when you fully understand that prophets dont just roam around in biblical garbs giving out sermons They are among us mdash simple beings mdash trying to survive in this big bad worldA Serbian Film 2010Director Srdjan SpasojevicLowdown Manto often wrote about female sex workers and their anxieties about ageing In this oftenpanned film the gender is reversed A hasbeen porn star is hesitatingly put into the spotlight and whatever happens to him is a metaphor with whats happening with the country the film is based in The seemingly sleazy and gross sexual misdemeanors are supposed to hold a mirror to the deteriorating societal and political situation in Serbiapost2008 recessionInception 2010Director Christopher NolanLowdown Although the final sequence involving a spinning totem has turned into cinematic folklore what often gets overlooked is the films original intent Apparently the film is less about dreams and more about the process of filmmaking itself No wonder you get to see clocks and people sneezing mdash which are otherwise impossible occurrences during a dream scientifically speaking mdash in this psychological thrillerOnly God Forgives 2013Director Nicolas Winding RefnLowdown This harrowing masterpiece came from the director of Drive 2011 One actor plays God while another is a severe victim of Oedipal Complex But you come to realise it much later into the film as agony becomes the key theme All the confrontation scenes engage you in such a manner that you end up feeling sympathy for one of the two parties mdash without failEnemy 2013Director Denis VilleneuveLowdown Filled with ambiguous scenes the entire story is open to several interpretations But the message is clear Everything is a mystery Featuring Jake Gyllenhaal in his debut double role connecting the psychological dots is a task in this film However nothing would prepare you for the climax that is as unexpected as the protagonists adorable wife turning into a giant spider Yes no joke