Posted by Josh Lipovetsky in Welcome back to FilmInsight!
What if you have a cruel, mean family member or friend? How would you go about changing their bad personality? Would you hire a psychologist? Set up a blind date? Or perhaps talk to them on the phone? In “The Game”, Conrad Van Orton (Sean Penn), decides to take things to the next level. He decides to give his brother, Nicholas (Michael Douglas), a birthday gift which he will never forget.
CSR: A company that changes lives. Nicholas is given a gift certificate for their services. What is the purpose of CSR? As stated in the film, they give you whatever is missing in your life. They are usually hired, when life is at its worst.
Nicholas was rich, snobby, cruel, and bossy. He had a boatload of money; but every other aspect of his life was sorely lacking. What better way to change someone else’s life, than to scare them to suicide? Literally.
Although the film is controversial for being too ‘heartless’, and having many plot-holes; ‘The Game’ is a wonderful piece of cinema, about how a terrifying experience can change someone for the better.
We all go through life changing experiences, at one point or another. The sooner the better. Some of us go through traumatic experiences, such as an illness, or the loss of a loved one. Some of us go through pleasant experiences, such as the birth of your first child, or finding your true love. Whether satisfying or disheartening, these experiences serve the same purpose: To change us for the better. Nicholas Van Orton needed a change. He treated other people like they were worthless. If selfishness had a peak, Nicholas had reached it.
The game put Nicholas through some horrible situations. Trust, deceit, the death of a loved one, bank accounts being wiped, and suicide. He felt so betrayed by the company, not knowing that everything was just a game.
Nicholas felt real emotions, despite being in a fake situation. When he found out that everything was just a game, he felt so much relief. He didn’t care that he had just attempted suicide in front of everyone he knows. He didn’t feel embarrassed. He just felt happy to be alive, and happy to know that everything was alright. His brother was alive, his banks accounts hadn’t been touched, and no one was trying to kill him. Everything was back to normal, but things would never be the same.
Can you terrify someone into making a change? Not particularly. The only way to scare someone into changing their ways, is to trick them into believing there is real danger. Only then, can transformations happen. In real life, this is pretty impractical. Unless you can come up with your own ways of terrifying someone into improving their life. If you do, please contact me!
Chalk up a big win for David Fincher. ‘The Game’ was made in 1997, but it still packs a punch. Just like Fincher’s other films (Fight Club, Seven), you are not soon to forget the powerful message of ‘The Game’. You can make a change for the better, at any time. Don’t force your relatives into terrifying you!
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