The most complicated and 'above-your-head' movie you've ever seen?

I was looking through a thread called "The most complicated and 'above-your-head' book you've ever read" and I was thinking: how about I make a thread for movies similar to this? So I did.

What is the most complicated and above-your-head movie you've ever seen? I know this thread may sound pointless, but if you sit down and think about it, I am sure you can come up with one.

For me... it is "Seven" with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. I have seen it a dozen times and cannot get it through my head.

Also "Fight Club"... I have seen this movie over and over, and it still confuses me. I try to figure out how Edward Norton and Brad Pitt's characters turn out to be the same person. I get confused sometimes!

I've not so many problems with the mentioned - I would just put some things on film inconsistencies :p - but the movie I remember from the spot I watched at least four times but still just don't understand is Mulholland Drive.

There are many movies out there which hide more than the eye meets on first spot I think (and actually meant to be that way), but usually one at least understands some levels of the movies rather fast. For Mulholland Drive I still don't get a few major spots, although it's made good (in sense of fascinating) enough for me to still watch it.

I think I'd have to say The Hunt for Red October and The DaVinci Code. I haven't even seen Davinci Code all the way through, but the whole time my brother had to keep pausing the movie to explain to me what was going on because I couldn't seem to understand anything. :lol: Same with The Hunt for Red October. :D

I had to watch POTC3 more than once to fully understand, also The league of gentlemens apocalypse (but that was probably because I thought it was quite boring so didnt pay much attention.
lol

The Matrix III?

But in the end I decided I couldn't put myself through it ALL OVER again - knowing what's going on is simply not worth it.... IMHO.

12 Monkeys... with Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt and I think, Madeline Stowe. I haven't seen this movie in years. Although I remember when first watching it, having to watch it three or four times, and still feeling not quite sure if I had a full grasp on the concept the movie portrayed.

Usual Suspects was another one that took me a while to get.

And... No Country For Old Men... that villian was really really cool as far as I'm concerned, but I do not understand that movie lol...

Memento.
Extremely confusing mainly because the main character is always confused, seeing that he has no short-term memory, lol.

21 grams is one of the oddest movies I've ever seen. It's as though they had made a movie with a definite plot line, and then the editor had cut it and pasted different parts in different places. Very, very confusing (apart of extremely depressing).

Figt Club was also odd enoguh. My impression was that the writer had had some strange substance before writing the script. It's very good, but OMG, so odd.

LA Confidential: I was quite young when I saw it for the first time (14, 15 years old) and needed to watch it three times to understand the plot, so complicated it looked to me. It didn't help, either, that I confused a couple of secondary characters. Now I understand it, it's one of my favourite movies.

Anatomy of a Murder: it's not so complicated, but the script is very subtle and you you need to be quite alert to catch them all. Anyway, wonderful movie.

For me... it is "Seven" with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. I have seen it a dozen times and cannot get it through my head.

When first watching it I was a bit confused, but by the end it kind of made sense.

The first time watching Pirates of the Caribbean 3 completely confused me - mainly because there was so much to think about and you had to know who was on which side, which still kind of confuses me.

Fight Club would definitely be one for me. This has reminded me that I really need to re-watch it sometime; maybe I'll be able to understand it better the second time around.
I'll have to think of some others.

Wild Tigers I Have Known- I know what it's about (I can read the back of the box) but the images and the situations don't really make sense to me. There are some moments that are cool, but on the whole I just. didn't. get. it.

Pirates isn't that hard to work out if you know how pirates work, i.e. they backstab each other wherever possible. Barbossa tricks Sao Feng into giving up his piece, everyone tricks Sparrow into getting them out of the Locker, Will tricks everyone (quite literally) when he leads Cuttler Beckett (AKA Beckett Cuttler to Johnny Depp in outtakes) to the Cove, Sparrow tricks the Court when he votes in Swann as Queen and Jack tricks Barbossa at the end. Simple really.

I love the film Donnie Darko to bits, but don't try and ask me to explain it to you because I just can't. I get most of the concepts, but the others...no.

Also, has anyone ever heard of the film The Science of Sleep? It's directed by the guy who did Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Anyway, the movie didn't make much sense to me at all. I have no question that it was all done very well but...it just made me think too hard.

I think I'd have to say The Hunt for Red October and The DaVinci Code. I haven't even seen Davinci Code all the way through, but the whole time my brother had to keep pausing the movie to explain to me what was going on because I couldn't seem to understand anything. :lol: Same with The Hunt for Red October. :D

Try reading the Da Vinci Code. It's 100 times better than the movie and makes perfect sense. Ron Howard crapped all over it, as far as I'm concerned :grumble:

The most confusing movie I've seen is The Fountain, with Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. It could have been an interesting movie, but there was no plot to it! None of it made any sense!
Momento was also pretty confusing. I don't even know if I finished it.

Like a few others I found Pirates of the Caribbean 3 At World's End very hard to follow, because so many characters came out of nowhere, they did that annoying thing where the characters come to a realization about something but they never tell you and you have to figure it out, and most of all, it started off with no explanation of why they were there, and who those people were, and I never had any idea what they were trying to do.

Pirate 3 is easy. Essentially, everyone back-stabs each other to the point where everything cancels itself out. That's all. Watch it without trying to follow or understand each character's motive and just view it as al these Pirates classically back-stabbing each other.

12 Monkeys was difficult for me.

Blade Runner felt quite hard the first time I watched it. I had no trouble to follow the plot, but the atmosphere was so dark and oppressing that I almost gave it up.

The Fountain is the first movie that comes to mind. I've seen it 4 times now, and while I get the basic message, there's still alot of it that I don't get. I guess that's why I love it. :D

The Fountain is the first movie that comes to mind. I've seen it 4 times now, and while I get the basic message, there's still alot of it that I don't get. I guess that's why I love it. :D

What's the basic message you got? I wasn't getting anything from it. I got that he loved her and was trying to find her on some emotional or physical plane, but that's it. Even then, that's a bit dodgy.

I agree with Gertie. Mullholand Drive was just too weird for me to be able to understand it... I appreciate it for the weirdness, but it certainly didn't make a lot of sense.

Also, Donnie Darko is a good mention. Really great. It took me more than one viewing to understand snatch, and sticking with Guy Ritchie, Revolver was difficult to understand too.

I would probably have to say Fight Club. I think that I understood the basic part of the story, but at some points there seemed to be so much going on that I was having a hard time trying to follow.

And then it ends up that there was no Brad Pitt character, it was only Edward Norton, that just blew me away. I honestly never saw that coming.

The first time I watched "Amelie" I was 14 years old, and I completely didn't understand it at all. I thought it was the stupidest movie I'd ever seen. Then, a couple of years later I saw it again and fell in love. Its one of my favorite movies now. :)

A recent movie that I watched and didn't understand was "Gabrielle".

I'd have to go with Blood Simple. My friend and I watched this (we fell asleep the first try, and then made it through it the next day), and it just was the most strange thing I've seen. Even stranger is why it gets such great critical acclaim. Afterwards, we decided to rewatch the movie with the commentary on in hope of getting some insight, and I can honestly say that I found the commentary more entertaining than the actual movie. The guy spends the whole time complaining about how the filmmakers totally messed up the movie, especially this one guy named Adrian Butts- whenever a lame scene happens, he goes, "Thank you, Adrian Butts." It was pretty funny.

And I'll agree with the Donnie Darko nod, too!

Even stranger is why it gets such great critical acclaim.

I think that sometimes, when people don't understand a movie, or a book, or a painting, they acclaim it just for not to have to admit they don't understand it, and then the rest of people acclaims it for not to look stupid. A bit like in Andersen's tale about the Emperor's new suit.

The Fountain is the first movie that comes to mind. I've seen it 4 times now, and while I get the basic message, there's still alot of it that I don't get. I guess that's why I love it. :D

What's the basic message you got? I wasn't getting anything from it. I got that he loved her and was trying to find her on some emotional or physical plane, but that's it. Even then, that's a bit dodgy.

I got that he loved her, but then what? :lol:
I only sort of got the Present story but what were the others about? And the ending just made me laugh because I couldn't get it!

>Mind you, I was completely distracted by the sight of Hugh Jackman bald! :lol: Defiantley something to laugh about!

^ Haha, I was distracted by Hugh Jackman too. He's probably the reason I didn't turn it off halfway through like I wanted to.

^:lol: But the bit where he eat/drinks the tree sap really made me giggle. It just looked so funny with this flower sticking out of his stomach!

Haha, I don't even remember that! It's been so long since I've seen the movie, and I don't dare waste my time on it again lol.

What's the basic message you got? I wasn't getting anything from it. I got that he loved her and was trying to find her on some emotional or physical plane, but that's it. Even then, that's a bit dodgy.As the title is used as a metaphor, death is a way of being born again. Such as a fountain, it spews water out, and the water go down only to come back up again (I'm not explaining this very well, sorry :lol:). Tommy has to face the fact that death is going to happen, and you can't avoid it when it comes, but even if someone you love dies, they won't be gone forever. They'll be reborn again, if not in the way we'd want. The scene where he drinks the saps and then when he is blown apart by the dying star prove that.

Is that what the message was?
Well, I never got that.:lol:

I never got that either lol, although maybe if I'd watch it again I could pick up one some more things. Thanks for explaining that DML :)

The Matrix, when I first saw it.

I never got that either lol, although maybe if I'd watch it again I could pick up one some more things. Thanks for explaining that DML :)It's really all up to personal interpretation, that's personally what I got out of it and alot of people say something similiar. But that doesn't mean that's really what it is, because it's personal interpretation and all that. ;)

Donnie Darko seen it so many times love it but understanding it is something completely different it leaves me very confused. And twelve monkeys bought it because i heard it was good still havn't been able to watch all of it, baffled me so much i had to put something simple on so i didn't feel like such a fool.

It's really all up to personal interpretation, that's personally what I got out of it and alot of people say something similiar. But that doesn't mean that's really what it is, because it's personal interpretation and all that. ;)

I'm all about personal interpretation of movies, songs, etc., but I just couldn't find anything in The Fountain. Even making up stuff on my own! And I'm pretty good at making up random meanings for things :lol:

I agree with all who said The Fountain. Possibly one of the most boring movies I have ever seen and it went through one ear and out the other. Nothing of that movie clicked in my brain. It was that confusing.

Memento.

This. This is a brainteaser. Probably left deliberately ambiguous.

To the OP, Seven's not that complicated. Fight Club, other than being a film for teenage boys, isn't too hard to figure out either.

Gosford Park is complex in that everything is so subtle that it helps to watch it again and see how it all fits together.

Mulholland Drive is by far the one of most confusing movie I've seen. I think I "understand" the major parts, but there are a lot of things I have no idea about (like the homeless man).

The Attic Expeditions is extremely confusing, too. I don't even remember much about it except being confused and kind of disturbed. Don't think it's a very well-known movie.

12 Monkeys confuses the heck out of me, I can never understand time travel...

Godford Park is complex in that everything is so subtle that it helps to watch it again and see how it all fits together.
I saw Gosford Park for the first time today. I figured out that

Clive Owen was Michael Gambon's son about halfway through the film.
Don't ask me how I knew. I just knew. I must say that the film is overrated and quite boring. I can't believe it was nominated for Best Picture.

Ooh, another one I thought of:

A Tale of Two Sisters. It's a South-Korean horror film that didn't scare me because I was too confused about what was happening.

The Draughtsman's Contract. I never did get it.

I've never seen a very complicated movie before. Some movies I have to watch a second time to get all of it, but never one that was 'above my head'.

Wow you lot have very fragile minds!

I would say Code Unknown, A Tale of Two Sisters and Pi are very mind muddling films

Mulholland Drive and Jacob's Ladder pop first to my mind. They are both definitely films that have to be watched several times (unfortunately seen both only once and i was half asleep during Mulholland Drive, not a great success :P) , not necessarily to gain that "Aaaah! Now i got it!" effect but to take everything in.

the only one that comes to mind right now is Memento. I couldnt follow it.

I know, I have already nominated one ... but I just realised that I actually passed over the actually most confusing film I have ever seen....

That would be Orphee (1950) by Jean Cocteau. I tend to think that it is all a bit to pretentious to make real sense .... the more I read about it the more I am astonished about how self-referential and self-indulgent it actually is. But I must have missed something, because so many people think it's just wonderful. I just don't get any of it.

Well I wouldn't really consider it complicated or "above my head" but The Spirit is a movie that I still don't understand. My friends and I were all confused to what the plot was, etc. It was easy enough to follow, but it seemed pointless.

I know, I have already nominated one ... but I just realised that I actually passed over the actually most confusing film I have ever seen....

That would be Orphee (1950) by Jean Cocteau. I tend to think that it is all a bit to pretentious to make real sense .... the more I read about it the more I am astonished about how self-referential and self-indulgent it actually is. But I must have missed something, because so many people think it's just wonderful. I just don't get any of it.

What don't you get? It's just a modern day telling of the Greek story of Orpheus. The characters just travel to the Underworld and back.

Well I wouldn't really consider it complicated or "above my head" but The Spirit is a movie that I still don't understand. My friends and I were all confused to what the plot was, etc. It was easy enough to follow, but it seemed pointless.

No more pointless than Harry Potter. The Octopus is an evil human being who wants to become permanently immortal and rule the world. The Spirit must kill him. What more to it need there be?

Syriana! Of couse I wasn't paying as close attention as I should have but I didn't even get the jist of the movie! Maybe it's one of those movies you have to sit down and give undivided attention to.

I recently saw a movie called Immortal (2004).:td:
I'm still scratching my head over that one.:hmm:

What don't you get? It's just a modern day telling of the Greek story of Orpheus. The characters just travel to the Underworld and back.

Well, I did get THAT, but that's a bit too shallow, surely. There is clearly a lot more going on, and it isn't a straightforward telling of the myth at all - essential changes have been made..... I read a few things about it afterwards, so I know of a few of the things that were supposed to be there.... e.g. what happens to Euridice, and the condituons set for her return are realy different. I don't mind changes - myth is there to be adapted. But I think if one does so, one has to make sure that it is CLEAR what's going on!!!

It's all very pretentious, IMHO, but calling something pretentious is probably too easy a way of coping with simply not getting it. Still.... I think it's the director's job to make his interpetation intelligible, and Cocteau, IMHO, totally fails to do so.

Yeah but considering how there were many references to the world war and the rapid transition into modern nuclear life of the 1940s/50s, it probably wasn't as difficult to grasp back then, since many of those viewers would have still been able to relate to all that. Nowadays it must come across as anachronistically pretentious because that's just what happens with art the more it ages. People make a bigger artsy fartsy deal out of paintings, plays, books, films, etc. than need be because of the fact that we are distanced enough from them that we can look back on such works with a more retrospective eye.

Ocean's Eleven

Yeah but considering how there were many references to the world war and the rapid transition into modern nuclear life of the 1940s/50s, it probably wasn't as difficult to grasp back then, since many of those viewers would have still been able to relate to all that. Nowadays it must come across as anachronistically pretentious because that's just what happens with art the more it ages. People make a bigger artsy fartsy deal out of paintings, plays, books, films, etc. than need be because of the fact that we are distanced enough from them that we can look back on such works with a more retrospective eye.

I disagree, actually.

I am a historian. I deal with art and the history of art a lot. I appreciate the problem with context. But good art should be able to transcend that, and regularly does.

I am also perfectly happy to think about art (including film), and to work out the background. But after doing that for Orphee, I had to come to the conclusion that it was probably self-indulgent and pretentious even then. Of course, with a great name attached, thats easily overlooked, I suppose, but I don't think one needs to do that.

And 'Belle et la Bete' shows that Cocteau could make films that transcend the decades quite easily. IMHO.

All though I didn't have any trouble understanding the plot, I have been surprised by the high volume of people who didn't understand what was happening in "The Fountain" with Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weiss.

I disagree, actually.

I am a historian. I deal with art and the history of art a lot. I appreciate the problem with context. But good art should be able to transcend that, and regularly does.

Art never manages to escape anachronistic retrospect. I have seen no proof of that. Art always transcends its chronological context and ends up being perceived differently through each generation.

I am also perfectly happy to think about art (including film), and to work out the background. But after doing that for Orphee, I had to come to the conclusion that it was probably self-indulgent and pretentious even then. Of course, with a great name attached, thats easily overlooked, I suppose, but I don't think one needs to do that.

Well most of the films during the French New Wave were like that. You claim to be able to look beyond anachronistic retrospect, yet here you are doing exactly that. 'Pretentious' is a term that fashionably gets thrown around quite frequently nowadays. Deep artistic films were a rarity back in those days and thus more of a pleasant intellectual escape from commercialism. Nowadays every art medium has become overpopulated with banal 'high-art' treatment just as much as banal commercial treatment, leaving us annoyed with no option but to cherry-pick and give high praise to work that only manages to be a balanced, postmodern hybrid of high-art and commercialism. Anything that doesn't live up to that expectation gets labeled '****' or 'pretentious'.

And 'Belle et la Bete' shows that Cocteau could make films that transcend the decades quite easily. IMHO.

But Beauty and the Beast is a universal classic story that manages to transcend decades no matter which adaptation it is.

Art never manages to escape anachronistic retrospect. I have seen no proof of that. Art always transcends its chronological context and ends up being perceived differently through each generation.

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear. I do understand that. I think the ability of being interpreted in different ages is the crucial factor. That's what I mean by 'art can transcend time'. Putting in the work to understand context can of course open the way to more works of art which are more difficult to access, and will also enhance the enjoyment of artworks which can speak to different ages or cultures - but there is art which somehow works well outside its time, by being open to re-interpretation.


But Beauty and the Beast is a universal classic story that manages to transcend decades no matter which adaptation it is.

And Orpheus isn't? That would be a surprising view. It's a story with a proven record of transcending millennia, even of having a pretty crucial position in the development of one very specifically western artform (European Opera) - more so, one really has to say, than Beauty and the Beast (unless you want to think about the very basic motifs in that story - but if you go down to that level, Orpheus becomes a lot bigger as well).




Anyway - we won't agree on this. I'd be curious whether you hold a special affection for Cocteau or this particular film to present such a spirited defence - it's good to have a discussion.

I am still shocked about the effect which the film (in spite of reasonable preparation beforehand and a lot of reading afterwards) had on me. I expected to like it, and, I was quite prepared to put some work into liking it, if necessary - but to my lasting shock, I neither liked it nor managed to make sense of it, other than rationally following up things I read about - but that's not the same as things making sense on their own. I am not usually one to use the attack of 'pretentious' lightly, because, like you, I accept that it is often a cheap shot. But I think there are times when it's justified. And in *my opinion* this is the film which deserves it.

We'll have to agree to disagree, obviously.

Airplane, it is the most complicated and ABOVE-MY-HEAD movie I've ever seen!

I've not so many problems with the mentioned - I would just put some things on film inconsistencies :p - but the movie I remember from the spot I watched at least four times but still just don't understand is Mulholland Drive.

I don't think anybody understands that movie! David Lynch films tend to be just warped, although I liked his TV show, Twin Peaks.

I'm going with Pirates 3, because it was just too much to keep up with. I couldn't keep track of everyone's names, let alone who was backstabbing who.
Oh, and Lawrence of Arabia. Apparently this is like a classic movie with a lot of awards and stuff, but it was soooo dreadfully boring that I just could not pay attention long enough to know any of the plot. Seriously, it was like half an hour of crossing the desert on camels. I will never forgive my AP Euro teacher for showing as that movie instead what we asked to see, Anastasia.

The History Boys. I simply... did not get it.

The Matrix was pretty damn complicated and confusing the first time I saw it. I don't do well with sci-fi films typically. I remember quite clearly. I was at a friends house for a B-day party and I was the only one that hadn't seen it yet. They got tired of me asking questions :lol:

Airplane, it is the most complicated and ABOVE-MY-HEAD movie I've ever seen!

That movie is hilarious...a classic comedy :rotfl: Oh, and I'm assuming you're joking :lol:

Hey, what I coincidence. I see we have something in common :cool:

The Matrix, when I first saw it.

Pirates 3. I had absolutely no desire to watch it again, so I haven't, so I don't know what happened at all. Also, The Fountain was just too bizarre for my liking.

Hmm, I fail to see how everyone finds Pirates 3 so confusing. I thought all 3 were great movies. The first was by far the best though. :tu:

Well, the bit with the multiple Jacks was odd enough :lol: But I think that it wasn't confusing because of a complicated script, but for a bit incoherent one.

:p Actually I did find Pirates 3 a bit confusing, but it´s hardly the most confusing movie, for me I think it was Memento, to much remembering :err:

Oh, definitely Donnie Darko. It's a fantastic movie, and I've seen it about a million times, but for the life of me I can't really grasp the ending. Everytime I see it I catch something new, but then I'm kind of like, "huh?" It's irritating. :/ And I can't for the life of me explain it to anyone.. my resposne is always "just watch the movie!"

Memento is a complicated movie, it is confusing on first viewing (second too), but it's such a fun puzzle to unravel. And The Prestige makes Memento look totally simplistic by comparison.

I think I'd have to say The Hunt for Red October and The DaVinci Code. I haven't even seen Davinci Code all the way through, but the whole time my brother had to keep pausing the movie to explain to me what was going on because I couldn't seem to understand anything. :lol: Same with The Hunt for Red October. :D

Lol, yeah for someone who hasn't read the books both movies' plots would be difficult to understand. More so for The Hunt for the Red October than the Da Vinci Code.

Watch Synecdoche, New York. It's written and directed by Charlie Kaufman, the guy who wrote Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I have no idea what the film means.

I've seen The Fountain about 3 times now...I still don't really know what was going on. But the acting is fantastic and it just looks cool, so I've tried to watch it again and again... Makes me feel a little dumb lol.

I don't know why, but Hours is a strange movie I don't understand.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, a very good movie.
but there are things in the movie that I don't understand.

Donnie Darko...love it but it got me going in circles lol
Giant...i liked it and of course james dean is brilliant but that movie had no point or if it did I missed it

Memento is a complicated movie, it is confusing on first viewing (second too), but it's such a fun puzzle to unravel. And The Prestige makes Memento look totally simplistic by comparison.
I agree entirely about Memento. But strangely enough, I could unravel The Prestige better than I could understand Memento. But that's what I love about these films when the first viewing is complicated. It makes me find out clues, foreshadowing etc every viewing after that and I can never get bored of it :)

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, I love the movie even when it confuses me to no end. ;)

Fight Club would definitely be one for me. This has reminded me that I really need to re-watch it sometime; maybe I'll be able to understand it better the second time around.
I'll have to think of some others.

Oh yes, totally agreed. Fight Club is quite confusing, but an excellent movie.

Mulholland Drive and Jacob's Ladder pop first to my mind. They are both definitely films that have to be watched several times (unfortunately seen both only once and i was half asleep during Mulholland Drive, not a great success :P) , not necessarily to gain that "Aaaah! Now i got it!" effect but to take everything in.I'm not sure if my dislike for Mulholland Drive is based on the fact I didn't get it. I barely ever fall asleep during films but I found it impossible to stay awake during it (well admitadly I was already curled up in a blanket in a very warm room but I still blame it on the film) and I didn't get what was happening at all. I was most surprised by the fact everyone else who watched it with me got that film. Don't think I could be bothered to watch it again though.

Airplane, it is the most complicated and ABOVE-MY-HEAD movie I've ever seen!

"Surely you can't be serious!" Sorry couldn't resist. I really really hope you're being facetious. It's a comedy. How can it be complicated? :err:

Hmm, probably Fight Club. Definitely didn't see that end coming.

Pulp Fiction, the first time I saw it, confused the heck out of me. But on subsequent viewings I soon figured out what was going on. Great movie by the way. I love Tarantino.

Vertigo. I adore this movie, but it seems as if Scotty is guilty of being a necrophiliac. Why would he want to make over Judy in Madeline's image? She's dead! Well she appears to be dead anyway. Creepy much? That's for anyone who hasn't seen this and wants to.

I would say Mulholland Drive, but upon multiple viewings I THINK I understand the main point (not some of the subplots or minor characters though). They say it's one of Lynch's most direct movies. So I'll say his other film, Blue Velvet, went over my head. Or his short film (about 42 minutes) Rabbits (look it up on Google Video). So weird and creepy...

Has anybody seen Sunshine directed by Danny Boyle-I didn't understand it at all...

Has anybody seen Sunshine directed by Danny Boyle-I didn't understand it at all...

I don't think you're supposed to get it once Pinbacker's on board... Well, he for some reason, wanted to stop the scientists from reigniting the Sun (I think he said something like God doesn't want it). So he killed his own crew and wanted to stop the Icarus 2. How he stayed alive, I have no idea. But hey, it's sci-fi.

Thanks QuackAttack,If I see that again I think I will understand better:)

Stalker by Andrey Tarkovsky is pretty complicated, and definitely above my head. Some of Ingmar Bergman's films are too.

I'd have to say "2001: A Space Odyssey" by Stanley Kubrick.
That was just bizarre - even if you do sorta understand what's going on.

I'd have to say "2001: A Space Odyssey" by Stanley Kubrick.
That was just bizarre - even if you do sorta understand what's going on.

I definitely agree. I watched it with my boyfriend and when it ended we just looked at each other and said "...What?"

Being John Malkovich

The shining..

I got it all the way untill the end when he's in that photo the old one!? Was he the caretaker? If so how? And why was he in the old photo?

Stalker by Andrey Tarkovsky is pretty complicated, and definitely above my head. Some of Ingmar Bergman's films are too.

Thats one of my Favorite films, I think the concept rather that the plot is the important thing to take away from this film.

As for "2001: A Space Odyssey" I think Kubrick meant for you to go away with Questions. Arthur C. Clarke wrote a sequel with a few answers or you could just watch 2010 the movie sequel based on the book, but this is no where near the greatness of Kubricks movie.

The shining.. I got it all the way untill the end when he's in that photo the old one!? Was he the caretaker? If so how? And why was he in the old photo?

In the movie Jack was meant to be a reincarnation of the caretaker "You've always been the caretaker here", in the novel is a lie by the ghosts to feed his ego. But I think we are to take it in the movie that this is the original caretaker or that Jack was taken by the ghosts. (They left out a scene at the end where Danny and Wendy are told Jacks body is missing). Time travel appears in the book, Tony is revealed to be Danny from the future communicating with himself.

Mhm...Atonement? I have only watched it once and if I saw it again perhaps I would understand it better, but I dont' think I really got the part where they mixed the future and past and...I don't really remember all, but I remember that, at the time it was hard to understand. :)

Mhm...Atonement? I have only watched it once and if I saw it again perhaps I would understand it better, but I dont' think I really got the part where they mixed the future and past and...I don't really remember all, but I remember that, at the time it was hard to understand. :)

The book is much more complicated, but a great read!

Thanks Perlidia!
Makes abit more sense! Didn't know it was a book aswell!!

I've seen Antonement that's an amazing film!:tu:

The book is by Ian McEwan. You should check out "The Cement Garden" book and film - also written by McEwan.
(Just to be warned its a lot darker - it contains incest)

I had to give Mulholland Drive a few watches before I was able to figure out entirely what it was about, haha. But confusing movies give you a bit of an incentive for viewing them multiple times. You figure out things that flew completely over your head previously.

I had to give Mulholland Drive a few watches before I was able to figure out entirely what it was about, haha. But confusing movies give you a bit of an incentive for viewing them multiple times. You figure out things that flew completely over your head previously.

Yeah, most of David Lynch films are like that. I got stuck on lost highway initially. But I think he means to do it. All his films meander along in a dream like state. Eraser Head is still my absolute favorite! The Straight story, I think, is his only straight forward movie (excuse the pun). Wild of Heart goes a bit crazy near the end.

Twilight. It's complicated because I don't understand half of what Bella and Edward are saying. Maybe I'm just dumb. :(

Tough call. I'm going with Fight Club... it wasn't above my head, but it was closer to being so than most other films.

The Blair Witch Project may also qualify, simply because it causes me to question why anybody would ever want to watch 3 kids wandering around some woods like they're stoned and screaming into a camera while nothing actually happens.

My favorite moment were a movie was over the head of someone I was with and made me feel old. My twelve year old niece was over for the weekend, I was finishing some work in another room. She found the remote. Red Dawn was on cable.

Afterwords, she asked me whether the Cold War was really like that.

My jaw dropped and I got concerned about her education.

All the Best,

Lunatic

I agree entirely about Memento. But strangely enough, I could unravel The Prestige better than I could understand Memento. But that's what I love about these films when the first viewing is complicated. It makes me find out clues, foreshadowing etc every viewing after that and I can never get bored of it :)
Me too. That movie drove me nuts :p. More so than the Prestige. That movie at least made some sense to me. The whole having to look for clues thing, drove me nuts while watching it (Memento), not so much with the latter though, so it made it a better viewing experience.

The other movie that was rather complicated was The Matrix, so much so -- that I didn't even bother to watch that much of it. I didn't understand why so many people liked it so much.

Stranger Than Fiction

Though, ultimately, I was only 12 at the time. Not even sure how we ended up paying to see that.

Stranger Than Fiction

Though, ultimately, I was only 12 at the time. Not even sure how we ended up paying to see that.
I liked that one :). Definitely different. What did you find so complicated about it at the time?

The Shining when I first had watched it, and Donnie Darko. That movie took a couple times for me to process everything.

Oh, I guess I haven't updated with my thoughts in this thread. Ok, the most complicated and over my head film I've ever seen is by far the David Lynch film Mullholland Dr. :yuhup: :lol: And despite not knowing what the heck happened or what it was even supposed to be about I more or less loved it...it was entertaining. I'll also offer up Inception, if for no other reason then the ending makes you completely re-evaluate.

I think a distinction needs to be made though between"complex" or "complicated"...and "confusing". I mean a film like Memento is complex and begs to be seen more then once, but I don't think it's over anyone's head. The complexity is not in the concepts but in the non-linear storytelling...one half of the film flashing back and the other progressing forward with constant cuts between and meeting in the middle. You just have to remember where you're at in the story. Oh, and for a completely different genre, something like Love Actually might take a 2nd watch to grasp only because there's like 8 different couples to follow... but it's by no means a movie that one can't understand. :lol:

Oh, I guess I haven't updated with my thoughts in this thread. Ok, the most complicated and over my head film I've ever seen is by far the David Lynch film Mullholland Dr. :yuhup: :lol:

Have you seen Inland Empire? It puts everything else Lynch has made into its little pocket. It's impossible to make sense out of it, if you ask me. It looks like a random collage of Lynch's signature ideas and visions. Or maybe I'm just too stupid to get it. :hmm:

Definitely the film Primer. This xkcd (http://xkcd.com/657/)speaks for itself.

I'll have to give it another go to fully get it, I think.

http://blogs.coventrytelegraph.net/thegeekfiles/2010/07/inception-sparks-vote-on-most.html

The Top Ten Most Confusing Films of all Time:
1. Vanilla Sky (2001) - 16%
2. Mulholland Drive (2001) - 15%
3. Donnie Darko (2001) - 11%
4. The Matrix Revolutions (2003) - 9%
5. Memento (2000) - 8%
6. 12 Monkeys (1995) - 6%
7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - 5%
8. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - 3%
9. Revolver (2005) - 2%
10. A Clockwork Orange (1971) - 1%

I haven't seen Vanilla Sky but as my last post should have indicated, I def agree with #2


Definitely the film Primer. This xkcd (http://xkcd.com/657/)speaks for itself.

I'll have to give it another go to fully get it, I think.

Yeah, my friend who is a sci-fi nut also believes that one takes the cake, but I'm guessing it isn't as well known as the others on that list.

I haven't seen it, but might someday, plot sounds somewhat interesting. I also haven't seen Donnie Darko or the last 4 on the list above.

The Top Ten Most Confusing Films of all Time:
1. Vanilla Sky (2001) - 16%
2. Mulholland Drive (2001) - 15%
3. Donnie Darko (2001) - 11%
4. The Matrix Revolutions (2003) - 9%
5. Memento (2000) - 8%
6. 12 Monkeys (1995) - 6%
7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - 5%
8. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - 3%
9. Revolver (2005) - 2%
10. A Clockwork Orange (1971) - 1%

I'm not sure if I can agree with some of them. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Memento are by no stretch of the imagination strange films, but confusing? Those two I just mentioned are pretty straight forward - yes, they involve strange events that are hard to get your head around at first, but it's not like some of the other films on the list where you literally could speculate for hours on end about their meaning, or even plot.

That said, for those confused about Donnie Darko, I'd recommend watching the Director's Cut. It apparently explains a bit more than the Theatrical (I have only seen the Director's).

One of the films on my list would probably be Guy Ritchie's Revolver. It was a philosophical and psychological experiment on film, but as an entertaing piece of fiction--gracious it felt scattershot. Frankly, I'm shocked that Revolver isn't higher on that list.

Oh god, A Clockwork Orange. I tried so hard to read the book and couldn't make much sense of what was going on, or what they were trying to say. :/

Vanilla Sky. I remember leaving the theater more baffled and confused than I have ever been in my whole life.

Inception, most definitely. I still can't determine if Cobb is in reality at the end.

1. Vanilla Sky (2001) - 16%
2. Mulholland Drive (2001) - 15%
3. Donnie Darko (2001) - 11%
4. The Matrix Revolutions (2003) - 9%
5. Memento (2000) - 8%
6. 12 Monkeys (1995) - 6%
7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - 5%
8. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - 3%
9. Revolver (2005) - 2%
10. A Clockwork Orange (1971) - 1%

I really don't think Vanilla Sky, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, or A Clockwork Orange are confusing. Vanilla Sky is easy to work out at the end, and so is Eternal Sunshine (well before the end). And A Clockwork Orange is not meant to be worked out at all - I think it works in an entirely different level. It's much more about themes and suggestions than it's about plot.

Mullholland Drive is definitely confusing, but so are all of Lynch's more recent films. Inland Empire is even worse - I could not make any sense of it whatsoever.

I really like Mulholland Drive, but yeah, after three or four times of watching it, I still don't "get" everything in it and doubt I ever will. I don't think there are actually answers to some things. However, I do feel like I understand the basic story.

Naked Lunch went over my head quite a bit. Perhaps I need to read the book. Those puppet aliens... and when was he in reality? If ever? Gah...! :err:

The Pirates Of The Caribbean trilogy

It's a fun movie series with charming characters, but they lose me when they start introducing schemes and deals into the plot. Jack is working for Cutler, but he has an alliance with Jones who wants Jack so he works with Will who loves Elizabeth who helps Jack to betray Jones who hates Cutler who is in league with Will who......

These days, I have to go with 2001: A Space Odyssey as well. Inception I could at least follow and even theorize about its Jungian and Freudian symbolism, as well as how its sequences went together. Fight Club's ending took two viewings. But when watching 2001, every time I was finally formulating a theory about what a sequence meant, or the monolith, or the star child, or anything really, another would come along and tell me, "You're not making any sense at all," in a weird Captain Jack kind of voice.

On the bright side, it has helped me to interpret the Pink Floyd song Echoes. A rumor says that PF was supposed to do its soundtrack, but backed out due to fear of failure. Then when they watched the film, they regretted that decision. I don't buy the synchronization rumor, but I can definitely hear at least some of its influence on Echoes' instrumentation.

Vanilla Sky. I remember leaving the theater more baffled and confused than I have ever been in my whole life.
I once promised myself that any time someone mentioned Vanilla Sky I would point out the movie it's a remake of (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0125659/) (down to the role of Penelope Cruz, IIRC). Personally I think it's a better film--maybe because I saw it first, and maybe because Tom Cruise doesn't impress me much. Either way, I recommend it. I've never compared them in any detail, having seen them years apart, but I know what my preference is.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is pretty hard to grasp!

I don't understand why some people think that Stanley Kubric's The Shining is 'over their head'. I mean, it's a very good film and it does make you think about it for a while after you see it, but it's pretty much straight forward. There are a couple of questions you can ask yourself, but no one actually has the answers.

2001 A Space Odyssey

I'm sure there is some kind of deeply profound meaning to it, but honestly the movie is so plodding and boring, I really don't care that much about discovering what it is.

2001 A Space Odyssey

I'm sure there is some kind of deeply profound meaning to it, but honestly the movie is so plodding and boring, I really don't care that much about discovering what it is.

I disagree about the pace of the film and the plot is linear and quite simple and, there are just a lot of visual techniques used and an abnormally small amount of dialogue. I think in general, with this film more than any other, people have preconception before seeing it, which always leads to disappointment and frustration especially after 20mins of Apes.

I really believe this is as close to a perfect film you will find. Kubrick was a pioneer and I think this is one of the most important pieces of his work.

I really believe this is as close to a perfect film you will find. Kubrick was a pioneer and I think this is one of the most important pieces of his work.

2001: A Space Odyssey might be groundbreaking and I will admit that the music and visuals are top-notch, but that's about it. The film is unemotional, the plot is paper thin and plods along, there is little coherence and it allows fans of it to defend its senselessness and random turning points by claiming that every viewer must fill in the blanks themselves and give the film meaning, as if to compensate for lousy filmmaking.

I'd have to go with Blood Simple. My friend and I watched this (we fell asleep the first try, and then made it through it the next day), and it just was the most strange thing I've seen. Even stranger is why it gets such great critical acclaim. Afterwards, we decided to rewatch the movie with the commentary on in hope of getting some insight, and I can honestly say that I found the commentary more entertaining than the actual movie. The guy spends the whole time complaining about how the filmmakers totally messed up the movie, especially this one guy named Adrian Butts- whenever a lame scene happens, he goes, "Thank you, Adrian Butts." It was pretty funny.

And I'll agree with the Donnie Darko nod, too!


I haven't agreed with most of the comments about fight club, seven, 12 monkeys and so on, but blood simple and Donnie Darko I think I struggled with.

The shining..

I got it all the way untill the end when he's in that photo the old one!? Was he the caretaker? If so how? And why was he in the old photo?

I think it illustrates that he has become part of the house. The house has always been there, and now Jack is part of it and has always been there too. It's more symbolic than literal. It's the house itself that is the character, not the ghosts.

Donnie Darko. It's amazing, don't get me wrong, it's probably one of my favourite films, but surely if anyone claims to fully understand it, they are lying through their teeth. A beautiful piece of work nonetheless.

There's a lot of films that are easy to understand until the end. I see someone has already mentioned The Shining - what's with the ending!?

Inception - was it all just a dream? Maybe? Yes? No? Who knows?!

It's not 'above my head', but it really frustrates me that you can't hear what Bill Murray says to Scarlett Johansson at the end of Lost in Translation (I think some people have played about with it, but it's still unclear!).

Duplicity
With Clive Owen and Julia Roberts. I've seen it twice only to be left as confused as ever. I didn't understand the plot twists at all...the whole movie just went over my head...

Inception oh gosh, i feel like a idiot for not really understanding it haha. but really, it was a good movie, but it went right over my head.

I found the concept of Inception fairly easy to understand. Then it ended so ambiguously, I was very confused!

There's a movie I watched about two years ago, and I can't remember the name of it, but it was just flat out strange. I didn't understand a single bit of it. A man, who works as a doctor, loses his wife in some sort of medical complication (I think). He has a wedding ring that he loses, and tattoos the finger where the ring should be. They keep flashing over to him and this crazy tree, which was supposed to be a metaphor for the Garden of Eden and the tree Eve took the apple from. I barely got that, but only because the title had something to do with it. And then, the man is a knight in medieval Europe.... I dont even know anymore. I shall find the movie and re-watch it. But yeah.

It's not 'above my head', but it really frustrates me that you can't hear what Bill Murray says to Scarlett Johansson at the end of Lost in Translation (I think some people have played about with it, but it's still unclear!).

Actually someone did decipher it - he says "I won't see you till the next making of Suntory. Go to that man and tell him the truth, okay?"

There's a movie I watched about two years ago, and I can't remember the name of it, but it was just flat out strange. I didn't understand a single bit of it. A man, who works as a doctor, loses his wife in some sort of medical complication (I think). He has a wedding ring that he loses, and tattoos the finger where the ring should be. They keep flashing over to him and this crazy tree, which was supposed to be a metaphor for the Garden of Eden and the tree Eve took the apple from. I barely got that, but only because the title had something to do with it. And then, the man is a knight in medieval Europe.... I dont even know anymore. I shall find the movie and re-watch it. But yeah.

That's definitely The Fountain. I interpreted it as three iterations of the same story, though there are different theories as to which one is "real."

The most confusing movie I've seen is The Fountain, with Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. It could have been an interesting movie, but there was no plot to it!
This was the movie I was going to mention. I remember trying so hard to focus and understand what was going on, but it was just bizarre. I'm sorry, perhaps it is "art" to someone else, but it was definitely one of those "over my head" movies. :hmm:

For me, it's easily Primer. Not sure if it was mentioned upthread or not, but that has my vote. I actually had to take aspirin after watching it, because my head hurt from trying to figure it out!

The movie that did it for me was Eraserhead by David Lynch in 1971... that movie was just...just I don't know what. it went over my head, came back around and looped through my ears and came out my nose. I don't' think anyone can watch this movie and have any possible, plausible explanation for it. If you've heard of it...you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. For those of you who don't? I... can't even give a plot summary...hrm...just remembering it confuses me.:hmm:

This was the movie I was going to mention. I remember trying so hard to focus and understand what was going on, but it was just bizarre. I'm sorry, perhaps it is "art" to someone else, but it was definitely one of those "over my head" movies. :hmm:

Ughh The Fountain. When it ended I kinda just sat at the screen thinking "what the hell was that." Felt like I had wasted a part of my life.

Another one was The Orphanage. I had to watch with subtitles, and though I can't remember the move all that well now, I do know that I just didn't understand what had happened.

The Lost Highway by Lynch. I watched it at least thrice and I'm still too stupid to understand it. :p

1984 - maybe it was because I watched it in class over a week and a bit, and I wasn't really paying attention, but I didn't understand what was going on, at all. I didn't understand why the characters were doing what they did. I understand the profoundness, that it's about being able to control the truth and all that (I watched it in philosophy class :p), just not the actual film :lol:

Another one was The Orphanage. I had to watch with subtitles, and though I can't remember the move all that well now, I do know that I just didn't understand what had happened.

The Orphanage takes two watches to understand it, and it doesn't help that she does start hallucinating near the end :grumble: When I watched it, me and my friends spent about half an hour afterwards trying to dissect it.

Memento!! This thing is too hard to understand. Someone please tell me what's going on!?
Also, Shutter Island and Donnie Darko come a close second.

The movie 2001: A Space Oddyssey
That movie makes absolutely no sense at all. I was completely lost during the whole time I watched it.

Definitly 'Donnie Darko' it was very hard to get through the story,.

Has to be Inception. Confused me beyond my wits.

Inception, Memento, and Eraserhead are all practically transparent compared to...

Persona, by Ingmar Bergman.

Even Bergman's Hour of the Wolf and The Silence are comparatively easy!

Inception was way over my head but a very good movie! The plot was difficult to follow since in several parts you couldn't tell if Cobb was dreaming or in the real world. The Matrix films were complicated too, I thought the ending made no sense to me at all. :hmm:

Inception, Memento, and Eraserhead are all practically transparent compared to...

Persona, by Ingmar Bergman.

Even Bergman's Hour of the Wolf and The Silence are comparatively easy!

Any film by Bergman can confuse you. I don't know if anyone remembers an old film from the 60's called 'Blow Up'. It was maybe a bad cut I saw on TV but I didn't understand it at all. I really liked '2001'. It asked questions. I didn't like 'The Shining' but most of Kubrik's films I did like. I also remember a film called 'Rashomon' by Kurosowa, that was confusing the first time.
Has anyone seen any of Luis Bunuel's films, I never watched one that I really understood what was going on. The same with Fellini, I just didn't get them. Maybe I'm too literal?

I'm thrilled to see others were confused by Pirates 3 as well!

I had to watch it again with an interpreter, just to keep up. He says it's easy if you're someone whose mind tends to race. That isn't me.

Inception was way over my head but a very good movie! The plot was difficult to follow since in several parts you couldn't tell if Cobb was dreaming or in the real world.
Yep, Inception was too much for me, too.

Any film by Bergman can confuse you. I don't know if anyone remembers an old film from the 60's called 'Blow Up'. It was maybe a bad cut I saw on TV but I didn't understand it at all. I really liked '2001'. It asked questions. I didn't like 'The Shining' but most of Kubrik's films I did like. I also remember a film called 'Rashomon' by Kurosowa, that was confusing the first time.
Has anyone seen any of Luis Bunuel's films, I never watched one that I really understood what was going on. The same with Fellini, I just didn't get them. Maybe I'm too literal?

Bergman doesn't become difficult until the mid-1960s. You might check out some of his late 1950s movies. They're a lot easier than Rashomon. :)

Bergman doesn't become difficult until the mid-1960s. You might check out some of his late 1950s movies. They're a lot easier than Rashomon. :)

Well I cheated with 'Rashomon', I watched the film and complained to my brother who brought me a book that was all about the film. I watched the film again and everything slid in to place. 'The Exterminating Angel' by Bunuel? But then I'm not the only one who just didn't get it. I've always wanted to watch 'The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoise' just to see if it had that same vibe. Also I like French films. Gerard Depardiu, charm walking.

Tree of Life... I just did not get it at all...

Well I cheated with 'Rashomon', I watched the film and complained to my brother who brought me a book that was all about the film. I watched the film again and everything slid in to place. 'The Exterminating Angel' by Bunuel? But then I'm not the only one who just didn't get it. I've always wanted to watch 'The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoise' just to see if it had that same vibe. Also I like French films. Gerard Depardiu, charm walking.

I've only seen Rashomon once, and it was difficult. But I do plan to see it again. I know about the contradictory perspectives (actually, I knew that going in, but it didn't make the film any easier :)).

I haven't seen Bunuel or very many French films. Have you seen any Tarkovsky? I love Andrei Rublev and The Sacrifice, but some of Tarkovsky's other films are extremely difficult. Tarkovsky was probably one of the most courageous filmmakers ever. Check out Andrei Rublev, and remember that the film was made in the Soviet era, and you'll see what I mean. Soviet filmmakers just didn't make movies like that.

I've only seen Rashomon once, and it was difficult. But I do plan to see it again. I know about the contradictory perspectives (actually, I knew that going in, but it didn't make the film any easier :)).

I haven't seen Bunuel or very many French films. Have you seen any Tarkovsky? I love Andrei Rublev and The Sacrifice, but some of Tarkovsky's other films are extremely difficult. Tarkovsky was probably one of the most courageous filmmakers ever. Check out Andrei Rublev, and remember that the film was made in the Soviet era, and you'll see what I mean. Soviet filmmakers just didn't make movies like that.

No, I've never seen many Russian films. I did want to watch their version of War and Peace but I never got the chance. By comparison I have seen a lot of Kurasawa's films. And I've seen a lot of French films. Bergman and Fellini just never appealed to me either. I've seen every Hitchcock film except his silent ones, an awful lot of film noir, (I actually did film courses on both Film Noir and Hitchcock.) I quite like the 'Women's Films' from the 30's and the 40's. I find them interesting. Mt other great loves is Westerns and War films. I'm a big film fan but not of Italian films at all.

Inception. And the Matrix (although I've watched it so many times now that it's hard not to understand it now.)

I'd go with Donnie Darko. I've seen it around 5 times now and I still haven't gotten a clue about it. I even watched the Director's Cut that has 20 more minutes but that only confused me more.

And the ending of Matrix was confusing, too. We were like "Wait. It starts all over again? That sucks." ^^

Inception. And the Matrix (although I've watched it so many times now that it's hard not to understand it now.)

I found Inception pretty straightforward after the second watch, but the Matrix still remains extremely confusing to me.
I think I've watched eached of the Matrixes ~3 times and I still don't understand it at all.
I also think the Matrix is a horrible movie, but that's beside the point.

I have to admit that the first time I watched The Fountain I realized that it had some really deep underlying references woven into it that I just wasn't understanding completely at the time. But I was pretty determined to watch it a few more times to pick up on some of the wavelengths. It's obvious that the movie is comprised of several scattered references to religion, primarlily from Christianity (Judaism) and Buddhism. I found it fascinating how they took those references and combined it with three plots of connected story by using the same characters in different atmospheres working towards similar aims.

Donnie Darko. I like to think I'm quite intelligent, but my brain just didn't process it at all. I gave up trying to figure out what it was on about.

Mulholland Drive. This movie bugs me, I even went online to figure out what it meant (I never do that) and read somewhere that David Lynch didn't intend it to mean anything. That annoyed me so much.