Thanks to “ The Matrix ”, this captivating science fiction film of 1999 never drew the attention it deserved

The history of cinema is riddled with films that were killed at the time of their release by the simple fact that something vaguely similar had already managed to have an impact before them. The thirteenth floordirected by Josef Rusnak and produced by Roland Emmerichis a classic case of this – An exciting creative work taken in a terrible timing. This film on virtual reality had the misfortune to be released in 1999, a year already filled with large versions, but moreover, the same in which The matrix makes a giant splash. To top it off, David Cronenberg‘s existence made its debut the same year. From The thirteenth floor was released in the United States about a month after both, he was implacally compared to them, especially for Wachowskis“Film, and could even have presented itself as a scam to certain viewers, who could not be more distant from the truth. Based on a science fiction novel from the 60s, Rusnak’s film is still holding as a comment on the point on the current state of business. Looking at it more closely, apart from “our world might not be what it seems”, it is not even so similar to The matrix: It is certainly not a cyberpunk action, but a much quieter science fiction neo-black that always has a significant punch.

What is “the thirteenth floor” is talking about?

Like many classic black films, The thirteenth floor begins with a murder. An older gentleman named Hannon Fuller (Armin Mueller-Stahl) Leave a young woman in bed in a hotel room and go down. Before going home, he leaves an envelope with a friendly bartender, Ashton (Vincent D’Onofrio), with instructions to give it to his friend during his visit. The whole thing is soon to be a simulation of Los Angeles of 1937, built by the real Hannon Fuller, who is murdered the same evening. His longtime colleague and friend, Douglas Hall (Craig Bierko), is devastated, then shocked by the sudden appearance of Fuller’s daughter, Jane (Gretchen Mol), which he had never heard of. He is even more surprised when He becomes the main suspect in the murder of his friend, causing him to conduct his own investigationwhich is obviously linked to the simulated reality they have created.

There are, of course, some important twists and turns that occur along the way that could be obvious from the current point of view. For the credit of the authors, they do not really try to present these events of events as shocking for viewers, by going rather for an emotional impact which can be felt through the characters. Again, like many black films, The film presents reality around the characters, virtual or not, as intrinsically hostile and represented as such, with its darker and deaf colors and its global melancholy tone, recalling Blade runner (Hall even shares the building in which he lives with Rick Deckard) and another cult science fiction of the time, Alex Proyas‘ Dark city. And like all the best science fiction stories tend to do, The thirteenth floor ends up being not only entertaining, but relatable, because He talks more about the present than the future.

“ The thirteenth floor ” is not content to be fun, he is not afraid of digging in darker questions either

Several characters in The thirteenth floor Question not only the world around them, but their own identity. And the surprising effect of achieving everything you have known about yourself and reality is not true is captured with heartbreaking precision by the performance of Vincent d’Onofrio. Broken in the double role of a bartender from the 1930s who accidentally discovers the truth about his world, and Jason, a colleague warned of technology who cannot help being curious about testing the simulation, even knowing that it is dangerous, of Onofrio takes place wonderfully in both. Coupled with the central performance of Bierko, who maintains his brand charisma of a man who could easily be a hero or a villain, he grants the film its emotional nucleus and makes it more resonant and relatable.

The thirteenth floor is not the first adaptation of Daniel F. Galouyescience fiction novel, Simulacron-3. In 1973, it was transformed into a German television series, World on a threadwhich was unexpectedly directed by one of the emblematic authors of European cinema, Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Despite its twists and turns, the series was largely focused on the ethical and philosophical sides of scientific progress, including experiences with virtual reality. And, while telling his own story, The thirteenth floor always inherits this major feature of the Fassbinder spectacle, leaning heavily in Ask complex questions about the very nature of what constitutes reality and existenceprefiguring by a revealing epigraph with René Descartes“Quote during the opening credits. Thus, it should not surprise that, in the midst of all negative criticisms, famous philosopher Slavoj žižek had praise for the ideas of the film, favoring them in relation to those in The matrix.

Watch the film today, It is of course easy to establish parallels with many aspects of modern life (For example, the Internet), which makes its main ideas that are both disturbing and relevant. Contrary to The matrixThe central conflict of the film is not humans against machines, or even painful reality in relation to the comfort of illusion. It is humans against other humans who become dangerously dependent on the impunity of virtual reality and benefit To make their desires, often dark. This idea is transpired through several characters in The thirteenth floorWith Fuller using the simulation to spend time with women, and another character in the process of turning to virtuality looking for an improved version of a loved one. In the end, however, everything comes down to the use of virtual reality as an outlet for assault and repressed violence with an excuse that nothing from there probably exists – only for all these darkness inevitably spread in real physical life.