Also they're acting like they invented the "red pill" when it existed in other films decades earlier: "They Live" had the sunglasses that let you see the world as it really is and "Total Recall" had a literal red pill that was supposed to bring the protagonist back to reality (and it's up for debate if it really would have, nearly everything that happens after that point was predicted by the guy who offered him the pill so who knows if the second half of the film was just a dream playing out still.)
Great points and understanding of Total Recall’s ambiguity.
Other examples: pills in Alice in Wonderland, peyote in Young Guns (“we’re in the Spirit World, asshole, they can’t see us”), LSD in The Doors giving vision of the band, and mj in Platoon.
In Platoon, Jack-Daniels-drinking Barnes says “you guys smoke this shit to escape reality?… I am reality.” No, he’s delusional. His poor decision gets Gardner killed and Chris shot. He murders a Vietnamese woman which dooms him to a court-martial. He murders Elias which weakens the platoon. He almost murders Chris but they’re both concussed by a bomb. Liquor can make people black out and not remember reality, but mj can help people think more deeply about reality. Elias smokes mj and he’s the best soldier and Sargent in the platoon. He treats the Privates kindly so they have a chance to become good soldiers. He’s got the guts to be a tunnel rat. He diagnoses the enemies’ crossfire and outflanks them. He’s the first to realize that America is going to lose the war.
Also they're acting like they invented the "red pill" when it existed in other films decades earlier: "They Live" had the sunglasses that let you see the world as it really is and "Total Recall" had a literal red pill that was supposed to bring the protagonist back to reality (and it's up for debate if it really would have, nearly everything that happens after that point was predicted by the guy who offered him the pill so who knows if the second half of the film was just a dream playing out still.)
Great points and understanding of Total Recall’s ambiguity.
Other examples: pills in Alice in Wonderland, peyote in Young Guns (“we’re in the Spirit World, asshole, they can’t see us”), LSD in The Doors giving vision of the band, and mj in Platoon.
In Platoon, Jack-Daniels-drinking Barnes says “you guys smoke this shit to escape reality?… I am reality.” No, he’s delusional. His poor decision gets Gardner killed and Chris shot. He murders a Vietnamese woman which dooms him to a court-martial. He murders Elias which weakens the platoon. He almost murders Chris but they’re both concussed by a bomb. Liquor can make people black out and not remember reality, but mj can help people think more deeply about reality. Elias smokes mj and he’s the best soldier and Sargent in the platoon. He treats the Privates kindly so they have a chance to become good soldiers. He’s got the guts to be a tunnel rat. He diagnoses the enemies’ crossfire and outflanks them. He’s the first to realize that America is going to lose the war.