After watching the movie, do you have more questions than answers? Let me help you find the hidden meaning behind the movie The Platform and also explain what the movie’s ending means.
The Spanish sci-fi film Platform is more than just a gripping thriller. The film, directed by Halder Gastelu-Urrutia, also contains elements of horror. There are many unexpected twists and turns in this story, mystical coincidences, strange decisions. Spectators, along with the characters, find themselves in a multi-storey tower divided into tiers.
Each room contains two people who seem to be “prisoned” on their floor. These people are looking forward to food, but no one knows for sure when it will be delivered to them. The characters hope to see a platform with food in front of them, otherwise they will simply die of hunger. Let’s analyze what hidden meaning the creators put into the emotional and ambiguous film “Platform”.
What is the movie “The Platform” about?
Goreng suddenly found himself locked in a concrete cell located on the 48th floor. There was another character in the same room – Trimagashi. It was he who told the awakened man that they were in the experimental tower. In the center of this structure is a mine, through which a platform filled with food passes daily.
The “prisoners” do not know exactly how many floors this structure has. But Trimagashi assures his partner that there are at least 132 of them, because he managed to visit him. The platform starts its movement from the upper floors, gradually descending to the lower level. The one who is at the very top has an undeniable advantage. They can take as much food as they want. Those who are kept in the lower chambers are content with what remains after the meal of all the other participants in the experiment.
At the end of each month, the “prisoners” are taken to a different floor. However, not everyone manages to survive. During this month, the characters became friends, they began to share with each other the details of their lives. After a set time, they were sedated with gas. When they woke up, the characters of the film realized that they had been moved to another floor. Trimagashi informed Goreng that, much to their regret, they ended up at the extremely unfortunate level 171. Food doesn’t come here at all.
But Trimagashi even in such a difficult situation came up with a way out. He shared his thoughts with his partner. In order not to die of hunger, the character will cut off a piece from his cellmate. This is their only chance to survive. A week later, Trimagasi realized that he could no longer contain his hunger. However, the character did not manage to create his plan. Goreng was ahead of him. Then the hero of the film visited other floors. The meeting with Imogiri opened Goreng’s eyes to what was happening.
“The Platform” plot explained
Tough, deep, endowed with a hidden meaning, the film shocks the audience. This story makes you think, rethink values. On the upper floors, the “prisoners” feast, because before their eyes appears a culinary masterpiece, consisting of lobsters, snails and other delicacies. But with each new step down, the amount of food on the platform is rapidly decreasing. The gluttony of the characters of the upper levels causes the rest to devour each other.
Perhaps the creators of the film “Platform” wanted to demonstrate social inequality using a good example. The meaning of the film also lies in the fact that people attach too much importance to food, forgetting about other aspects of life. Food is an important component of existence, but not the only one. The characters in the story are self-centered. They don’t think about others. Being at the upper levels, they do not consider it necessary to take care of those who are less fortunate. They have no concept of solidarity.
The film “Platform” showed that luck is not the last place in a person’s life. Banal luck. The characters did not choose a level, they did not know until the very end which floor they would be on next month. For them it was a lottery. External circumstances also played a role. It is important for a person who will be next to him when difficult, ambiguous times come. Sometimes you can only trust yourself, but this does not mean that you need to turn your back on everyone else.
Why did the main character decide to fall into the pit
From Goreng’s story, it becomes clear that he ended up in the pit of his own free will in order to receive a certain certificate, which is very much appreciated in society. At an interview with a representative of the administration, the hero asked whether they would take him to prison or not. As if we are talking about a job that pays a lot of money. Some critics and viewers have an allusion to the character of Dante, who goes to Hell at the request of Virgil.
What is each of the platform characters?
Most of the main characters are archetypes, living embodiments of certain ideas that guide them. For example, Goreng, who voluntarily ended up in the mine because of his desire to get a college degree, is an idealistic intellectual. At the beginning of the film, he is embarrassed and ashamed of those who take more than their own when given the opportunity. However, the hero does not understand why the prisoners do this, because he still has to spend a month at the bottom of the pit. Imogiri is an ignorant bureaucrat.
When she finds herself in a hole, she realizes that in fact she followed her ideas only permanently, in “real” conditions, her coordinate system gives up. The heroine also tries to convey and explain to the prisoners that food needs to be distributed, but they do not listen to her. Probably the strangest character in the prison is the mute woman Miharu (Alexandra Masangkai), who every month is looking for her child. Comrades in misfortune hate her and constantly attack. Even Imogiri laughs at Miharu because of her constant attempts to find a child, since everyone knows that children under 16 are not allowed to be in prison. Miharu herself is the personification of those people who suffer on the fringes of society.
“The Platform” ending explained
The tower is a kind of self-service center. If the characters in their cells distributed their food wisely, no one would starve to death. All “prisoners” are participants in the experiment. Imogiri believes that soon people will understand that solidarity is extremely important in life. But the heroes of the film, who are on the lower tiers, only laugh at her words. Goreng even had to raise his voice to the characters and threaten them with spoiling all the remaining food.
People do not think about how much food they need in order to satisfy their hunger. They grab everything at once, not realizing that they cannot physically eat it.
Spectators see on their screens what is happening on the “zero” floor. It is on it that chefs diligently prepare food, taking into account the wishes of everyone who is in the tower. A month later, Goreng wakes up on the 202nd floor. The character is shocked that the building has more than 200 levels. This month was the most difficult for the hero of the film.
Hallucinations haunted Goreng, he existed as if in delirium. Being in an inadequate state, he also ate his book – the only thing he was allowed to take with him to the tower. But even in these inhuman conditions, the character managed to survive.
Once on the 6th level, Goreng realized that this could no longer continue. Together with their new partners, they developed a plan according to which they would be able to distribute food among the “prisoners” located below the 50th floor. It was important for them to prove that food is not the most important thing in life. Together with the platform they went down.
On each floor, they saw people and objects they had taken with them. Surfboard, stacks of money, violin. People do not hear them and do not understand that Goreng, along with his partners, wants to help them. The characters still manage to reach the very bottom – level 333.
Initially, the characters wanted to make panna cotta. But when they managed to find a child under the bed on the lower level, the heroes of the film gave this dessert to him. If you look into the abyss for a long time, one day it will swallow you completely. But a person always has a choice: fight or let the flow take over you.
I hope I helped you find the meaning of the movie “The Platform”, as well as understand its ending. If you have a different vision of the film, write your version in the comments.
5 Life Lessons From The Platform
1. In difficult times, everyone blames society, forgetting about their responsibility.
Catering in the “Hole” works very well. Before being placed in a cell, each person is asked about their favorite dish. All this is on the table. And if everyone eats as much as they need, then everyone will get plenty, and even what they like.
But nobody does that. On the upper floors, everyone grabs food indiscriminately and gorges themselves. Therefore, the next get only leftovers, and many turn out to be completely hungry. Nobody wants to take care of others for one reason. Everyone believes that his refusal will not affect anything. Everyone else will continue to take food from others in any case, and therefore you can not limit yourself in anything.
This topic has been relevant for a very long time. For example, many people believe that a bag of garbage thrown away by them will not affect the environment in any way. But now the question is even more acute: the plot is too similar to the madness that is happening today in stores and pharmacies. People are buying unnecessary buckwheat, pasta, toilet paper, and (more importantly) antiseptic and masks in completely unrealistic quantities. As a result, others simply do not have enough goods.
Or, many ignore calls for self-isolation and calmly go for a walk with the whole family in shopping centers or go by public transport with friends to a bar.
And at the same time, everyone sincerely believes that his intervention did not affect the overall picture. “Everyone does it” is the most common excuse for such hysteria. And in the end, this can turn into a disaster for a particular person. In the world of the Platform, he will die of hunger, but in reality he will become infected with a virus.
2. The stratification of society is a common fault
In most dystopias , where people are divided into classes or levels (for example, the paintings “Through the Snow” or “High-rise”), it is usually said that someone from the outside created inequality. Most often, these are representatives of the privileged strata. But “Platform” shows a more realistic and timely interpretation.
As in life, everyone despise those below and envy those who are lucky. The people on the upper floors eat more than they need, spoil the rest, and even urinate down the hole above. But in one moment everything can change. And those who must perfectly remember their troubles during their stay on the lower floors, strangely, become no less cruel. They do not try to take care of others, but only take advantage of their position.
This picture can be seen everywhere. Everyone swears at officials and bosses who use their privileges at the expense of others. But as soon as a person receives such opportunities, he begins to behave similarly.
At the same time, in times of crisis, one should not forget that yesterday’s successful businessman may go broke tomorrow and become a taxi driver or courier, be in the place of those whom he despised. By the way, because of such instability, many are trying to snatch their piece, robbing others. Instead of setting up a system where everyone will support each other.
3. Sometimes calls for order have to be backed up by force.
At some point, Goreng and his new comrades decide to somehow change the system and arrange the distribution of products across all floors. However, they soon face the main problem: everyone prefers to ignore the calls and live as before.
As a result, persuasion has to be supplemented with threats or even force. And each time the heroes try to first explain the general benefits of this event. Everyone understands it, but they do not want to agree: at the upper levels they are in a hurry to enjoy luxury, and at the lower levels they are too hungry to think about others.
Therefore, the heroes themselves have to become very cruel and distribute portions literally under the threat of death.
In reality, different countries have to introduce fines for violating the quarantine regime in exactly the same way. Or, if we talk not only about today, to punish environmental pollution. After all, many, even if they understand that they are doing wrong, prefer to live in the old way.
4. The line between reasonable selfishness and cruelty is very thin.
The neighbor with whom Goreng ended up in the cell has been in the “Hole” for a very long time. And he adapted to the lack of food in the most cruel way. Moreover, he considers this the only reasonable way out: the prisoner only cares about his own life, no matter what happens to the others.
The trouble is that the hero does not even want to discuss other ways to solve the problem, considering selfishness justified. But in reality, he just turned into a cruel maniac, incapable of appreciating others.
This theme also returns to real events. During difficult times, some employers begin to deceive or threaten to fire employees or not pay them their due wages. Or, on the contrary, for fear of losing profits, people are not allowed to work remotely.
They may feel like they’re taking care of themselves. In fact, they simply endanger the lives of others.
5. What is self-isolation for one is prison for another
As already mentioned, the main character came to prison voluntarily. Of course, he did not know what was going on inside, but he knew how long he would be in isolation. The reason is simple: Goreng wanted to quit smoking and finish reading an interesting book. And the hero was not at all worried that he would spend half a year in an enclosed space.
And his neighbor was put in a cell as punishment for a crime. And he considered it a prison term.
Apart from the brutality that Goreng faced, it is very similar to today’s attitude of different people towards remote work and self-isolation. Some people enjoy spending time at home, and perhaps they have tried not to go outside once again. For others, this is a real punishment, and they suffer every day, waiting for their return to society.
