(Jun. 6, 2023 ● Oslin Pierrette)
The Cassandra Phenomenon
I tried to tell the world, they just didn’t believe me. They couldn’t believe how crazy reality really is. That was the 12 Monkeys. The truth is outrageously absurd, so basically the truth to many could never be the truth. We live in this world full of optimism bias, illusion of invulnerability, where people feel immune to chaos. Especially in this American society, a society that operates on illusions. People understand that chaos is a real thing, just never believe it will occur in their own reality, like they are so special, that they’re absolved from their demise. So if you are in a world full of that, and you hold the dark truth, the truth of the demise of humanity. And tell the people the truth you hold, you’re just a crazy person that just needs to be locked up in a mental institution, that’s just crazy talk. Especially if you tell people they have to be proactive in saving themselves and the world from imminent danger. We live in an unassertive docile society, where many people have this trait of being very reluctant to impose. They just want to stay out the way and do their own thing with no distractions. Truth is absurdly crazy, but it’s the truth. So to believe in it, will probably manipulate your sanity, opening Pandora’s box, and exposing yourself to that level of information, is basically opening like a completely different reality. Where you will start to struggle with what’s real or what’s not, which can create the aspect of an assault on your sanity. In this journey, war, whatever this is, it’s just not for the mentally weak, because you will be insanely challenged. There’s a war against humanity, and to be aware and enter this war you may have to take on insanity, reality bending, intense confusion, lack of belief and support, feeling of being crazy yourself. Because that may honestly be the truth itself, so you have to learn it, to be able to see it, and then fight it. So in 12 Monkeys, and in reality, who’s gonna believe that, or gonna want to go through that. It just feels like this unwinnable war, that you can’t do anything about. No one will listen, nor would want to. Blissful ignorance is just too comfortable.
Also I like the aspect of the premonitions and the visions. It’s like James is constantly cycling throughout time. James saw already so much of what was to come, and that speaks to the aspect of this self fulfilling prophecy. Everything happened how it was supposed to happen, how he envisioned it. And that means if everything happens how it’s supposed to happen or James envisions, you end up where you started, and fulfill the prophecy. And the Prophecy doesn’t feel like a good one. It feels like the Demise of Humans Prophecy. A prophecy that is defined by the lack of agency, lack of human effort, and how docile humanity is. And you’re not innocent for wanting to stay out the way and be a bystander, you can still be guilty in what you believe is your innocence. It feels like it’s a human duty for humans to stand for something good and be proactive in that. That aspect probably would save the world or humanity from ever turning on itself. I feel this prophecy is also a test of human collectivism. That if we don’t pass, if we as humans don’t come together, remain purely individualistic, remain in excess self preserving or greed, the human demise will come.
Who or what do humans need saving from? Humans need saving from humans. More specifically the humanoids and psychopaths subset of humans. But why though? And it’s just of their nature. Humans have to come to the realization that a subset group have no empathy, probably don’t bare a soul, doesn’t have what connects us and makes us human. They just plague the rest of humanity. They’re basically like an invasive species. If not acknowledged and dealt with, they can cause irreparable catastrophe.
Even James to a sense, and people a part of that dystopian world, that know what’s to come, they are also docile. They are still listening to the orders told to them. And who are the people they are listening to, do they stand for good, or are they nefarious as well? So many people have this lack of agency in their own lives, they don’t take control of their own lives, don’t stand for anything, and just listen to orders. Even if you’re not sure if your actions are good or bad, the ignorance of that still doesn’t absolve you from guilt. That’s why James is always going to end up where he started, he never veers from the course, be truly proactive and control his destiny. His past, future, and present is decided for him and so many others. And they just follow orders. Sometimes God speaks to you, God gives you signs, advises you. And so many people don’t want to impose, are too unassertive to receive and live out that message of savior. They still move cautiously, move with shame, move with fear, and ignore the messages like it never was told to them. You receive a lot of messages, many options. But people act like they are innocent in their fear of taking initiative, like they didn’t have a choice, and have to do what they do, even if it’s wrong. Yeah it’s understandable, but it feels like your human duty is to take initiative in your life to do good. Assert yourself in doing the right thing, no matter how crazy that appears. So many people ignore the signs of savior. They ignore it and remain docile until it’s too late. When it’s too late, that’s when the devil appears, the face of danger and death appears. That’s when people want to “take initiative” for good, when they ignored it so much, and now evil has appeared. Not for humanity’s prosperity, but because their own safety, security, and comfortability has been threatened and disrupted. Just another act of self preservation. They aren’t listening to God, and doing good in God’s name. They’re reactive to the devil and trying to run away from evil. So now when you see people “taking initiative”, having agency over their own life, now they start to have actual human effort, seemingly having these acts of bravery. They’re not diverting from the prophecy like they had the chance of before, when God was calling. It’s all a part of the prophecy. It was all written in. Because in the face of danger, in the face of death, so many average people who typically are docile would take initiative, take control, and have these acts of “bravery”, are expected to. Your fear of living has turned into your fear of dying.
This was a beautifully written and orchestrated film. I thought I would need a second watch, but I feel I got a good grasp of what was going on from the first watch. But I’m still gonna continue to watch some more.
Amazing performances. Amazing writing. Really love this film and what it was speaking to.