'Cosmopolis': a film analysis

'These horribly artificial speech patterns, these pseudo-profundities on the meanings of random words, are what? Self-indulgent? Meandering? Pointless? What is all of the above?'

Cosmopolis is, in my opinion, one of those hidden gems I am lucky to be acquainted with. For an introduction to the film, however, I refer to the Wikipedia article. In the next part, I want to present some thoughts on Cosmopolis.

Several contrasts can be observed in the film. 

1. Rich - poor 
2. Order - chaos 
3. No affection - affection 
4. Reality - illusion or existence - non-existence

"Rich" and "poor" are evident aspects. For example, the main character Eric Packer (what's in a name?) is a multi-billionaire who drives in a state-of-the-art limousine, white on the outside, dark on the inside. When Packer meets Richard Sheets in the final part of the film, the environment shows poverty. Packer has a career, Sheets does not, and it can be conjectured pretty much the same goes for (many) anti-capitalist demonstrators. Moreover, these demonstrators refer to rats, and at the beginning of the film Packer declares to have had a dream, in which money has been replaced by rats, who usually have negative connotations. Therefore something 'valuable' becomes replaced by something 'invaluable'. Finally, it turns out that Packer is loosing hundreds of millions because of unexpected events on the stock market with regard to the yuan.

"Order" and "chaos" can be seen in the contrast between the inside of the limousine and the outside world. The interior is quite and serene, whereas the exterior is noisy and filled with traffic. Also, Packer can decide who enters the limousine and who does not, and he has security. Possibly the film's title refers to this rich and orderly world in which Packer lives. Cosmopolis is a compound: the Greek cosmos refers to a state of order and to an orderly universe; polis means 'city'. Through his on-board technology Packer is in continuous contact with the world, while the streets seem to be teemed with white limousines. In this technocratic and urbanised civilisation, cities are also of great importance, connected with capitalism. The references to symmetry can also be interpreted as part of the motive of order: Packer is obsessed by the doctor's observation that his prostate is asymmetrical, and he wonders "why" this is so. Yet he ultimately leaves the barber with only one side of his head cut properly (asymmetry) in the last part of the film. During the dialogue with Sheets, he briefly entertains the thought to shoot himself in the head, but instead shoots himself in his left hand (asymmetry). Both cases are sudden, unexpected turns of events which Packer cannot explain. The environment is, as said, in the film also defined by demonstrators, who do not hesitate to appear suddenly in a diner, to paint the limousine, jump on cars and throw with pies. Therefore there is an anarchistic or radical element to the demonstrations. Another example of the contrast is Packers fascination with data, patterns and predictions. Every disturbance seems to be a scandal, since he remarks that even decease is a scandal (he is having a conversation about the death of his favourite rapper). This makes the demonstration(s?) scandalous too, and because of its violent nature, it must serve some purpose. After all, in their encounter, Packer says to Sheets that his aggression should have a goal; violence múst serve some purpose. It is hence suggested that Packer cannot fully grasp the meaning of the anti-capitalist actions. It represents chaos, as does the prospective assault by Sheets (his motive remains hazy). Hence the other thing that he cannot fathom either, are the developments around the yuan. These are also his socio-economical downfall. A final example is the fact that Packer leaves the safe environment of his armoured limousine, shoots his bodyguard and ultimately enters a building from where he is being shot twice (without success). In other words, he purposely meets the danger, for which he was warned several times by his bodyguard, through some implied intelligence system. He did not really recognise the demonstrations, but does accept the imminent mortal threat.

"Affection" and its opposite are perhaps less obvious aspects. The main character Packer seems cold-blooded, rational and cruel. As is stated by one of the characters, the worst thing about real human rationality is that it does not care about suffering. This could be related to the idea that everything is getting reduced to numbers and efficiency, which leave no room for empathy or sympathy. That is why Richard Sheets was once dismissed by Packer's firm: he could not keep up with new 'infinitesimal' information systems. (Concerning 'infinitesimality', Packer makes a passing remark on nanoseconds and even smaller units.) The relationship between Packer and his wife also remains emotionless. Packer at one point explicitly tries to make a conversation, and explicates his wish to have sex at several occasions, but it all results in nothing. Partly, perhaps, because he himself does not show ardour, love or tenderness. At any rate, the wife is no different. She refuses to have sex and dissolves their union at the end of their third and final encounter. Nevertheless there are two short exceptions with regard to emotion. The first is the scene in which the death of Packer's favourite rapper is highlighted. The second is the final scene where Richard Sheets points his gun to Packer's head and is about to kill him. Besides, in the course of the day Packer does have sex, with two other women, but these intimacies solely revolve around pleasure.

The fourth contrast, "reality" and "illusion", is constantly in the backdrop of the film. There is a surreal atmosphere, as Packer has very abstract dialogues, and information and individuals seem to come from nowhere. It is equally unclear how it is possible for Packer to, e.g., appear in a hotel. There hardly seems to be any real inter-human contact and understanding either, but then again, there does not seem to be any real connection between Packer and the world in general, and many scenes could, in theory, be located inside his head. However, in the final encounter between Packer and Sheets, reality and its opposite are explicated. To sheets it is irrelevant whether something is physically real or not, as long as he thinks it is. All one needs to do is to believe it. This could explain the sudden end of the film: it remains unclear whether Sheets pulls the trigger or not, and in fact he does not need to, as long as he has the thought (according to his own reasoning). Somewhere in the middle of their conversation, Sheets suddenly yells that he wants to be known as Benno. This could be an anagram for 'be non'.