Less is more

Rating: Null/10 (2 October 2003)

The premise is taken from a 70's Jim Henson TV show. The set consists more or less of one room only. The cast is entirely made up of stereotypes, not very convincingly portrayed. Effects are sparse, and so is the musical score.
So why the #### would you want to watch the Cube?
Well, because it is a very good film! Being in an allegoric frame of mind will help you enjoy it. Not to say that it is entirely without other qualities. I also liked the creepy, claustrophobic feel, the constant guesswork, and moments of nihilistic despair.
Now go see the movie!
Oh you did? In that case... *** SPOILERS AHEAD ***
The Cube has similarities to Night of the Living Dead, in that it is a chamber play - that is, an examination of group/character development within a confined space - set in a genre film (survival/horror) context. They both offer a very dark view of society as a soulless machinery, in which the individual is forced to retreat to her most primal survival instincts. It all comes down to "kill or be killed", and so the threat ends up coming from within rather than from without.
I have seen several posts claiming to have The Answer to this film, or indeed that there is none. To me the film makes some very obvious points, some delivered more subtly than others. And those are very relevant points.
The most obvious message is of course that we need each other to get by through life, although our own spiritual qualities are the only thing we can rely on in the end. Another is that you shouldn't judge a book by the cover, as illustrated by the development of Worth, Quentin and of course Kazan.
But the most crucial point is the one delivered in the final scene: The meek shall inherit the earth. Kazan is a child, but a wise child. He is the one who has been closest to the solution all the time, simply by not going anywhere. He is the only one remaining untainted by the suspicion, hatred and retribution which ultimately destroys his companions.
You may see the characters as representatives of different ways of life. You have Randomness (Alderson), Cunning (the Wren), Strength (Quentin), Knowledge (Worth), Reasoning (Leaven) and Compassion (Holloway). Each one of these is flawed and/or incomplete, and thus doomed to perish. They can compensate for each other weaknesses, but without Enlightenment (Kazan), they are all meaningless. Kazan is the weakest, obviously, but being dependent on others is also his largest strength. The last becomes the first. The fool becomes the sage.
Anyway, that's my truth. Tell me yours.