Wachowskis have changed the kind of science fiction when they introduced the world into their 1999 film The matrix. From philosophy to high concept, revolutionary visual effects to an elegant action sequence, the film had everything. That was all. We cannot discuss the trope “man vs machine” in the cinema without mentioning The matrixwhich practically revolutionized the idea of simulated reality and made it undeniably cool. But what many people may not achieve is that in the same year, other filmmakers quietly tackled the same subjects, exploring the nature of reality in their own way, to be strongly overshadowed by the phenomenon of The matrix.

From these neglected films, none deserved the attention more than the science fiction thriller neo-black, Josef Rusnak The thirteenth floor. While it was a much more contemplative film, The thirteenth floor Immersing in the philosophical questions of simulated life with maturity that his most famous contemporaries have never really reached. Twenty-six years later, it is difficult not to see that The matrix was the stronger and more successful blockbuster commercial; A strong argument can be advanced that the Vincent of Onofrio Starrer The thirteenth floor was the most thoughtful, philosophically courageous and emotionally nuanced film of the two.

The thirteenth floor explores the philosophical nucleus of the world of stimulation

The central difference between the two films lies in the depth and maturity of their basic ideas. The matrix Presents his audience with a famous choice: the red pill for a hard and painful truth or the blue pill for comfortable and happy ignorance. Although emblematic, it is ultimately a binary choice which focuses on a kind of fantasy of power. It is a question of being “aware” of choosing to be a hero in a great battle between good and evil. It is an exciting premise for a dystopian framework, but his philosophical questions are largely self -centered, focused on the decision of an individual to wake up.

The thirteenth floorOn the other hand, presents a deeply disturbing philosophical dilemma. Its history does not concern the awakening of a simulation, but of the ethics of the creation of a first place. The film, based on the 1964 novel Simulacron-3revolves around a team of scientists who created a fully immersive simulated version of Los Angeles from 1937, populated by conscious and sensitive beings who do not know that these are computer programs.

This configuration obliges the public to tackle an incredibly complex and uncomfortable series of questions that The matrix Never touch. It is a question of asking if it gives something back to the company or simply to withdraw from it. If you can create a conscious being and thinking, what are your responsibilities? Do simulated people deserve rights? Is the machine deactivation an act of mass murder? The film does not offer easy answers.

The thirteenth floor Treats these ethical and moral questions with the seriousness they deserve, creating a powerful feeling of moral ambiguity. It is a premise much more difficult than a simple choice between truth and illusion; It is a deep dive in the ethics of creation and the definition of life itself.

A mystery of murder on two realities

The premise of the thirteenth floor feeds a classic story of black

Put aside your ideas at high concept, which makes The thirteenth floor He is so convincing that he founded his premise of science fiction in a mystery of classic murder, which maintains the public hooked. The story starts when the creator of the 1937 simulation, Hannon Fuller (Armin Mueller-Stahl), is assassinated in the real world of 1999. His death comes just after discovering a shocking and overwhelming truth in his own digital creation.

The first suspect in the murder is his best programmer and protected, Douglas Hall (Craig Bierko), who is now found in a desperate race against time. To erase his name and discover the truth, Douglas decides to act and chooses an incredibly dangerous path. He connects to the machine and travel in the simulated world of 1937 to find a message that his mentor left him.

Flourishing the sensations of a fantastic neo-or, Douglas, living in the body of a shy bank clerk in the simulation, must sail in the smoked and dangerous world of Los Angeles of the 1930s, in search of clues left by the avatar of his mentor. The intrigue is full of exciting twists and turns, involving a mysterious woman claiming to be the daughter of Fuller and a vicious bartender from the 1930s (played by Vincent d’Onofrio) who can know more than it allows.

Meanwhile, the real genius of history, however, is how the lines between the two worlds are starting to blur in shocking and unexpected ways. The suspense of the film is built in a way that leads the characters to question not only the reality of the world of 1937, but the very nature of their own. It is a convincing mystery that uses its concept of science fiction to explore deep questions about identity and what it means to be real.

While discussing the central moral conflict and the theme of the film, the Gretchen Mol actressWho plays the role of Jane Fuller, explains that the film throws the idea of a perfect world, saying:

The double game of Onofrio is beyond the emblematic

The performance of the film is deeply rooted in the nuances

The game in the film is on the point, and it is important enough to overcome its more famous counterpart in terms of depth and nuance. Undoubtedly that the characters in The matrix have become emblematic, but they often work more like powerful symbols than deeply complex individuals. Neo is “the one”, Morpheus is “the mentor” and Trinity is “the warrior”. These are archetypes that serve a great mythical story. TIt is thirteenth floorWith its smallest scale and its more intimate concentration, allows much deeper exploration of character.

This is very obvious in the fact that many actors play double roles, one in their real self and a second in their simulated Sosiels in the world of 1937, which are often their opposites. While Craig Bierko and Gretchen Mol justified their roles, which are at the heart of the plot, the challenge of duality is better illustrated by the brilliant performance of Vincent d’Onofrio.

In the “real” world, he plays Jason Whitney, a nervous and friendly computer programmer. But in the simulation of 1937, he is a mysterious and nasty bartender named Jerry. De Onofrio embodies these two completely different people with incredible skills, presenting the deep interest of the film for the nature of the identity and the different versions of ourselves which could exist. In an interviewHe explained how he approached his double roles. He said:

This nuanced character level, where an actor must explore contradictions within a single being, is something that the most symbolic roles The matrix I just don’t have the space for. Performance in The thirteenth floor are not to appear cool and nail actions in slow motion; It is a question of exploring the internal confusion and the fear of individuals who begin to question the very nature of their own existence.

In addition, there is no support for the 1999 pop culture battle, with more films like Dark city hit theaters, The matrix won. But in isolation, The thirteenth floor deserves much more appreciation and attention, especially fans of the genre. The difficult questions of the film on the nature of consciousness and our responsibilities towards the digital worlds that we create are no longer only philosophical; These are the questions of our time. And that’s why The thirteenth floor is as relevant as The matrix And should be reassessed not as a film that was overshadowed by a blockbuster, but as a fascinating fascinating masterpiece in its own right.

The thirteenth floor

Release date

April 16, 1999

Execution time

101 minutes

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  Armin Mueller-Stahl

  Hannon Fuller

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  Craig Bierko

  Douglas Hall

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  Vincent D’Onofrio

  Whitney