Puppeteering
The opening sequence shows Craig pulling the strings to a puppet that is made to look just like him. From this scene we can see one the themes of the film come to life in a short period of time. The puppet smashes a mirror after not liking what he sees and then goes into a dance that ends in despair. This matches Craig’s own emotional state in the film, and shows us that he is the architect of his own misery.
Floor 7 1/2
Floor 7 ½ speaks about many themes, but one that stands out in particular in this film is that when we choose to do what is against our nature we are given very little stand and be who we are, let alone grow and evolve. We see Craig is an artist who cares about the meaning behind his work, and when he has to get a job and face that what he’s passionate about isn’t paying the bills, Jonze’s use of the half-floor shows that he is a stunted man, not fully formed.
Dumped in a Ditch on The New Jersey Turnpike
Once someone goes on a ride inside of Malkovich that person is dumped in a dirty ditch on the side of the New Jersey Turnpike near an industrial factory. This represents how when we attempt to be someone else in life we get dumped some place far from where we are actually meant to be, and there isn’t a cushy landing. What makes this comical is that people don’t care about where they get dumped, they care that they got to see life through another person’s eyes who isn’t living their version of crappy. So, when they come out smiling every time or awakened to a “better” life it’s funny and disheartening all at once.
Elijah the Monkey
Elijah is Lottie and Craig’s monkey. He has an ulcer brought on from a traumatic incident as a baby that Lottie is taking him to a therapist to help him figure out. What’s important to note is that Lottie is taking care of Elijah, not Craig. And, since we can relate monkeys to evolution we connect that Lottie is attempting to evolve while Craig is not.
