The Platform

tags: Netflix streaming, parable, Spanish movie


The Platform is a Spanish movie called El Hoyo (The Hole) which is set in an underground prison. It is a gray square vertical or tower-like structure with a hole in the middle for a platform. 2 prisoners are housed on each level. The platform goes down to feed the prisoners once a day. They are given 2 minutes to eat their fill but cannot keep any for later or they get punished either by being frozen or fried by extreme heat, then the platform goes down to the next level. The food are prepared meticulously by a chef and his cooks, a feast fit for kings. Those on the upper levels have the best choice and as the platform descends much lower, all the great food and wine are depleted because the prisoners on the upper levels do not care if the prisoners below them have nothing to eat. They are selfish people thinking only of themselves and their needs. The result is chaos, madness, suicides, people killing each other, cannibalism. Once a month prisoners wake up on another level, higher or lower determined by the "administration". With this arrangement one would expect the prisoners to be more aware of the golden rule and be considerate of the people below but no, they still act like animals once they are on the upper level. 

All the prisoners, either volunteers or criminals, are asked for their favorite food and allowed one thing to bring inside. The main character is Goreng who wakes up on level 48. BTW, in Indonesian language goreng means fried as in Nasi Goreng - Fried Rice. I'm not sure if this has a significance to the story. Maybe he's going to fry in hell or his brain will get fried in this hell hole? Anyway, Goreng did not commit any crime; he volunteered in exchange for an accredited certificate or diploma. He brought a copy of Don Quixote to read while inside and indicated his favorite food is snail (escargot), caracol in Spanish. One day, a plate of snails appears on the platform and Goreng notices that nobody touched it because it was obviously prepared just for him. If the prisoners eat only their declared preferred food, there wouldn't be food shortage in prison. He and his new cellmate, the woman who interviewed him when he applied for prison stay, who also volunteered to be a prisoner decide to reform the chaotic prison platform. The woman prepares 2 plates with enough food for the prisoners below and asks them to do the same so that there will be enough food left for the people on the lowest level. It fails as expected because people are greedy and don't think rationally.

I think this movie is maybe a parable on the 7 deadly sins. The movie has religious references regarding eating someone's body and drinking his blood thereby becoming part of that person (holy communion and wine?). I have no idea what it means though. Goreng also ate pages of Don Quixote. Maybe he ate this part of the book because he's one of only 3 prisoners who don't take advantage when transferred to a high level so prisoners on lower level may eat: 

"The person who possesses wealth is not made happy by having it but by spending it, and not spending it haphazardly but in knowing how to spend it well” — Don Quixote 

This movie needs a second viewing to fully understand it.

Recommended for viewers who are apt to over analyze movies and books.

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The greed and chaos in the movie remind me of the current global situation with people hoarding food and paper products because of the Chinese flu. They never consider that other people also need these essentials.