Enemy review and discussion.

I racked my brain for a solid week after watching Enemy with Jake Gyllenhaal! The ending threw me for a loop at first and I thought I hated it, but after researching the symbolism in the film and the director's intentions, I was thoroughly impressed!

I've put a few pieces together (I think?) but there is still a ton to figure out/make sense of. I'd love to go back and forth with people who have their own opinions and theories about the film! I still have so many unanswered questions!

So, lets start breaking it down!

__________________
--Jamie R.

Here's what I think:

This film is pure symbolism. There's one man and his fear of commitment. The teacher is one part of his personality. Responsible and steady. The pregnant wife loves this side. The mistress is less happy with him. The actor is his passionate and wild side. Not appealing to a pregnant wife. The mistress loves him. There's two main themes that represent his fear of being married with a child and having to go for a steady job instead of following his dreams.
1-spiders, that stand for fear itself and the feeling of being caught in a web.
2-dictatorship, that stands for the way he sees the female tendency of controlling his life.
These two themes can be seen in loads of metaphors and symbolism. For example when the actor and the mistress crash in the car we see a web like crack in the window. I think this means he breaks up with her and kills off the actor part of himself. He is back in the web of the pregnant lady. There's a janitor with a key however. A key to his old bachelor life. The strip club we see in the very first scene in which the stripper crushes a spider with her heels.
This is a really clever movie in my opinion. Glad people here enjoyed it too and want to discuss it.

I'll be happy to explain anything about this movie

Firstly - Yes he was just one person.
In the very beginning of the film you see the pregnant wife in Adam's crappy apartment. It's where he used to live. The voicemail from his mom worries about him living in a place like that.

Adam represents his old self, living in his old apartment.
It's not a coincidence that "adam" is biblically the first male to exist.

Anthony represents his new self, living in his new apartment.

The really confusing part about this film is that some of the film is taking place in his head and not in reality, but it makes sense when you consider he cannot literally be in two places at the same time during the wife swap.

Before the car accident:
"I'm going to take your girlfriend on a romanic getaway, then you'll never hear from me again"

During the car accident:
It's cross cut right at the moment that Adam has sex with Anthony's wife. It's not just a crash, he's never coming back. Adam has just taken over Anthony's life.

After the car accident:
Adam puts on Anthony's clothes. He has finally become Anthony incarnate, so of course he falls prey to all of Anthony's vices. His first act as anthony is to lie to his wife and sneak off to a sex club. It's important to remember that this is a pattern that repeats itself.

Some people say the enemy is himself.. but I think perhaps the enemy is women.

Just finished... what the f**k did I just watch..

A great film.

I'll definitely have to check this one out!