Pi

For the first part of this research project I decided to watch the film 'Pi' (pronounced "pie") which was directed by Darren Aronofsky; there was no particular reason I chose this other than the fact that my older brother already has it on DVD and has continuously nagged at me to watch it, so I figured now would be as good a time as any other to do so.

The movie is about a man named Max Cohen (pictured below left) who is trying to decode the hidden numerical pattern in the Stock Market. The film is in black and white and has a slight grain effect in it. There is a clear contrast between the black and white which makes the image seem very powerful and sharp, its as if the lightness and gamma levels are permanently on high. The grain also gives the film an unreal feel to it, it reminded me of the matrix in how everything is made up of numbers which seems perfect to relate to this film in that sense. I found the film to be very interesting in its way of portraying life, and at the same time it seemed almost depressing that all the beauty in this world could be explained by numbers alone. I think that this is also why the film was shot in black and white because it helps eliminate any sense of beauty or normality and replaces it with a reality which is not quite normal and slightly unsettling.