2016 - Netzach - 10 Cloverfield Lane

Michelle: What are you going to do to me?
Howard: I am going to keep you alive.  You were in an accident and I brought you inside.  Everyone out there is dead.

10 Cloverfield Lane, Campbell, Stuecken, Chazelle

10 Cloverfield Lane was adapted from a script called ''The Cellar'' and shoe-horned into JJ Abrams ''Cloverfield Universe'' by adding the alien invasion ending.  The film, while wonderfully displaying all the attributes of a Netzach movie of 2016 [1+6 = 7], is said to ''stick out like a sore thumb'' in its digression from the core themes of ''Cloverfield'' i.e. a found footage monster movie.  This is worth keeping in mind as we position this movie in the larger theory which has to handle production realities - like writers, artists, marketing, cinema release dates and so on and who may or may not be ''in the know''.  Regardless the decision to attach this script to the Cloverfield brand would have greatly increased the size of the audience and therefore the impact of the pathwork.

As I said in the previous post on The Arrival I thought that that movie was more of a path-walking towards Netzach (Venus) via the Tower Card and that other movies would explore the Sefira more closely.  One of the early clues in making this distinction was the magical image of the beautiful naked woman which you can see in the correspondences below.  While Amy Adams is certainly beautiful, at no point in the Arrival does she undress or become less dressed in an overtly sexual way.  Compare this to other movies from the 2016 list like Tarzan [which offers Margot Robbie as Jane] or Bad Neighbours 2 [which features hordes of scantily clad sorority girls].  Unlike those movies which might revel in [the] feminine sexual power [of Venus], 10 Cloverfield Lane sees a half-dressed, beautiful, vulnerable woman trapped in a basement where sexual abuse by her captor is a definite possibility.  Rather than using her charms for herself to get what she wants, her charms present a danger to herself.

• TITLE: Netzach, Victory
• NUMBER: 7
• COLOUR: Green
• ALCHEMICAL METAL/ORE: Copper, Malachite
• MAGICAL IMAGE: A Beautiful Naked Woman
• OTHER TITLES: Firmness, stoicism
• ARCHANGEL: Haniel
• ORDER OF ANGELS: Elohim [Gods]
• VIRTUE: Unselfishness
• VICE: Lust, promiscuity
• MUNDANE CHAKRA: Venus, Nogah
• CORRESPONDENCE IN MICROCOSM: Loins, hips, legs [importantly in the Zohar, these areas and therefore Hod and Netzach are both associated with prophecy]
• SYMBOLS: Lamp and Girdle.  The Rose.

10 CLOVERFIELD LANE, NOT 7 CLOVERFIELD LANE?

If this is a Netzach movie then why 10 Cloverfield Lane and not 7?  If you watch the movie you will see that one of the mysteries of the piece is that Howard, our antagonist, had captured a local girl, and was keeping her in his bunker to act as a replacement for his own lost daughter, Megan.  This brings us to this ever recurring Qabalistic theme of the Fallen Daughter [which we have seen in nearly every apocalypse themed offering from Netflix this year].  So while Michelle, the heroine, is not the Fallen Daughter [this is represented by Megan, ''who is no longer with us''], she is forced to live in the shoes of the Fallen Daughter and ends up escaping through her ''hatch''.  This fall is visually realised in the design of the poster [shown above] which shows that ''10'' is at the bottom [of the tree of life] and that she must ''escape'' from it.  For those really into this consider that the name of that fallen daughter, Megan, means Pearl.  Here we link the Pearl to Malkuth.

MESSAGE FROM FALLEN DAUGHTER MEGAN [10] 

GREEN

While I would argue that this movie takes place ''inside'' Netzach as opposed to the path towards it you will see some reference to the orange.  This is particularly true at the end of the film but this ''orange'' relates to the copper which is extracted as the alchemical virtue.  Otherwise the sheer quantity of green used in the production elements is evidence that they were trying to represent the Green Sefira.

GREEN BUNKER

GREEN WALLPAPER + GREEN CHEQUERED SHIRT

GREEN SHIRT

GREEN CABINETS + NOTE LAMP

GREEN BOXES + NOTE LAMP

GREEN CAP

GREEN LIGHTING SPECIAL

GREEN LIGHTING SPECIAL

GREEN BOARD GAME, ORANGE PATHS

GREEN ACID

GREEN CIRCUIT BOARD

As you can see from the above [and again the list is not exhaustive] Green is a major design choice in costumes, lighting, set and props.  

GREEN PRODUCTS + CHAIR

MORE GREEN PRODUCTS

GREEN PRODUCTS + GREEN PILLOWS

Many supplies in the survival bunker are coloured green, and most of the rest lack distinguishing features.  The arrow was added by another (exoteric!) reviewer to show how odd it was to draw attention to that product.  The green products are just another element in the overall greening of this place.

BEAUTIFUL (NAKED) WOMAN AND VENUS

NOTE GREEN HALF-WALL AND ''LAMP''

In the early parts of the film, Michelle, the protagonist, is only partially clothed and as I discussed in the opening paragraphs this is to draw attention to her physical beauty- note the damaged leg which may draw attention to the correspondence in the microcosm like we saw in Skyfall which through damage to a side of the face of the bad guy drew attention to it.  Later, she is dressed in a shirt which says ''Je t'aime Paris'' - I love Paris, which is of course the city of love and appropriate to Venus.  This symbol is highlighted by the doubling up of the Eiffel Tower one the shirt, and in a picture on the wall behind her.

CITY OF LOVE, I LOVE

I'd also like to speculate here that the two male characters in the film represent Ares and Hephaestus, or Mars and Vulcan.  Ares had an affair with Aphrodite, symbolised by their alliance in the film, which triggered Hephaestus to imprison them both.  I am not exactly sure about that and will investigate further and update but I feel that that is probably correct.  Note which arm is in the sling and then compare to the ''correspondence in the microcosm'' from Gevurah [Mars] and see above.  My doubts here are that the male character's name is Emmett which means truth and Howard means guardian or warden so the symbolism could be ''operating on two levels at once...very clever.''

MARS, VENUS, VULCAN

FIRMNESS AND LUST

The virtue of Netzach is said to be firmness or stoicism which Michelle demonstrates in abundance - as she carries on through pain and in an extreme environment - and the vice is said to be lust - demonstrated in Howard's psychostyle capture of the girl who replaces his fallen daughter [Megan] and ''who isn't with us anymore.''

ELOHIM

The Elohim are portrayed as the eponymous Cloverfield aliens.  They are very different from the alien monster from the 1st movie and are represented more classically as an organic space craft as opposed to a random beastie.  Compare the green gas they spray on her with the green acid threat in the bunker she is running from.  Also worth comparing with the way the ''Elohim'' are portrayed in the Arrival.

EPITHETS OF VENUS

As we saw in Stranger Things 2 Mercury* was called through a variety of different epithets.  It seems that this movie uses a similar strategy evoking the goddess by systematically placing Michelle in situations which use those epithets.  I have presented a discussion of a selection of these different epithets below but there are probably more for those who want to dig deeper.

• Venus Felix - lucky
• Venus Genetrix - domestic
• Venus Libertina - freed woman
• Venus Victrix - victorious
• Venus Cloacina - purifier [of posioned air]

VENUS FELIX

''Lucky Venus'' is represented by how many times Michelle is saved by fortune, a fortune which begins in what is actually her lucky survival in the car crash and consequent rescue [or she would have been killed in the Cloverfield Apocalypse ensuing in the outside world], and the various moments where luck intervenes to save her when she is planning her escape.

VENUS GENETRIX

During the middle section of the film, Michelle is shown in various domestic scenes involved in cleaning, cooking and generally relaxing in the environment.

NOTE THE JIGSAW, FISHBOWL GREEN SPHERE WITH ORANGE GOLD FISH

GAME OF LIFE WITH ''WIFE'' PIECES

VENUS LIBERTINA

''Free'' Venus is evoked by the many and various scenes which show her attempting to escape, escaping and finally having had escaped.

VENUS CLOACINA

Venus Cloacina, ''the purifier'', was the Goddess of Filth as well as Purity and presided over the Sewers in order to guarantee clean air.  As you will know from watching the film one of the key plot points is that the outside contains poisoned air and, convinced of this by the evidence of the dead pigs and mutilated woman, ''Michelle'' must construct a hazmat suit to ''purify the air'' in order to survive.  By the Numbers.  She must crawl through the ventilation system to achieve her escape.  Again compare and contrast with hazmat suit use in The Arrival of the same year.

VENUS VICTRIX

VICTORY MOLOTOV

''Michelle'' is victorious in the film, defeating the alien space craft that attacks her with a swiftly fashioned molotov cocktail!  As ridiculous as this victory seemed note how artfully she has been likened to the statue of liberty which was a very important symbol in the Cloverfield movie, and a statue which is plated in copper.  Note that The Purge movie that also came out in 2016 also showed the copper Statue of Liberty.

The final decision she is confronted with ''Houston or Baton Rouge'' was a choice between joining refugees or joining the military fight back.  She chooses to fight back.  This is also the most unselfish thing to do.  Ra girl power...

COPPER

UNDER THE MALACHITE SKY

As I discussed in the original theory and as we have seen in other films we have analysed we can talk about the ''virtue'' of the film being the virtue of the character's transformation and that this can be symbolised by crafty reference to the metal.  I would make the argument that this yellow-orange-red jury-rigged hazmat suit is probably representing copper, purified from the malachite of the house, and is the final visual symbol of her resolve [firmness, stoicism].

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Crazy is building your ark, after the flood has already come.

Howard, 10 Cloverfield Lane

*Increasing the quality of this review of Stranger Things 2 and using more visual imagery is on my list and I'll relaunch when I get to 2018.  When I wrote it I was only on the very edge of these observations of Chris Knowles and had not at that point developed the overarching theory. The use of epithets is certainly worth exploring more.

2016 - Netzach - The Arrival

Let's say I taught them chess instead of English.  Every conversation would be a game.  Every idea expressed through opposition, victory...

Louise Banks, the Arrival

• TITLE: Netzach, Victory
• NUMBER: 7
• COLOUR: Green
• ALCHEMICAL METAL/ORE: Copper, Malachite
• MAGICAL IMAGE: A Beautiful Naked Woman
• OTHER TITLES: Firmness, stoicism
• ARCHANGEL: Haniel
• ORDER OF ANGELS: Elohim [Gods]
• VIRTUE: Unselfishness
• VICE: Lust, promiscuity
• MUNDANE CHAKRA: Venus, Nogah
• CORRESPONDENCE IN MICROCOSM: Loins, hips, legs [importantly in the Zohar, these areas and therefore Hod and Netzach are both associated with prophecy]
• SYMBOLS: Lamp and Girdle.  The Rose.

The Arrival released in 2016 is associated with  Netzach [1 + 6 = 7] and is replete with the imagery and themes of this Sefira.  As in previous Unifying Colour Theory posts we will go through the standard associations of the Sefira in question [see above] and then show how these associations are directly transferred to the film as if the project managers are Painting by Numbers.  As we moved further into the decade, this project became more sophisticated [inc. more detailed path-working] as the various stakeholders began to develop specific production skills and pathways to embed this esoteric knowledge in their work more precisely but never less blatantly.  As in 2015 we may see that it is beyond the scope of one film to deal with all the symbolism comprehensively [although they try] and we may see one film focusing more on path-work and another more on core symbolism. I will argue, that the Arrival is more of a path-working towards Netzach with the development of the core symbolism of the Sefira prob. better explored in another work of that year.  I'll investigate that with another post.

THE PATH BETWEEN HOD AND NETZACH

So before we go through the Painting By Numbers part of this post we need to familiarise ourselves with an extra bit of information.  As we have seen before in Star Trek Into Darkness this film also relies on a [admittedly much longer] establishing sequence where we journey from the Orange [Hod - Splendour, Glory] into the Green [Netzach - Victory].  As you can see we pass the Hebrew letter Pe, which within the Golden Dawn Tarot stands for ''The Tower'' or ''House of God'' - and this is the path we will be ''working''.  Have a look at the Tower image below and bear in mind the associations - danger, crisis, disaster sudden unforseen change, Babel... - and bear in mind we will be linking the alien ship itself to the Tower.

ORANGE TO GREEN

If you watch the Arrival again you will see the repeated contrast of Orange and Green within the lighting and or set design especially in the beginning of the movie - the example provided below are not exhaustive.  Its worth also reflecting on the standard meanings of Hod vs Netzach here: Hod, associated with Mercury in the Golden Dawn system is representative of logic and science; Netzach, associated with Venus is representative of emotions and art.  Amy Adams character is a linguist [scientist] and is forced into a situation where she challenges the very basis of science itself - philosophical presentism and causality.  You will see that her university lecture hall is reminiscent of an orange sphere [indeed the whole university is full of orange motifs], showing us where she begins and this is juxtaposed with the green until she reaches the Arrival point in the Green field.  The orange and green hazmat suits that are used throughout also show the duality of this path.

COPPERHEAD WALKS THE PATH

ORANGE DOOR

DAUGHTER ''HANNAH'' PLAYS WITH ORANGE CREATURE

HANIEL

HANNAH - THIS MOVIE'S ''FALLEN DAUGHTER''

ELOHIM [GODS]

A direct connection to 7, the numerical value of Netzach, our Heptapods with their 7 ''fingers'' and non-linear thinking are effectively Gods.  In fact Albert and Costello could just be the ''hands'' of a larger being [Elohim] teaching humans to talk and think in circles: ''The End is in the Beginning and the Beginning is in the End'' Sefer Yetzirah 1:7 [Gra Version].

THE TOWER OR THE HOUSE OF GOD

When the characters reach the base of the alien ship they see that there is a gravity defying shaft leading upwards, showing that the craft is a tower.  When they reach the ''top'' of the Tower they can communicate with the Heptapods or Elohim, i.e. it is the Tower of the Gods.  A terrorist attack against ''God'' within the Tower causes an explosion which ejects the heroes.  Paint By Numbers.  As above, so below.

COPPER

GENERAL SHANG

This one amused me - The Shang were a dynasty of China particularly noted for their bronze work, i.e. copper - nice touch, guys, Great Work!  In the original post on the Unifying Colour Theory I surmised that Amy Adams character represents the copper which is extracted from the ore, the alchemical metal representing the Virtue of the Sefira, and the dross of the ore, the Vices, i.e. she ends up embodying stoicism.

PROPHECY [AND THE 231 GATES]

As is written in the Zohar, the Prophets receive their future knowledge from Hod and Netzach so the deterministic aspects of the movie are well reflected in these Sefirot.  Within Sefer Yetzirah there is an instruction to arrange the letters in a circle and then draw associations across the circle, which is precisely the way the Heptapods do it.  This way the end can communicate with the beginning and vice versa and we get into the kind of non-linear thinking that leads ''out of time''.  Its also worth noting that with this circular speech it is a form of ''girdle'' or belt in itself one of the symbols of Netzach.

HEPTAPOD LOGOGRAMS

THE 231 GATES

FIRMNESS, STOICISM, UNSELFISHNESS

One of the concluding messages of the film is that since the future already exists and you cannot change it that the only option is to reconcile oneself with it, to make your peace.  In the movie this is revealed by the apparent flashbacks having been flashforwards and Louise's decision to go ahead with having her daughter [Hannah] who ends up with a terminal disease regardless i.e. she resigns herself to the fall of her daughter.  The absolutely determined nature of the future throws selfishness into sharp relief.

VICTORY

During a moment of insight, Louise Banks points out the nature of a non zero sum game which is win-win or lose-lose, and, in this sense, the ''Victory'' that is being ''played'' for is as total.

We're so bounded by time, by its order. But now I am not so sure I believe in beginnings and endings.  There are days that define your story beyond your life.  Like the day they arrived.

Louise Banks, The Arrival