A non-hater... Thank you.Posted by Aurvandil (here)
Thank you for an interesting thread!
Agreed...the unification of opposites, or the male/female, yin/yang/ etc.. The film works on multiple levels. Of course, on the most basic of levels it is a very entertaining, funny movie, and someone had to write the movie so that it works on the basic levels. They did it well, too.I have often felt that there is something more behind Groundhog day and the freemason symbols fits well, I think, in the matter of man trying to become a better human being. When the lesson is learned, he has found enlightenment - here, also symbolically represented by the male finding his female half (Jungian symbols).
Then you have the reincarnation, or Eastern philosophy level, which has Phil coming back time after time until he has learned his lesson or until he grows emotionally and spiritually.
I think the inner level is based on Freemasonry/secret-society/occult teachings, which are also based on the Eastern philosophy that was covered up and repackaged by the Catholic Church. Hinduism includes the concept of reincarnation, but it also includes the idea of yugas, or ages of history. This is the same as the wheel of history, which is the cycle of precession or the zodiac age circle. 666, 33, 9/11, etc can all be related to this cycle.
I've read stories likes this. I've also heard Bill Murray was very stubborn about taking the movie in a certain direction, leading to difficulties with long-time collaborator Harold Ramis. They didnt speak for years afterwards.Concerning what you mentioned about the time wheel, I just found this which might be of interest:
Danny Rubin was the dude who wrote the screenplay for Groundhog Day and brought it to Harold Ramis to direct. But the two quickly differed in their opinions on how cheery or dark the final movie should be. Danny Rubin originally wrote the script as if Phil Connors were stuck in Groundhog Day for 10,000—count 'em— 10,000 years.
The problem I have is that there is too much symbolism in there to be an accident. Either Rubin or Ramis already knew the Masonic significance of Groundhog Day and based the movie on the premise, or they came up with the idea and were later influenced by producers or other higher-ups to add symbolic elements. Or, the stories of where the screenplay came from are just made up. Imo.
Yes. This is part of what makes me think they knew the significance of Groundhog Day before they wrote the screenplay. Or, studios or producers pitched the idea and had them write it. I dont really know how they do it. Or, the government just runs a large part of Hollywood.Harold Ramis also co-wrote Ghostbusters and was deeply knowing in mythology and symbols.
They have the masculine and feminine in Ghostbusters in the form of the keymaster and gatekeeper. Murray's career is loaded with symbolism. I suspect not nearly as many people have seen Broken Flowers, which is possibly the best example of 33-gematria use and is also about the cycle of life. Towards the end it shows a duck spinning a wheel of fortune. If you look at the Wheel of Fortune tarot card, it shows the lion, eagle, ox, and man, which represent the four seasons of the Great Year.