Level 16 | A Movie about A Factory or The Machine?
For the sake of YT, I still kept my explanation of this film very light. The machine itself causes us all to have to deal within it, even after we've made conscious and physical efforts to deal with it as little as possible. It's written, it inevitable and many of us will be deceived by it.
Hello, it's Nykole and welcome to chroma film tv the channel where all the magic is removed from movies and television. In this video, I'll be going over Level 16 a film that reflects a lot of elements of society, the system or the machine - disguised as a story about girls seeking adoption with terrifying results., ....and without further ado, lets get into it.
INTRO
At The Vestalis Academy school for girls , students live in a rundown building and follow a strict regimine of vitamins, skin care and etiquette training to be adopted by loving families, but the true outcome for the girls is only skin deep.
The girls of the school are assigned to levels where they learn everything there is to know to be perfect young women. Level 16 is the final level of training before they graduate, and are united with their adoptive families.
THE STORY
The film opens with young girls in white standing in line (show image of what white means), waiting for their turn to get to a singular sink where they are directed to wash and moisturize their faces in front of a camera. After one of the little girls, loses her place in line after trying to help another little girl, she's punished, despite the fact that her mistake was due to helping someone else.
As the girls grow, they learn how to stay clean and become proper women by continuing their daily regimens, following the rules with no back talk and being willing to report anyone that does the opposite.
Vivien, The little girl that was harshly punished in the beginning, grew up to be the leader of her level, serious about the rules and making sure everyone followed them, but not at all empathetic about the feelings or concerns of her level mates.
For a time, the girls follow the same routine, until one day, Sophia the little girl that caused Vivien to lose her place in line when they were younger, starts to tell Vivien about some of the secrets of the school.
Initially, Vivien is still holding a grudge towards Sophia because of what happened to her when they were little, but eventually she starts listening to Sophia and begins her own investigation, leading to a discovery that shocked her into the realization of what was really happening
After years of going through the same routines, abusive punishments, and no ability to express how they felt without recourse ...Vivien discovers that their accomplishments were all in vain and they weren't there to be adopted, there were there to be harvested. Providing young and healthy skin to wealthy older female clients.
Vivien and Sophia attempted to warn the rest of their level, to no avail initially, but after seeing a demonstration of the transplant procedure for themselves, they join Vivien and Sophia in an attempt to escape the school.
Before they could get away, the girls were confronted by staff and threatened to return to the building.
after some tussling Vivien and Sophia were able to get away, but the other girls were left to the hands of the staff and closer to an early graduation ceremony. The story ends with the rescue of Vivien and Sophia and showed the despair on Vivien's face as she realized she was headed into a world she knew nothing about..
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The film gave a tiny representation of the horrors a child could face if they come in contact with evil people that want to take advantage of them, but it also shows society through the lens of a micro or a small community. A community that's part of a bigger system...
One of the things I thought of after watching the film was "The Mouse Utopia Experiment" and thought of how it related to their living conditions, which I'll discuss later on...
but, after broadening this same concept a little wider, I thought of the Machine or the beast system as a whole, and how its relates to the levels of the school. ( Delete A system where harsh punishments are given for falling out of line - or out of the confines of what's acceptable within that system).
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THE MACHINE
At some point most if not all of us have heard of the Machine, the Beast system or the Matrix, even if in name only.
The film showed the workings of a mini or a very small society - separated by class, according to floors - with the cleanest, most qualified class on level 16. At least this is what was thought until the girls learned the truth.
Like level 16, the machine appears to have one purpose until the mechanics are looked at a little closer and it becomes abundantly clear that the manufactured products of the machine don't work as they were previously described.
As Vivien learned about the the mechanics of the machine, she began to have a change of mind and a change of heart - or what can be seen as an awakening. I'll explain how I came to this conclusion, later in the video.
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RULES & MORALS
it's a common misconception that a spiritual belief translates into religion (I know this because I had the same misconception). A person that's spiritual isn't necessarily religious and vice versa. Spiritually has more to do with a communion with a spirit directly, making moves based on guidance from the spirt. Religion is pretty much another term for tradition. it's more about completing an act consistently or religiously than it is about the person doing what's placed on their heart and from the soul.
The girls were forced to "stay clean", meaning they followed the rules and acted like perfect little girls - but it had nothing to do with how the treated their level mates.
The girls didn't have a certain religion they followed by name, but their daily activities were carried out religiously...keeping a daily regimen based on the rules of the school, instead of based on their own understanding of why they were keeping the schedule.
In many ways, this element of the film addresses how the morals (and some laws) set by society aren't necessarily in place to benefit the members of that society.
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OUTER PERFECTION
Perfection for Acceptance
The idea of beautyin this film had less to do with the girl's features and more to do with ensuring that the product was perfect, without blemish. This reminded of another review I did for Paradise Hills, the girls in that film were forced to change their appearances and the way they acted, for their families - with harsh punishments for those that chose not to follow the program.
Perfection for acceptance by society
As it is in these movies, social media and influencers are placed in front of young impressionable minds - making them more susceptible to believe that the worth of a person is only in how they look or how they appear and not the heart and the soul of the person. I believe that apart from broken or toxic families, this is one of the main causes for the rise in narcissism or narcissitic traits, seen especially in western society today.
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HOUSING
The building where they resided looked pristine in certain areas, but the dorm areas, where the girls lived, were falling apart - which reminded me a lot of the reported issues government housing.
It also made me think of the Mouse Utopia experiment, and how this study found that placing a large number of people in close proximity for extended periods of time can have negative results.
The girls were around each other all the time, with the only privacy being the wall between the bathroom stalls. On top of the regimen and the punishments there was a lot of tension between the girls. One girl was given the invisible crown of the leadership, another was willing to rat out anyone not following the rules and everyone else was paranoid, afraid to do anything that would cause them to face repercussion. As the film continued an atmosphere of chaos simmering under a veil of order continued to grow until the girls learned why they were really there.
- Just a thought
After comparing the conditions in the film, with the real life living conditions of those in public housing, I thought of how development companies are spending millions, if not billions on creating towers (and stand alone communities) large enough to hold millions of people. In one way, this could be viewed as an innovative way to solve the housing shortage. On the other hand, history has a tendency to repeat itself and it causes one to wonder, what would be a another purpose to put alot of people in one location when there's thousands of acres of land available across the US....it's a rhetorical question.
The Mouse Utopia Experiments
-John Calhoun's Mouse Utopia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z760XNy4VM
tamerahunt Channel
WORLD Channel
A Dream Defferred: The Broken Promis of New York City Public Housing | Full Episode | Local, USA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGmQtgbJHhc
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HEALTH
The girls regimens consisted of daily vitamins and the occasional tap to keep them healthy...that's what they were told.
The vitamins were actually sleeping pills and the tap was to shut folks up by making them loopy.
I'm not going into how this relates to the world we live in today, one - I want to keep this video on the platform and 2, people can do what they want to do with their bodies....but the idea of a person believing that something is for their good, only to find out it served an entirely different purpose came to mind.
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EDUCATION
Education - The girls only learned what they needed to know to live within their mini society. They weren't taught how to read, asking questions or speaking up was discouraged and the schools success was hinged on the girls ability to stay ignorant about what was really happening around them.
Schooling in western society has it's purpose, but like in the film, it doesn't teach anyone how to sustain on their own without having to depend on the system for survival. Yes, degrees can be obtained and money can be made, but if the system were to crash completely - no grocery stores, no electricity, etc...how many people would be able to survive and how many would need to stand in line waiting for a handout that will only be given if certain rights or privilege's are taken away?
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SHADY LEADERS
The leaders of the school were like foster parents to the girls. They provided guidance and were the authorities, appearing to serve in the girls best interest, but were simply keeping the girls in check until they were mature enough to graduate
On a bigger scale, some that are put in place to guide or have authority over society have the appearance of good leadership, but have a purpose that serves a totally different agenda.
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MEDIA & INFLUENCE
Behavior Modification
During a doctor visit, Vivien spoke a movie she wanted to watch, the only movie (*the only kind of movie they were allowed to watch) they were allowed to watch ..an old black and white film with an actress that was the epitome of the kind of women they were supposed to be.
The doctor granted Vivien's request and as she watch, she recited the film line for line, something that can happen after you've watched a movie so many times, you can't help but to recite, like the song on the radio we hate the first 10 times we hear it, until one day we're singing along not realizing that we even knew the words - and changing the channel as soon as we realize we're singing it.
This kind of thing does have an effect on adults, but children are way more susceptible with brains that soak up everything they see. The younger the child, the more impact it has on how the child views the world....
The girls were only allowed to have one kind of view for the world and because of their youth, naivety and ignorance they were easily taken advantage of - until they realized the part they played in the grand system they found themselves in.
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BREAKDOWN OF THE FAMILY
Divided & Conquered
The film doesn't show how the girls ended up in the school, but the whole premise of the film is based on the result of a broken family. either the girls were taken against their will - or the parents voluntarily gave up their rights leaving the child with no natural family, only having the other girls to look to.
The doctor and his wife continued to use divide and conquer by encouraging the girls to report one another. This discouraged the girls from talking to one another, making it easier to keep them in line.
The use of divide and conquer is very prevalent today, and used in various societies that keep it's citizens from banding together to take control - in whatever capacity. people are pitted against one another - based on color, class, etc, to keep everyone from using their collective power to make changes that could benefit everyone.
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SPIRIT OF DECEPTION
DARK AWAKENING
Vivien's learning of the inner workings of their school, the machine was one show of an awakening, but what was interesting was who she initially got the information from, Sophia.
The name Sophia, originates in the Greek and means wisdom. It's also a name associated with Gnosticism - a branch of Christianity where traditional biblical beliefs are turned on their heads.
The name Vivien has been sourced as originating in the Latin and/or French and means to be alive or to be lively - tying into my theory that the names used for the girls has a deeper meaning.
On the one hand, Vivien received life saving information from a wise friend who claimed to care about her, but flipped over and upside down, this so-called friend caused Vivien to endure childhood trauma, only spoke up when it benefited her - and held a name associated with a fallen god, said to be the original source of human suffering.
Sophia watched and knew what happened to the other girls before informing Vivien about what was going on. According to Sophia, she was fearful of Vivien's reaction and this was the cause for her not saying anything, but the more Sophia talked, it's realized that the only reason she said anything to Vivien was because she wanted to escape, but needed Vivien to help her do.
Sophia was cowardly but recognized Vivien's strengths and knew she was her best chance of getting away.
Sophia gave Vivien the knowledge of what was going on in the school, but only after her own botched escape attempt. Realizing she couldn't escape on her own, she turned to Vivien - knowing that her leadership and bravery qualities would result in a better chance of escaping. sounds like a toxic friend to me....
This could be a coincidence, but if on purpose, these names could've been used based on the origins of their meanings or it could be a warning about the type of awakening one may experience. The awakening might give more knowledge, but that comes with many holes that are easy to fall into and get lost in - traps that could keep someone from discovering their purpose or reaching their full potential.
To me, this shows how important it is to have the ability to discern the nature or the motives of a person - an awaking that only comes from the Holy Spirit.
Vivien
Latin, and the name Vivien means "lively".
http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Vivien
Vivien - origin French / Meaning "Alive"
https://www.meaningofthename.com/vivien
The name Vivien is primarily a female name of French origin that means Alive
https://babynames.com/name/Vivien
Sophia
Origin - Greek
Means "Wisdom"
https://www.verywellfamily.com/sophia-name-meaning-origin-popularity-5181428
Character Names
All of the girls are named after classic Hollywood actresses: Vivien (Leigh), Sophia (Loren), Ava (Gardner), Rita (Hayworth), Olivia (de Havilland), Clara (Bow), Hedy (Lamarr), Audrey (Hepburn), Grace (Kelly), Veronica (Lake), Greta (Garbo), May/Mae (West), and Natalie (Wood).
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THE REVIEW
The film is classified as sci-fi, but barely spent any time there, so there wasn't much to draw from, in terms of trying to relate it to a dystopian future. Pretty much all the elements, except for the full skin transplant facelift already exists and existed when the film was released on 2018
It took on an approach about society, and touched on elements of a system that appeared one way, until the inner workings were discovered.
the truth coming from a character named Sophia, adds a moral layer that mirrors the matrix or the upside down world we live in today - where the absolute truth is traded in for the appearance of truth, better known as a lie.
A selfish society where many people only choose to help others, if it benefits them first.
This film, like many others categorized as sci-fi, that lean more towards the supernatural - offers a lot of confusion while inserting subtle hints, signals or sigils that get repeated over and over, until those ideas and the theories behind those ideas become familiar, acceptable, then normalized or mainstream over time.
The biproduct of a machine that has the ability to fabricate a reality until it becomes the reality.