Pi (1998)

Darren Aronofskyscripted and made his directorial debut with this experimental feature with mathematical plot threads hinting at science-fictional elements. In NYC's Chinatown, recluse math genius Max (Sean Gullette) believes "everything can be understood in terms of numbers," and he looks for a pattern in the system as he suffers headaches, plays Go with former teacher Sol Robeson (Mark Margolis), and fools around with an advanced computer system he's built in his apartment. Both a Wall Street company and a Hasidic sect take an interest in his work, but he's distracted by blackout attacks, hallucinations, and paranoid delusions. Filmed in 16mm black-and-white, theKafkaesque film features music byClint Mansell(of the UK's Pop Will Eat Itself band). Shown at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival whereAronofskywon the drama directing award. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie GuideRunning Time:85 mins

I have to question his sanity if he thinks that patterns will emerge from a simple stock price and price change.

For being produced in 1999, I wonder how they could possibly think that using a 5 1/4 inch disks was acceptable technology. I believe even Zip disks had come out by then. When I first saw it, I thought it must have been made in the early 80s.

For photography I can like high contrast grainy pictures for effects but to do it for a moving picture it looses its appeal.

More than likely he will only discover formula fitting for the set of data points he has. Any set of random data points can show patterns but it is the predictive nature that is useful for the stock market.

Anyway interesting, even with the Jewish cultists lurking in the shadows and greedy capitalists just as bad.

Nature is gray scaled, Life can’t be reduced to deterministic numerical pattern and true knowledge is available only at death. Max search can be seen as the saga of the 20th century that is doomed to fail since it uses the wrong tools. Other tools are available, they mustn’t necessarily be non-scientific, other logic systems, set of axioms and interpretive methods are possible. The story of movie Pi unfolds when we reveal the underlying binary oppositions that are woven through it...

I missed this the first time but we can see the interpretations as nihilistic in nature. By assuming that we do not have the "right tools" then you have been just as deterministic as the what you oppose of others.

Even with all its faults, I would still give it a 3 for creativity in the thought process.

Links:
Pi - The Text
Pi the Movie

PS (a summary from a friend):

Originally posted by Gnarlodious:

I see Max as an independent seeker

Hmmm... you're right.

In "Pi", the protagonist learns that the religious structure (Orthodox Judaism) is selfish, arrogant and cruel. His destiny is a solitary path of spiritual enlightenment (the sun).

In "The Fountain", the protagonist learns that the religious structure (Catholic Church) is selfish, arrogant and cruel. His destiny is a solitary path of spiritual enlightenment (the golden nebula).

It would seem that the director Darren Aronofsky has a persistent vision of spirituality being unencumbered by the vertical power structures of man.