The Platform: A Mirror to Society’s Inequalities

In this article, we explore The Platform film series, which offers a gripping look at human nature and societal structures. First released on November 8, 2019, The Platform captivated audiences with its bold, dystopian portrayal of survival and morality in a vertical prison system. The newly released prequel, which premiered on October 4, 2024, further expands on this world, shedding light on its origins and deeper meaning.

Throughout this piece, we will delve into both films, unraveling their narratives, symbolism, and underlying social critiques. Additionally, I’ll also share my thoughts on how these movies reflect real-world issues like inequality and power.

The Prison System in The Platform

The prison in The Platform is structured vertically, spanning from level 1 to 333, with each floor housing two prisoners. Every cell is equipped with two beds, one sink, and one toilet, and at the center of each cell, there is a large rectangular opening. Through this gap, a platform descends daily, bringing food from the top level down to the bottom, stopping at each floor along the way.

The platform, which appears to be powered by some form of anti-gravity technology, carries food that each prisoner requested before their imprisonment. However, the platform is free for all, meaning that prisoners on the upper levels can take as much as they want, leaving little to nothing for those below. The prisoners are allowed to eat during the brief time the platform pauses at their level, but there’s a strict rule — no one can keep any food once the platform moves on. If a prisoner attempts to do so, the temperature in the cell will either rise dangerously high or drop to freezing levels, punishing the offenders with death.

Communication between prisoners is possible, as the cells are stacked on top of one another, allowing those on higher levels to shout down to the lower levels and vice versa. However, there’s no way to ride the platform to escape, as it ascends from the bottom at supersonic speed after it reaches level 333.

Each month, prisoners are reassigned to a random level. At the end of every month, a sleeping gas later revealed to be a form of sevoflurane, fills the prison, causing everyone to fall unconscious. During this time, the prison’s cleaners come in, tidy up, and reassign prisoners to new levels. If a prisoner’s cellmate has died during the month, they are never left alone. A replacement prisoner is assigned to the empty bed, either a new entrant or another prisoner whose cellmate has also died. While the level reassignment is presented as random, I believe it may not be as arbitrary as it seems — a theory I will explore later in this article.

In addition to the level system, each prisoner is allowed to bring one item of their choosing into the prison. These items can range from comfort objects to tools of violence. However, items that disrupt the prison’s order, such as gas masks, are forbidden, ensuring that the system’s control mechanisms like the sleeping gas — remain effective.

The Platform: Our Capitalist Society

The movie The Platform serves as a striking metaphor for our capitalist society. Why do we, as humans, often suffer from inequality and scarcity? The answer lies in greed, corruption, and the inherent flaws in the capitalist system — concepts that The Platform explores through its prison structure.

The platform and facility in the movie symbolize our world, with the administration representing the government and the levels illustrating the social classes. In a capitalist society, the government tries to ensure there is enough for everyone, but due to flaws and corruption, resources are disproportionately consumed by the wealthy elite. The administration enables those at the top to enjoy a luxurious meal, while those at the bottom starve, much like how in real life, the wealthiest 1% hoard resources at the expense of the lower classes. The cooks in the film prepare an extravagant meal, but only those on level 1 truly enjoy it — similar to how capitalism often benefits only the richest few.

Character Symbolism: Resistance, Compliance, and Exploitation

Goreng represents resistance against this unjust system. Initially passive, he soon becomes willing to use violence to ensure everyone gets their fair share. He starts as a believer in change through cooperation but quickly learns that in a flawed system, resistance often requires force.

Trimagasi, on the other hand, embodies a staunch supporter of the system. He fully understands its rules and lives by them, surviving by accepting the flaws. His philosophy is simple:

“Don’t talk to the people below because they are beneath you, and those above you won’t answer because they are superior.”

He understands the hierarchy and plays his role within it. When he is at a high level, he enjoys and exploits the privileges, knowing that when he’s lower, he will face hardship. This mirrors how some individuals in society accept inequality, thriving when they’re on top and resigned to suffering when they’re not.

Imoguiri, a former member of the administration, symbolizes a peaceful rebellion. She sees the system’s faults and tries to fix them by encouraging solidarity, believing that if everyone took only what they needed, the resources would reach the bottom levels. However, her idealism is flawed. In a world driven by greed and desperation, her peaceful methods are ineffective, and she is ultimately consumed by the system she seeks to reform.

Miharu, who rides the platform down every month, represents those who understand and exploit the system to their advantage. She kills her cellmates each time to ensure she stays on the top levels and descends to the platform to feed her daughter, who is trapped on the lowest level. Miharu’s violent actions reflect how those in the upper class often maintain their position by any means necessary, even at the expense of others.

The Social Commentary

The film’s vertical prison structure mirrors the social hierarchy, where one’s position is often determined by chance. At the end of each month, prisoners are randomly reassigned to different levels, just as people in society may move up or down the economic ladder. However, the film suggests this randomness isn’t entirely arbitrary. Those willing to sacrifice others — like Goreng, who kills Trimagasi to survive — are rewarded with higher positions. This mirrors how, in capitalist societies, the ruthless often rise to the top.

The constant cycle of suffering and exploitation creates a self-perpetuating system. When Goreng and his cellmates move to lower levels, they must resort to cannibalism to survive, symbolizing how the poor are often forced into desperate measures in real life. Conversely, when on higher levels, the prisoners indulge, symbolizing how the rich often exploit their privilege, knowing that those below will suffer as a result.

Trimagasi’s statement, “The people below us are below us. But one day they’ll be above us,” captures the cyclical nature of the system, where those who were once on top may eventually fall, and vice versa. His acceptance of this reality reflects how many in society are willing to exploit their momentary advantage, even knowing that their position is not permanent.

The System’s Incentives: The film also highlights how the system rewards selfishness and violence. Those who kill and devour their fellow prisoners often find themselves assigned to higher levels the following month. Miharu’s actions, killing her cellmates to rise to the top, further illustrate this. It’s a harsh reflection of how, in our world, those who play by the ruthless rules of capitalism often climb higher, while those who act with integrity remain stuck at the bottom.

Resistance and Reform

Goreng’s journey reflects the difficulty of enacting meaningful change within a corrupt system. Initially, he tries to encourage solidarity, convincing people to ration food so it reaches the bottom levels. But he quickly realizes that reason and diplomacy are ineffective in a world where desperation and greed reign supreme. Goreng and Baharat’s attempt to deliver a “message” to the administration — represented by the untouched panna cotta — serves as a metaphor for resistance movements in society. They sacrifice their own comfort and take violent measures to force those at the top to recognize the plight of those below.

The ending of the film is open to interpretation, with the girl at the bottom level symbolizing hope and the possibility of change. She represents a future where society’s most vulnerable are cared for, but only if we dismantle the corrupt systems that keep them oppressed.

Takeaways

The Platform serves as a dark reflection of capitalism, showing how greed and corruption lead to suffering and inequality. The film suggests that real change requires sacrifice, solidarity, and sometimes, force. It also highlights the dangers of blind acceptance of the status quo, as seen through characters like Trimagasi, and the futility of passive resistance, as shown by Imoguiri.

Ultimately, the film leaves us with the question: will we continue to allow the privileged few to hoard resources, or will we rise up and demand a fairer system? The answer, like the film’s ending, is up to us.

The Platform 2: The Endless Cycle of Power, Equality, and Human Struggle.

In The Platform 2, the filmmakers shift the critique from capitalism to communism, skillfully avoiding redundancy while exploring new ideological territory. Set as a prequel to the first film, it delves into the mechanics of a “revolution” and the subsequent transformation of society. This shift broadens the scope, making it clear that no matter which system — capitalism, Christianity, Marxism — humanity is unable to escape the inevitable struggle of existence and the challenge of coexisting with one another.

The film’s portrayal of human nature, particularly through acts of greed, superiority, desperation, and survival, exposes the fundamental flaws in any societal system. The first movie emphasized capitalism’s brutality, where those at the top prosper while the masses below are left to suffer. In contrast, The Platform 2 interrogates the idea of an egalitarian society, suggesting that the very pursuit of equality is fraught with complexity and peril. The film argues that enforcing true equality is not only impossible but also potentially destructive, given the complexities of human desire and morality.

For example, the character with the severed arm who disobeys “the law” by feeding a starving person challenges our notions of right and wrong within a rigid system. Her punishment, while unjust, reveals the moral ambiguities that arise when rules designed to maintain equality come into conflict with basic human decency. The film poignantly critiques not just communism but the nature of any system that demands strict adherence to arbitrary rules — much like Stalin’s infamous dictums. This systemic rigidity, as shown through the brutal punishments of characters who attempt to do the right thing, underscores how even well-intentioned governance can devolve into cruelty.

One of the film’s most poignant metaphors is the “kid on the lowest level,” which serves as a symbol for the next generation — those who ultimately suffer the most under flawed systems. As society scrambles to maintain its structures of power, the youngest are left to bear the brunt of the chaos, often forgotten in the mad scramble for survival. This focus on children forces viewers to reflect on how current generations, in their obsession with control and power, neglect those who will inherit the future.

Religious extremism, as represented by the blind followers in the pit, critiques the unthinking obedience to dogma. The conflict between the “barbarians” and the cult highlights the dangers of both blind faith and lawlessness, suggesting that without some form of moral compass, society risks unraveling into violence and chaos. Yet, the film doesn’t present any easy solutions; it merely shows how every belief system, no matter how well-intentioned, can be corrupted by human flaws.

The depiction of a Sisyphus-like struggle is embodied in the painting of the dying dog — a potent symbol of the futility of seeking freedom or equality. As characters descend further into the platform’s depths, believing they’ve achieved progress, they’re ultimately caught in a cycle that repeats endlessly. This parallels real-world revolutions, where the same structures of power often re-emerge under different guises.

One of the film’s harshest critiques is the idea that even within a system designed to help the masses, corruption trickles down. Zamiatin’s near-death experience due to the negligence of those above him illustrates how a few bad actors can poison an entire system. Even in the most well-intentioned environments, inequality persists, and those at the bottom suffer disproportionately.

The film’s closing moments, where the protagonist reunites with her fiancé — the protagonist of the first film — brings the narrative full circle. It drives home the point that every societal system, whether capitalist, communist, or something else entirely, results in the same tragic fate: some will rise, others will fall, but no one will escape the ultimate end.

The Law in the film symbolizes the inevitability of human failure under any ideological system. Whether capitalist, communist, or anarchist, all systems are marred by the same fatal flaw — human nature. Someone always thrives while another starves. The Pit represents society as a whole, where power, wealth, and religion are the forces that control people, often leading to their downfall.

The Barbarians or Rebels, as newcomers, symbolize the younger generations who seek to dismantle the old systems but often end up reinforcing new forms of oppression. Their attempt to abolish religion or moral authority only results in chaos, proving that while imperfect, some form of moral or religious compass is essential to maintain order.

The Kids, as previously mentioned, represent the future generations, the ultimate victims of humanity’s inability to resolve its own conflicts. In our obsession with survival and power, we overlook the needs of those who will inherit the world, leading to their inevitable suffering.

The painting of Sisyphus and the lack of true escape serve as a stark reminder that, no matter how hard individuals or groups fight for freedom or equality, they are trapped in a never-ending cycle. The protagonist may find temporary success, but in the grand scheme of things, she too is doomed to the same fate as everyone else.

In summary, The Platform 2 conveys a powerful message about the inescapable flaws in all ideological systems. Whether governed by capitalism, communism, or any other system, society’s structure is doomed to perpetuate the same cycles of power, greed, and suffering, with the most vulnerable — often the next generation — paying the highest price. The film ultimately serves as a sobering reminder that no system can escape the flaws of human nature and that the struggle for survival is an inherent part of existence itself.

Conclusion: The Platform Films as a Reflection of Society’s Failings

The Platform film series, spanning both the original and the prequel, masterfully dissects the structural inequalities embedded within society — whether it be capitalist or communist. Through its dystopian vertical prison setting, the series offers a chilling commentary on human nature, power, and the cyclical struggles we face across generations.

In The Platform, we witness the brutality of capitalism, where the greed of those at the top starves those at the bottom. This stark, vertical representation of class disparity serves as a metaphor for the real-world inequities and hoarding of resources by the elite. The film forces us to question the complicity of individuals who, despite recognizing the system’s flaws, either accept or exploit it for personal gain.

The Platform 2 broadens the narrative, shifting the lens toward communism and the dangers of rigid systems designed to enforce equality. In its exploration of revolutions and societal “reform,” the prequel exposes the impossibility of achieving true equality without moral and ethical compromises. It suggests that any system — no matter how noble its ideals — can be corrupted by human greed, desperation, and power struggles.

Ultimately, both films emphasize the cyclical nature of societal structures, where, despite revolutions or reforms, humanity cannot escape its fundamental flaws. Whether capitalist or communist, every system is subject to exploitation, inequality, and suffering, often at the expense of the most vulnerable — our future generations.

The series leaves viewers with a sobering realization: that the struggle for power and survival is inescapable, and that no societal system can fully eradicate human selfishness, greed, or suffering. The message is clear — while systems may change, the core of human nature remains constant, and with it, the endless cycles of inequality and oppression. Ultimately, it is up to us as individuals to recognize these patterns, question the status quo, and consider what kind of society we want to build for the future.