Seeing Double?
The Double (2013) Enemy (2014)
Two movies focusing on the fascinating topic of doppelgangers have been released between the years 2013 and 2014, and both feature talented actors to convey their story. Indeed, today we get to see double Jesse Eisenberg AND double Jake Gyllenhal. Enemy, by French Canadian director Denis Villeneuve, and The Double, by British filmmaker Richard Ayoade, have both dared to tackle a theme that has been intriguing filmmakers and audiences for years; the question of identity, and more precisely, its duplication.
The thought of seeing one’s own double has always been one of humanity’s darkest fears. For centuries, folklore tales about the topic have been spreading throughout the world, all attached by the common threat that if one starts seeing mysterious appearances of themselves, it probably means that they will soon be confronted with a misfortune, (often falling ill, finding themselves in a dangerous situation, or even facing death). The notion of evil twins giving malicious advice to their real life double remains timeless in film and literature. While today, people don't necessarily always associate doppelgangers with misfortune, the concept owes its negative connotation to deeply rooted beliefs present since Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Norse mythology, reinforced through time by testimonials of well-known public figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Psychological studies have investigated the phenomenon, exploring how the brain constructs the idea of self-identity, and how the source of the hallucinations and out-of-body experiences related to the phenomenon. These studies tend to all conclude that they are due to malfunctions in brain mechanisms which are responsible for our awareness of being present.
The topic is so fascinating because doubles have deep connections with the concept of identity, and this speaks to the audience. Along with being connected to this relatable and familiar theme, doubles can also hold many meanings and take different forms; they can be used as symbols to reflect one’s inner evil or simply indicate certain psychological states. Due to the symbolic and metaphorical nature, it is not surprising that filmmakers have been interested in exploring the concept through different genres, although it is mostly found in (psychological) thriller movies. You may have seen the double depicted in movies like The Prestige (2006), Black Swan (2010), or more recently Us (2019), but the very first apparition of doubles in movies was in The Student of Prague, a 1913 German silent movie.
Many great directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, David Lynch and Brian de Palma introduced wider audiences to the topic, by including doubles in some of their movies. It was not until the 2010s however, that our intercultural fear and obsession with dopplegangers peaked, reflected in the multiple movies that explored the topic during those years. One explanation for this phenomenon could be the spread of social media in recent years. Indeed, social media has greatly impacted our perceptions of self-identity. People found an ‘escape’ in applications such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, creating better online versions of themselves as physical appearance took a whole different meaning in people’s every-day life. This is perhaps why us, modern viewers, are so much more afraid of doppelgangers; we are in direct conflict, whether consciously or subconsciously, with our conceptions of self-identity, often altered by social media and the constant reflections of our image with which we are confronted. In addition, the internet has given access to an abundance of information, meaning that celebrities look-alikes and even identity theft has become common, making the concept of doubles resonate more deeply with contemporary audiences. Both Enemy and The Double express this idea of internal conflicts and self-identity. However, although at first sight they look almost identical, we will see today that they have some significant differences.
Let’s first start by comparing the two movies. Enemy is a Canadian adaptation of Nobel Prize Winner and Portuguese writer José Saramago’s 2002 novel ‘The Double’. The Double (2013 film) is also an adaptation of a novella called ‘The Double’, but written in 1846 by the famous Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky, known for various works including Notes from the Underground (1864), Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1869), and Brothers Karamazov (1880).
In Enemy, a college professor (played by Jake Gyllenhal) finds an identical-looking man in a movie he was watching and starts obsessing about meeting him, causing trouble for them both. In comparison to Saramago’s original story ‘The Double’, (in Portuguese “O Homem Duplicado”), the movie subtly exposes themes that weren’t explicitly explored in the novel, such as totalitarianism and dictatorships, (approached through metaphorical appearances of spiders throughout the movie). Thus, though the film is not 100% loyal to the book, it implicitly references thematic elements of Saramago’s work and philosophy through motifs and symbols. Dennis Villeneuve exemplifies this notion of subtlety and symbolism when he stated; “If you look at Enemy again, you can see that everything has an answer and a meaning”.
In The Double (film), a Russian bureaucrat (played by Jesse Eisenberg) comes to work one day and discovers that a doppelganger of himself has started to work there; he has the same name, same physical appearance and same home town. Similarly to Villeneuve, Ayoade offers insights directly linked to the original story, exploring Dostoyevsky’s existentialism while maintaining a dark comedic tone throughout the film. However, it separates from the story as it tries to illustrate a modern society’s representation of dystopia, rather than conforming to the book’s atmosphere and cultural settings.
Both movies use visual elements to set a specific tone; more specifically a claustrophobic, unsettling mood, drawing influences from David Lynch’s work especially his philosophy of dream logic. Enemy also evokes Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut while on the other hand, The Double reflects some aspects of Scorsese and Hitchock’s approaches to psychological thrillers specifically. The color palette of warm tones of greens and yellows, creates this anxiety inducing atmosphere evoking an American, monotone, suburban dystopia. The smog and the use of screens of electronic devices as elements of the lighting - present in both movies - participate in the overall anxious tone, symbolizing the feelings of paranoia one might feel when facing a considerably dehumanized dystopian society.
Both movies feature incredible scores that set an anxiety-inducing, ominous tone. While the sound effects in Enemy are more subtle and the use of music is carefully controlled to immerse the audience into Adam Bell’s (Jake Gyllenhal) conflicts, The Double has a more contemporary score composed by Andrew Herwitt, (which I personally love), who also worked on Ayoade’s first movie Submarine. However, sound effects in the movie are not as carefully manipulated as in Enemy, and can sometimes sound over-the-top. Nonetheless, both movies utilise sound and music as a tool to craft a stressful atmosphere, going hand-in-hand with their dystopian tone.
While the stories have obvious similarities - namely the socially awkward man who sees his dull life shifting completely when his doppelganger appears in his life - they have markedly different tones. The Double is witty and satirical, while Enemy’s complex plot creates a more serious and depressive atmosphere. These dissimilar tones are evident in the dialogue used in both movies. The Double’s characters Simon/James and Hannah, (both wonderfully acted by Jesse Eisenberg and Mia Wasikowska), give the movie a quick pace; fast talking, interruptions, abnormal behaviour and delivering absurd lines. Enemy, on the other hand, has far less dialogue, and its slow-burner pace is reflected in the characters’ long pauses and awkward silences.When the characters do talk however, it is more realistic and natural.
Beyond the dialogue, Enemy’s realistic approach to the situation is expressed through the characters themselves, and the environment in which they operate. Adam’s terror and panic when confronting his double is close to how anyone would react to the situation, and the location, although dehumanized into a sort of dystopian world, has a timeless feel that makes it seem realistic and almost familiar. The Double, however, takes place in a bizarre, unreal location, although mostly desert. Working offices use old equipment that gives a retro feel to Simon’s isolated and suffocating life as an ordinary bureaucrat.
Both The Double and Enemy explore doubles through an entertaining visual and auditory experience, revealing their interesting points of view. In The Double, Ayoade isn’t scared to change Dostoyevsky’s take on doppelganger symbolism and the idea of self-identity. He relies heavily on mise-en-scene and prop elements, as well as cinematography and sound design to convey this lifeless, suffocating tone. To this, he adds the satirical and comic mood, also present in Dostoyesky’s original plot, through his character’s sometimes unrealistic yet genius dialogue, given life by the actors' incredible performances. I remember the first time I watched the movie; I was blown away by this little world that had been created and how familiar it all seemed. I think this is one of the film’s greatest strengths, its ability to connect to each viewer by tackling a theme that is directly linked to one of our core fears as human beings; perception of self-identity, especially in dehumanized and superficial environnements. It perfectly expresses this unifying fear through visuals that evoke a creepy, familiar and almost nostalgic feel.
Enemy’s point of view on the topic is a lot more serious and realistic than The Double, allowing viewers to fully immerse into the experience. This heightens the suspense and enhances the element of surprise, by making the surreal aspects of the movie even more unexpected and shocking. Enemy's clever references to the original story and the subtle use of symbolism creates a complex puzzle which pieces we get to slowly assemble each time we watch and rewatch the movie. I am personally fascinated by the endless meanings that it offers, and which give way as we dig deeper into our own interpretations.
While many people think Enemy has more cinematic and thematic value than The Double, I think they should both be recognized in their own right, as they managed to successfully tackle this extremely complex theme through unique and innovative ways of storytelling.