Ivan Massague plays Goreng in the movie. He voluntarily agrees that he will serve six months in The Hole for an accredited diploma. It is a vertically structured prison. Each floor is home to two inmates for a period of 30 days. After that time, gas is injected into the structure and knocks them out. When they wake up, they are on a new floor. What is the significance of the floor they are on? They are only fed once per day via the platform. The platform begins at floor 0, where it is loaded with delicious drinks, chicken salad, and cakes. It then descends floor by floor. The floor 1 person gets the food they choose, and then the leftovers go to floor 2. Floor 3 has floor 3. Although it might sound good for those higher up, consider calling floor 100 your home. Or floor 48. If the people on floors above you are eating and even walking up to the table, it’s likely that you will be left with unappetizing leftovers.
This is a clever premise that works on many levels. The scenario is absolutely riveting, strictly speaking in terms of entertainment value. The Platform is full of drama, whether it’s verbal sparring or a physical altercation. You’ll be on edge every step of the way. What would you do if your floor-mate was on the 100th floor? What would you do to negotiate with your floor-mate What would you do if your floor-mate was on the 5th floor? What would you do if you were forced to eat every day? Or consider the needs and wants of those below you? These are just some of the many questions that can be asked. It becomes clear that while The Platform may only be a movie, it is also a film that we can and should learn from.
We live in a world in which most of the wealth is held in the hands of a few, just as The Platform offers food. What if you had unlimited access to all that food? Would you limit your choices or eat until you could no longer eat? Although I think one would prefer to believe they’d only eat what is necessary, what if they had to deal with the possibility of losing their wealth by moving to a floor without food? Desola and Rivero’s script explores all of this and more, well illustrating how easy it is to ensure the wellbeing and health of many while allowing for many human failings that are all too real. Read The Platform explained in this excellent thisisbarry.com aricle.
All of this is captured in the lead Goreng and Massague’s performance. Massague captures every ounce of the devastation that he experiences. Goreng has moments where he isn’t thrilled, but still believes in humanity and can overcome any difficulties. He also struggles with the terror of his body, despair, and utter misery. The story is riveting and you won’t forget any moment of Gorengís journey. Every aspect of his transformation is reflected in The Platform. This character study is a great way to test Goreng’s willpower during times of great distress.