Being John Malkovich-Or Anyone Else

“Consciousness is a terrible curse. I think, I feel, I suffer.” These words are spoken by Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) early in this film, a film about escaping the confines of your own world view. It is a film about the grass on the other side, and whether or not it is as green as they say. But more importantly it is a film of human emotion in the face of very real shortcomings, the ineptitude of us all as we seek to do something of value in this world. We try for what is important, but can never quite make it there. Fortunately, and in a more optimistic tone, in this odyssey we discover things of immutable truth and beauty, realizing that the notions we held previously did not represent something worth chasing, and if we take the time to notice them, and look past the impossible fantasies we have for ourselves, then maybe we can achieve true happiness. The problem lies in recognizing what is good.

Craig is a puppeteer whose life reflects little of his preferred occupation. As a puppeteer, he seeks to control, but in actuality his wife Lottie (Cameron Diaz, in her best performance yet) is the breadwinner as he constantly works on perfecting his art as “there’s no room for puppeteers in today’s wintry economic climate.” She does, however finally convince him to go job hunting, and he finds the most bizarre and life-changing job anyone has ever had. He applies at Lestercorp, a company that specializes in meeting your filing needs. The ceilings are a whole 5 ½ feet tall, the receptionist has a degree in speech impedimentology from Case Western and can’t understand anything that is said to her, and the orientation video presents an explanation for the low overhead, that is beyond fantastical. He also meets Maxine, a foxy young employee at another business on the 7 ½ floor. After a couple days of stumbling around asking her out, he finally convinces her to go get a drink with him. She abruptly leaves as soon as she finds out that he is a puppeteer. The next day is when he discovers the portal.

The portal is an even smaller door that is located behind some filing cabinets, as if the floor weren’t already claustrophobic enough. As soon as Craig goes through the door and down a dirt tunnel, he is rushed into the mind of John Malkovich (played by John Malkovich). One of the great ironies of this film occurs in the 15 minutes he spends in Malkovich’s mind. As celebrity, and one of the great actors of the 20th century, we would expect him to be doing something amazing. In fact, we can’t even tell that it is someone out of the ordinary until we see his face, and even then, he still behaves like a “normal guy.” His taxi driver recognizes him and has a brief conversation with him, but Malkovich just like you and me. He is simply eating toast and going to work. In fact, it is interesting to note that only when Craig learns how to possess John Malkovich does he begin to do thing out of the ordinary. Prior to that, he is reading Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, picking out hand towels, taking a shower, and rehearsing for his performance of Shakespeare’s Richard III. He is just like us non-celebrities, except for that very distinction. He is famous, and none of us are. We wish we were perhaps, but only he is. This very celebrity status, when combined with Craig’s puppetry allows Craig to do what he has always wanted, or at least the dream he thought was true. He also wants to sleep with Maxine and Malkovich is the easiest way to do that. Lottie discovers herself in Malkovich, and sees being him as the most natural way to become male.
This film also flips the actor/character relationship on its head. John Malkovich is an actor who possesses a sort of immunity with his characters. He is able to be exactly who he wants to be, eliminating his shortcomings and becoming for a moment, however brief, perfect. We all, at sometime, naively seek this perfection as well, so it is easy to understand the desperate need to be the actor, because this gives you the immunity also. The character of Craig Schwartz seeks Malkovich, because through Malkovich his idea of perfection can become a reality. After 8 months, he realizes that this all comes crumbling down around his feet. Despite Malkovich’s resemblance to a superhero, with complete power and no accountability, he has no real powers. No one does. We are all simply human, simply flawed. And the romantic ideal that we seek is beyond unattainable, it is simply not present.

Craig, although he is the protagonist, is not the person we should look at in this film. Instead we should look at Lottie and Maxine. Two people, confronted with a surreal experience are able to look past what each of them thinks they need and realize what brings happiness. They are a part of the lucky few who make it in this world.