Knight of Cups | Our Eternal Quest for Meaning - Kierkegaard's Existentialism

Analysis of Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups and the influence of Kierkegaard’s existentialism, divided in 3 parts; The Knight, The Quest and The Pearl.

SPECIAL MESSAGE | To celebrate my first month on Patreon; I am uploading 2 extra videos (for free!) in addition to my regular uploads every other Friday. That means 1 video a week for the next 4 weeks!

Featured films, in order of appearance:
Knight of Cups
To the Wonder
Song to Song
The Tree of Life

Music:
A Himitsu – Where Silence is Nonexistent
Puddle of Infinity – We Will Be
Wojciech Kilar - Exodus

[TxxT]

I am one of those very few who like malick's new movies more than his old ones. Knight of cups changed my life.

[liamminerYT]

I actually think that movies like this are very necessary right now. I think the message, whether it engaged all viewers or not, is what we need in a world that hands out pleasure and instantaneous gratification seemingly for free. I can't speak for others, but I must admit I struggle to find meaning in day to day life... I have trouble living in the present... I find myself chasing things that I am convinced I want by someone else.

Thank you for this analysis of the movie.

[mbe]

Ugh, dude, your videos are so damn good. I'm glad you're making them!

[joelfooxiangjie]

Akin to Carl Jung's process of individuation. The approach to the Self, according to Jung, is a circumambulation. A circling or spiraling towards... the Pearl. As we circle once and once again, the eternal return, we get closer and closer, although never reaching some finite point - the Self is a process, never a destination.

[TeChNoWC]

This is the most underrated movie ever made

[rohanrr]

When I saw this film today, I knew I had seen something really deep and thought provoking but apart from the general questions it raises on having a purpose in life and feeling the need to find a direction, I couldn't really gather much given the unstructured narrative. But this video opened my mind to a whole new layer of meaning, like all other videos of this channel. Awesome work!

[anonrandom]

Thank you for making these beautiful essays. I've watched this one at least 5 times already and it's my favorite. Knight of Cups is a movie I like very much too now but I never would've even known about it if it weren't for your channel.

This movie is pure art. It conveys emotions I never could to anyone in any way about how I feel, and where I am in life. I hope I make it to the light. I'm tired of this abyss.

[glassjaw]

i loved your analysis, when i watched this film, many people disliked it, even loathed it, as self indulgent and innacessible, even saying that it was the "New Emperor`s clothes" but i knew deep inside that Malick crafted a big mirror on today`s collective unconscious, at least one from the American way of life that puts meaningless and wandering as its core, how can you like meaningless if you are part of it without knowing, even to the point of denying it? for me it was that. The Search is symbolic and it never ends...

[digitalhermit]

This video hit hard. Reminds me of two quotes I have on my wall from Spinoza:
"It is in the nature of reason to perceive things in the light of eternity, " and "the highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free."

[barackyobama]

I chuckled at the fact in the quote, 5 dollars is listed before wife.

[benjordan]

your videos take me "Higher"....beckons me to never stop searching for meaning in a meaningless world...Thank you for giving me hope.

[patrickwayne]

That was so beautiful. Excellent encapsulation of what the film is saying through visual narrative. Bravo!

[RemedyUnderTheSun]

This movie is by far his deepest film. Every one has philosophical questions and answers throughout, but this one is packed with so many you'd have to watch it multiple times to understand in the slightest way. The multitude of different characters and their own views of the world and the Knight of Cups, create a story with endless layers.

[EmpressDivineFeminine]

You've done a brilliant job. Thank you very much for the upload.

[alinasser]

This is the third time I've watched this video, and every time I learn something new!
Thank you! Thank you very much !!

next time put a subtitle of videos

[chrisrowl]

Wow. Again. Your analysis of these powerful films holds potentially greater power than the source material--that is my experience. Thank you again for another brilliant piece of work.

[idioindi]

Your content has really enlightened me. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching and studying you videos.

[henryw]

Wow!!! I like a lot of the formal, technical video essays (a la Every Frame a Painting) on YouTube but a lot of thematic analyses resort to really loose observations and trite/reaching conclusions (especially with a slightly oblique filmmaker like Malick) but this was stunning. Well researched, strongly supported by both the narrative and style of the film, and genuinely enlightening. I can't wait to watch the film again with this new insight.

Edit: Oh you did that Moonlight video too! I must've forgotten to subscribe when I saw that because that was great too

[planetgreta]

Excellent analysis! Thanks for sharing this with us. I didn’t think I could love this movie any more than I did but your video made me want to watch it all over again straight away. Thanks!

[android]

Your videos deeply touch me sir; I am certain they make a difference for others as well. Thank you for making them.Thank you for putting in effort while you do so.