If you aren’t aware of who comprises the Philos-Sophia Initiative and what their mission is before watching The End Of Quantum Reality, then the film will remain impenetrable to you. I say this with absolute confidence, as having sat through the entire 95-minute runtime, I have no idea what I was supposed to take away from the documentary. Basically, it plays out like a movie for a party that I was not invited to.
The Katheryne Thomas directed movie features interviews with notable quantum physicists Wolfgang Smith, Richard Delano, Hossein Nasr, and Olavo de Carvalho. From what I could piece together, the film traces the origins of quantum physics and moves through its history up to modern-day. The very well-reasoned and engaging speakers throw out a lot of formulas and ask the audience to think in a way as to erase physical details to quantify something which only theoretically exists.
“…traces the origins of quantum physics and moves through its history up to modern-day.”
The biggest problem with the movie is that it fails to explain the complicated theories and formulas in a way that makes sense. At times, no effort is made to give the audience context for what is being discussed. Take the opening, for example, in which an unseen narrator tells the audience of a supposed statement inscribed above the doorway to an ancient Greek (or was it Roman?) school. How this ties into the rest of the big, vague ideas being discussed is as elusive at the beginning as it is by the end of the sequence.
Other times, an attempt is made but is woefully inadequate. When going over how and why steel in a fire should give off a bluish glow, but doesn’t, the meaning behind the equation to explain why this discrepancy exists is baffling. Sadly, Rick Delano’s screenplay never finds a way to invite those who know nothing about its subject matter into what is happening. This makes the film a very dull and passive watch.
"…I have no idea what I was supposed to take away from the documentary."
I write to a Mr. Hunter at Pittsburg science center the day the Wolfgang Smith film was shown:
Dear mr. Hunter;
I see that today, Jan 11th you showed the Wolfgang Smith movie, put out as part of an anti-science campaign, which you fell for. You might want to alert other venues, theatre or museums to not accept or show this bogus movie. I knew the great “genius” Dr. Smith and he is not a genius of even very smart. He says that the earth is only a few thousand years old, speculates that the earth is the center or the solar system, and excuses the proceeding against Galileo, and supports the Inquisitionist Cardinal Bellarmine, who condemned Galileo and killed Giordano Bruno. You have shown a propaganda movie for a creationist crank. You can see these atrocious attitudes in his books which I see you cannot have read, unless of course you wish to destroy the Carnegie Museum or the science center. I doubt you want to do this. My advice would be to stop showing this sort of nonsense to the public. And researching any film that is proposed to you.
He has convinced Olavo de Carvalho of Brazil, (OC lives in Virginia,) about his theories, Carvalho is climate change and far right “thinker” himself. I don’t know if you have followed many of the awful events in Brazil but Carvalho is one of the advisors of Jair Bolsonaros who is the nominal head of Brazil. Bolsonaros should be in jail in my opinion as he put the opposition, Lulu de Silva, in jail in the last election and is currently supporting/ causing the gutting/burning of the Amazon region. Supporting Smith is thus supporting not just anti-science but right wing action of many different kinds. Carvalho is also a friend of Steve Bannon, the racist supporter of Trump, you can see the Smith and Carvalho in your film as well as Hossien Nasr and other far right thinkers. see You Tube.
Attached you will find an essay on his books, as well as a commentary on what he actually says and does.
Thank You
Mark Koslow in Ohio
Your review echoes mine succinctly – too bad the film couldn’t make it’s point (is there one?) so well.
I was very interested to go see this movie when I heard about it, however, as I’ve now read the current opinions, stated here, I’ve changed my mind. I wish to thank Ms. Thomas, Mr. Delano, Mr. Smith, Mr. Nasr, and Mr. de Carvalho, and others for all their hard work and attempt to bring these very interesting, but obviously very difficult to understan, topics to us, everyday people! I wish, however, to ask fervently of these people, in case they’ve read these reviews, to please put their minds together to remake this movie to make the points presented in a much clearer and understandable way to enable most people to “get it” and enjoy it or at least leave thinking, “ I’ve learned something new about quantum physics and life!.”