불교철학으로 <에브리씽 에브리웨어 올 앳 원스> 읽기: 무無와 공空 개념을 중심으로

Abstract

This paper explores how Everything Everywhere All at Once, an Asian American film, depicts character transformation and the potential for enlightenment through the Buddhist concept of śūnyatā (emptiness), encapsulated in the twin propositions: ‘form is emptiness’ (rūpam eva śūnyatā) and ‘emptiness is form’ (śūnyataiva rūpam). These Buddhist philosophical concepts illuminate the film’s phenomenological and epistemological aspects, particularly concerning the nonlinear cycles, regressions, and introspective moments that characterize Evelyn’s multiverse actions. The film employs various cinematic techniques to visualize unique multiverses, serving as metaphors for human perception and reinforcing a cyclical narrative structure that reflects the concept of saṃsāra. This representation reinforces the paradoxical proposition that saṃsāra is, in fact, nirvāṇa and vice versa. Furthermore, the film’s recurring motifs—such as the circular mirror, the “Everything Bagel,” and the googly eyes—underscore the distinction between nothingness and emptiness, thereby enhancing the narrative’s Buddhist implications.