1. The main characters progress or change throughout the film:

Eddie Morra lives in New York, and is an author suffering from writers block. He is stressed by the approaching deadline for his book, and his girlfriend Lindy also stresses him, because of the frustrations gained by his lack of progress and financial dependence. Eddie randomly runs into his ex girlfriend’s brother, who is a successful man with a nice suit and obviously a lot of money. He introduces Eddie to this “legal” drug NZT, which turns out to be a decisive feature in relation to his future. He finishes his book within a couple of days, and starts trading with stocks. Eddie manages to create a good reputation of himself among business related people, but otherwise he manages to create the exact opposite in the streets. He is sought after due to the drug, as it is a coveted drug. Eddie goes from being a wrecked unhealthy and broke soul, to be a successful healthy and wealthy man, on his way to become president of America. 2. What is characteristic of the way the film is told?

What is the characteristic of the way the film is told? (e.g. Composition, tempo, sound, camera movements, use of symbols etc.)
It’s a “first person narrator”, voiceover. We experience the movie through the main characters point of view. It starts in-medias res (him standing on the balcony). The tempo of the movie changes a lot, he often meets crisis. In the start for example, he starts on the balcony - then gets a flashback, were we are introduced to him - then he takes the first pill, finish the book, and amazes the publisher.

Experience of being on drugs: When Eddie is under influence of the drug, the camera focuses different - as to show how it is like, to be on the pills. It also makes him see himself, which perhaps shows his second, and better self (split-identity, parallel thinking). He sees everything clearer, all the small things. The lightning gets clearer, with a golden glow to it.
Music is used to illustrate the mood in the scenes.
The pill becomes a symbol of power, as it allows an incredibly high amount of intelligence, which of course is used to achieve success.

3. How does it deal with the theme of artificial intelligence?

This film does actually not deal with artificial intelligence, if referred to as intelligence exhibited by machines, software’s, robots etc. (technology). But, the main purpose of the studies with focus on artificial intelligence is to increase the ability of human knowledge, reasoning, planning, learning, natural language processing, perception and the ability to analyse and manipulate statistics for example, and that’s what the pill in the film (NZT) makes possible of achieving. The main character is able to achieve all of the above skills with this pill, and that way, the film deals with the topic artificial intelligence.

4. Put it into perspective with/compare with other texts?

Flowers for Algernon – as they both involve artificial intelligence. Both of the films main characters start of “not so clever”, but then something changes and they become very clever. They get better jobs – and friends. But then they get too clever for people around to understand them, so people starts to get uncomfortable in their presence. Both of the stories’ climaxes are, when there comes a problem with their artificial intelligence. In limitless, Eddie realises that he is going to die slowly from the pills that make him gain 100% of his brain – in Flowers for Algernon, Charlie discovers that his intelligence is slowly decreasing. So they realise that it wasn’t that clever with their artificial intelligence. But in the end, they are both pretty happy.

Lucy - The movie Lucy is also about increasing brain capacity to the limit. And that the person begins too access more knowledge, and become much more smarter than other people. And can do thing others can’t.