At some point in life almost everyone experiences a sense of ennui or intense “dissatisfaction and weariness”within themselves as the Merrimack-Webster Dictionary defines it. This often coincides with having an identity crisis — no matter how well we know (or think) we know ourselves. Inner turmoil of this sort often involves questioning the meaning of life or even the will to continue on…for what purpose? When our egos are feeling exceptionally bruised, we’re experiencing a sharp sense of being insignificant or that oblivion is pending are all wrapped in angst or ennui.
These times of inner crisis and severe doubts are precisely what the Twilight Zone tv series excelled at presenting to us each week over five seasons from 1959-1964. “Five Characters In Search Of An Exit” is one of the very best of the 156 episodes which comprised the series. The Twilight Zone is a deft blend of science fiction along with fantasy and horror that no other tv series since has captured quite as well. It definitely had a flair for the absurd, frightening, and the surreal which are well represented in “Five Characters In Search Of An Exit”. The episode concerns five disparate characters: a clown, bagpipe player, hobo, ballerina, and army major trapped in a bleak metal cylinder. None of them knows how they ended up there, why they’re trapped in the cylinder, how long they’ve been in there, or how to escape from it.
What is more disturbing though, is that none of them seem to feel much of anything like hunger or thirst, or strong emotions — except for the major who rages against this bizarre and seemingly insurmountable predicament. The stark black & white film adds a further sense of dislocation to the dismal proceedings and general malaise of the five characters. When watching stories such as “Five Characters In Search Of An Exit” I sometimes find it easy to identify with the bewilderment, ennui, and confusion they’re experiencing, with no clear direction of what should come next, for what purpose, and what should be accomplished.
All of this ties directly into fears of mortality and eventual oblivion — which I have no problem admitting to. Not knowing the “why” of everything, particularly existential mysteries like the unsatisfactory human condition are quite disturbing at various points in life (such as the death of a loved one, failed relationships, economic or social dislocation, etc.) which can make the meaning of life more precarious and the future uncertain. At other times though, challenges like these still have their own perverse fascination…what with dogged determination to overcome tragedies…while still not knowing exactly why there is still the will to continue, what is the endgame?
However, I digress! For anyone who hasn’t watched this episode I will not spoil the ending here. One of the best aspects of the Twilight Zone series is that most of the stories have a surprising twist at their conclusion. After watching “Five Characters In Search Of An Exit” the viewer should have a pretty good understanding of what I’ve written about above. To watch this and other episodes of The Twilight Zone they can be streamed on Paramount Plus.
