First line of text in the movie sets the stage: “Some young people deal with their disillusionment by seeking out illusions of their own.”
You could say that Ash is running deeper and deeper into illusion, trying to escape disillusion. In real life she says, “Is this all there is?” so she goes to the game. In the game she reaches a certain point and then asks, “Is this all there is?” and moves to the next level. She gets to Class A and she asks again, “Is this all there is?” and she then learns of Class Special A. She reaches Class Special A but keeps going…to where?
I think one thing the movie is pointing out is that all illusions eventually lead to disillusionment. Or maybe it’s hinting that you won’t find satisfaction within the illusions of others, but instead you should take control and form the world yourself.
On one level the movie is a comment on games that already exist, like MMORPG’s that some people get so involved in that they ignore reality. And it’s a comment on games that will undoubtedly exist in the future, and that will be even more addictive.
Also, though, on another level it’s a comment about human nature. Our desire to find meaning in the world (escape the bare facts of the world, the system of the world) through religion, through belief, through fantasy…
Definetly a strong vibe of escapism. That’s why I think that the ‘real world’ in this movie is real.
You can’t have a movie about escapism, about illusion, if there isn’t something to escape from…can you?