Infinite Jest

The Entertainment is the last film made by James Incandenza before his suicide. The film unites the disparate narrative threads of the novel: The Wheelchair Assassins hope to use it to achieve Quebecois independence; Joelle starred in the film; and Hal and the Incandenza family are related to the director but seemingly unaware of the film’s destructive power. Though the film may be titled either Infinite Jest (V) or Infinite Jest (VI), most characters simply refer to it as the Entertainment. In this respect, the given title embodies the film’s symbolic power. The film is suggested to be the logical, horrifying point of conclusion for media as portrayed in the novel. The Entertainment is not just a film; it represents all entertainment. As such, it possesses an intoxicating power. Anyone who watches the film becomes so engrossed in it that they become hollow shells of their former selves whose only interest is being able to watch the film again. People watch the film on repeat until they die, or they are willing to harm themselves to be allowed to watch it again. The Entertainment begins to spread across the country, becoming a national emergency that warrants government attention.