“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” – Aristotle

Incredibly insightful video. How does this relate to filmmaking?

You can think of it this way: a complicated film can have a myriad of film techniques – flashbacks, non-traditional narrative, etc. – that will be made in an attempt to make it inventive and spectacular, but can often end up being messy and incoherent.

A complex film however, can be one that just uses the basic understanding of what makes a film “work” and applies that rule to a greater extent in a multi-layered situation.

Inception for example: a clear three-act structure film that follows all the rules, but takes place in the confines of the subconscious.

In other words: keep it simple.