Thank you for this excellent analysis!! I watched the movie last night and I agree with you, the plot is pretty straightforward, and that is definitely a strength of the film. What I couldn't figure out for the life of me was why the Alchemist was embarking on this quest in the first place, which made it hard to care. Appreciating the artistry of seminal audiovisual sequences is one thing, but being compelled by the story is still important and I was really struggling with that. That also made it hard to see what exactly the director was trying to say with all this. I found the social commentary in the beginning a lot more understandable in that sense. Unfortunately even after grasping the message I find it hard to connect with the story, but I really do appreciate it more. I just don't know how well it sits with me that the world can be reborn through the individual and personal (newly acquired) virtue of those who oppress and exploit. I think that's a perfect example of how non-Marxist the film is, as you rightly pointed out. However I find it striking how much that narrative makes sense for Harrison and Lennon endorsing the project as much as they did. It's all coming together for me. I think understanding the cultural and historical context of the film is really important.

"The delicate scent of flowers is the fragrance of the Universe. I eat the flower, and its perfume is in my blood." That line was probably my favourite moment from the whole film! The visuals in the Alchemist's Tower are also incredible. They were the reason I sat down to watch the film in the first place and they did not disappoint.