Within the movie, (spoiler alert!) Matt Damon is hung out to dry by the government after he has given them all the information they need about the less than legal workings of the large corporation he works for. In this case, the RSA is the FBI, who exploit Matt Damon to supplement their case, and the ISA is Matt Damon's belief that he will be seen as a hero (or be made the head of said corporation after it is "cleansed"), which turns out to be unfounded.
Within the realm of the real world, I find myself asking this question: In this age of the Internet, Home Theatre Systems, and Netflix, why do we go to the movies? Living in the world we live in today, wouldn't one assume that "movie theaters" are outdated? Why pay too much money for smelly seats in a crowded theater and for over-salted popcorn? Wouldn't one's home be a better place to enjoy movies in comfort (specially with the recent upswing of illegal movie websites)? The answer, of course, can be found by comparing the aforementioned concept of RSI and ISA:
The Repressive State Apparatus is the actual movie theater, which overcharges us for seats and snacks, while the Ideological State Apparatus is our belief that movies are better enjoyed in traditional cinema settings. I believe that this trait is inherent in all of us (it is the reason why many people still choose to have a landline for their home in addition to having cell phones, why people still wear watches despite carrying around a cell phone or i-Pod or a myriad of other devices that tell time, and why people buy cameras despite already having a camera-phone with a high megapixel camera). It overlooks functionality, and merely sees it as something one is "supposed to" do/have. People go to movie theaters because that is merely where one goes to watch a movie.
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