Breaking down a film to understand underlying concepts and character portrayals and the different interpretations within a film.
11
votes
1answer
243 views
Significance of the painting in Mallory's office
In the movie Skyfall while Bond first meets Q in a museum they are watching the painting of a ship dragged by another ship and Q remarks:
Always makes me feel a little melancholy. A grand old ...
11
votes
4answers
473 views
What is the significance of the iconic imagery in the ending of Dredd
There are two things that stand out visually at the end of Dredd. When Dredd finally confronts Ma-ma in her apartment there is a display of guns and a jacket on the wall. When Anderson is laying down ...
11
votes
1answer
413 views
In “Synecdoche, New York” what is the meaning of the character name Sammy Barnathan?
Sammy Barnathan is a key character in "Synecdoche, New York," which was written and directed by Charlie Kaufman. In the interview excerpt below, Kaufman suggests that there is meaning behind the name: ...
11
votes
1answer
177 views
Did Rutledge lie about the “Source Code”?
Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright) explains that the Source Code is not actually time travel, but merely a computer "construct" or "simulation", using the last 8 minutes of memory a person has (in this case: ...
11
votes
1answer
572 views
What is Harvey's purpose?
In the movie Harvey from 1950 in the ending it is made clear that Harvey actually exists and is a Pooka, some sort of fairy from the celtic mythology.
Apparently he has chosen Elwood P. Dowd as some ...
10
votes
2answers
403 views
Why didn't Cobb talk to any of his team members at the airport in the ending of Inception?
In Inception, it always makes me wonder why Cobb didn't say a hello to his team members. He does not even smile at any of his team members at the airport.
What is the reason he acts like he does now ...
10
votes
4answers
961 views
Were parts of The Dark Knight Rises a commentary on the Occupy movement?
A fair amount of the second act of The Dark Knight Rises has a class warfare plotline. This is foreshadowed in the trailers with Selina Kyle's "there's a storm coming" monologue. Some of the ...
10
votes
2answers
349 views
What's the purpose of Solomon's son Dia in Blood Diamond?
Apart from the regular plot, that in order to save his son he must overcome battles and so forth, what other purpose does his son have?
This is based on the fact that his son's name is Dia.
And in ...
10
votes
2answers
6k views
Significance of the Owl in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
There's a scene in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" where Prideaux (Mark Strong) is in the class room teaching, then suddenly an owl pops out of the fireplace. Prideaux quickly dispatches it. Later on, in ...
10
votes
2answers
529 views
Why does Buzz Lightyear act like a toy around people in Toy Story?
Early in the first Toy Story, Buzz Lightyear believes he truly is a Space Ranger. His struggle to accept that he is not actually Buzz Lightyear, Space Ranger is a key part of the first movie in the ...
10
votes
4answers
13k views
What is the symbolism of the uncrossable bridge in Melancholia?
In Lars von Trier's Melancholia (2011) there are two scenes of the sisters riding their horses. Both end with Justine's (Kirsten Dunst) horse Abraham refusing to cross a small bridge. In the second ...
10
votes
4answers
4k views
Regarding the ending of Oldboy
I have a couple of questions about the ending of the horribly disturbing Oldboy (2003).
Was he so consumed by revenge that he had nothing left after he carried out his purpose? The realisation that ...
10
votes
1answer
342 views
What's with the “one-sided” dialogue scenes in Midnight in Paris?
I re-watched Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris last night. I noticed that during a lot of dialogue scenes with only two or three people, there will often only be one of the characters in the shot. It ...
10
votes
1answer
201 views
What's the purpose of the giant door?
King Kong (1933)
A massive wall protects the native village from King Kong.
But if you build a wall to keep a giant ape out, why would you put a door in that's conveniently his size?
My Question:
...
10
votes
1answer
286 views
How to describe Elsa Schneider in Indiana Jones Last Crusade?
Elsa is a very detailed character for the role she plays.
She is secretly a Nazi
Is constantly around Indiana
Gets violent with Indiana but kisses him
When Indiana finds her with book again Elsa ...
10
votes
1answer
234 views
Is Ferris Beuller's Day Off intentionally inspired by Blues Brothers?
I saw Blues Brothers for the first time last night and I couldn't help but see many parallels between in and Ferris Beuller's Day Off. Both plots feature an adventure in the city of Chicago. There are ...
10
votes
1answer
151 views
What was Frank?
During the film Donnie Darko, Donnie occasionally talks with Frank, who we end up finding out at the end of the film is a guy that Donnie shot because he accidentally ran over his girlfriend. Is ...
9
votes
3answers
232 views
“No Country for Old Men”, why is it called so?
One thing bugged me after watching the highly acclaimed movie "No Country for Old Men" -
Why is it called so? I tried to analyze the plot and the sequences and the climax, but I could not understand ...
9
votes
4answers
2k views
Why didn't Vincent and Jules kill Marvin in Pulp Fiction?
In Pulp Fiction, Vincent and Jules killed all the guys at Brett's apartment for stealing the briefcase from Marsellus Wallace but not Marvin.
Why didn't Vincent and Jules kill Marvin in Pulp Fiction?
...
9
votes
4answers
244 views
Why was Tommy allowed to be a psychopath?
Tommy (played by Joe Pesci) is one of the most interesting characters to me in this film. His story arc starts with him being slightly off balance funny guy and a real tough guy then moves quickly ...
9
votes
3answers
656 views
Why was Frodo so resistant to the ring?
I know, by the end, it had gotten the better of him, but the effect it had on Frodo compared to Boromir who was driven mad by it, doesn't seem fit at all.
Also Sam was carrying it for a very short ...
9
votes
4answers
549 views
Why did Roy let Deckard live?
Near the end of Blade Runner, Deckard enters Sebastian’s apartment, gets ambushed and kills the girl. He then gets chased around the apartment by Roy, who leads Deckard to believe that he is going to ...
9
votes
2answers
406 views
What is Belgravia in 'a Scandal in Belgravia'?
The title of the 1st episode on Season 2 of Sherlock, the TV-series is A scandal in Belgravia. What is Belgravia?
9
votes
2answers
1k views
Why was Anton Chigurh being arrested at the beginning of the film?
In No Country for Old Men, why was Anton Chigurh being arrested at the beginning of the film?
9
votes
3answers
780 views
Is the opening break-up scene in The Social Network intended to be humorous?
In the opening scene we have Mark and Erica talking about knowledge of people in China, SAT and Mark's infatuation with getting into the Finals Club. How is this scene humorous? Someone told me they ...
9
votes
2answers
3k views
What is the significance of the appearance of the wolf?
Near the end of Fantastic Mr. Fox, and just after the film's climax, Mr. Fox, Ash, Kristofferson and Kylie encounter a wolf. Like the scene, the wolf seemingly came randomly and out of nowhere (with ...
9
votes
1answer
209 views
What is meaning of movie title “The Naked Gun”?
What is the meaning of the title "The Naked Gun" in the series of detective-spoof movies starring Leslie Nielsen? Is it a joke based on an existing detective movie with a similar name? Or perhaps a ...
9
votes
1answer
297 views
In, “There Will Be Blood”, what was the motivation to kill
In the 2007 movie There Will Be Blood, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, the main character -- Daniel Plainview -- puts a bullet into his "brother's" head when he discovers that the man isn't really his ...
9
votes
3answers
230 views
Why did Blade Runner deviate from the source novel so significantly
In Philip K. Dick's novel 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep' there are key aspects of the plot of the novel that are completely excluded from Blade Runner, including:
That animals have almost ...
9
votes
2answers
693 views
Is Tony in love with Gina?
Throughout Brian DiPalma's 1983 classic, Scarface, Tony Montana has an odd relationship with his sister Gina. His attitude toward her ranges from overprotective to jealous to generous, and just about ...
9
votes
1answer
282 views
Why does Cobb wake up in the water?
Inception begins with Cobb waking up or lying on the beach in the water. He is brought before Saito. Later on, we learn that place being limbo.
From Eames' dream (level 3), Cobb and Ariadne go a ...
9
votes
1answer
332 views
Why is the blog text removed over Bull's head in Sherlock : A scandal in Belgravia?
In the episode A scandal in Belgravia (Sherlock season 2 episode 1), when Dr. Watson is blogging and his blog text is shown to the viewers overlaid on the wall of 221B, Baker St., why is the text that ...
9
votes
1answer
235 views
What does the girl cutting her hand in Animatrix: Beyond symbolize?
In the film, The Animatrix, specifically the Beyond section after the girl and the kids are quarantined, they return to the spot that had the glitch. I understand why she dropped the can (to see ...
9
votes
1answer
257 views
Kid's pictures in Clint Eastwood's True Crime (1999)
Around 0.02.24 (hh.mm.ss) into this movie there's a close-up of the picture just drawn by Gail Beechum (daughter visiting her father Frank on death row. It's just your bog-standard green field, fence ...
8
votes
2answers
2k views
Evidence for and against the ending of Dark Knight Rises
I've heard a few people mention that the ending of Dark Knight Rises, where Alfred sees Bruce and Selina at the bistro in Italy, was just a dream. When I watched it I thought it was really happening.
...
8
votes
4answers
371 views
Was The Great Escape meant to be funny?
I recently had a debate about the 1963 movie The Great Escape.
While I thought the movie was very funny to a certain extent and could possibly be seen as a satire, the person I was talking to denied ...
8
votes
3answers
367 views
Why do many of the Hollywood horror movies use a mirror as a ghost's sign?
I've seen lot of Hollywood horror movies, and most of the directors using a mirror as a ghost's sign or ghosts using mirror as a medium to talk with humans. I couldn't understand what would be the ...
8
votes
2answers
3k views
Was Alfred in on Bruce's plan in The Dark Knight Rises?
Near the end of The Dark Knight Rises, Alfred is fed up with Bruce's inability to let go of Batman and quit despite Alfred saying to him
"I've buried enough members of the Wayne family"
so ...
8
votes
1answer
271 views
Was this a representation of Batman’s fall?
During the end of The Dark Knight, Batman knocks Dent off the building, barely managing to catch himself and the kid. After Gordon gets the kid Batman falls. After his fall from the building the ...
8
votes
5answers
9k views
Is the pit in Dark Knight Rises a representation of Ra's Al Ghul's Lazarus pit?
Everyone familiar with Batman universe would be quite familiar with Ra's Al Ghul's Lazarus pit. Given the realism shown in the Batman movies by Nolan, for instance Bane's character and his mask. In ...
8
votes
4answers
256 views
What is the relationship between the three intertwined stories of The Fountain?
In The Fountain (2006) there are three separate but related stories told in parallel--Imperial Spain, present day, and .. um, space bubble. Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz play the leading lad & ...
8
votes
2answers
942 views
Was “Hanna Schmitz” responsible for the death of 300 people in “The Reader ”?
Couple of months back I watched The Reader. In that movie, Hanna Schmitz was sentenced to life imprisonment because of her role in the death of 300 victims. But I could not understand whether she ...
8
votes
1answer
153 views
Why the title 'Unforgiven' in the movie Unforgiven?
I just watched the 1992 film Unforgiven and I liked it a lot. But how does the title of this movie relate to its story?
8
votes
2answers
7k views
Why does Bane want to destroy Gotham city?
In The Dark Knight Rises, at the end of the movie Talia said, it was her father's dream to destroy Gotham city, and I accept that any daughter who was in that situation will definitely think to ...
8
votes
1answer
1k views
In Secret Window, why did the dog have to die?
In the movie Secret Window, Mort's dog Chico is found dead stabbed with a screwdriver and Mort deduces that Shooter have killed the dog (as a letter was attached to the dog's body). But later in the ...
8
votes
4answers
368 views
How does Quorra “escape”?
At the end of TRON: Legacy Sam Flynn and Quorra escape into the real world.
But I'm wondering how the rematerialization process works on Quorra?
Digital or human?
Sam bleeds, which prompts ...
8
votes
1answer
388 views
What is the significance of exchanging names at the end of 12 Angry Men?
Throughout the film 12 Angry Men (1957) (as well as the other plays and films, I assume) the jurors do not know each other by name, only number. That is until the final scene when jurors 8 (the ...
8
votes
2answers
379 views
Did Captain Jack Sparrow eat people?
In the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
we saw Captain Jack Sparrow was the cannibal tribes chieftain. Is there a backstory that clarifies whether or not Jack is a people eater?
8
votes
1answer
197 views
Is Dogville inspired from Hitchcock's Rear Window?
Watching these 2 movies I found similarities between them. The visual city in Dogville reminds me of Rear Window, where the hero is watching to everything from his window.
Is this a case of an ...
8
votes
1answer
1k views
What layers of hell are shown in What Dreams May Come?
In What Dreams May Come, Robin William's character Chris Nielsen travels through hell. They show some of the layers in hell as depicted in Dante's Inferno, but I don't believe they show all of them. ...
