Martyrs

[Butcher]

As I mentioned in the [REC] thread, I watched Martyrs last night. I'm still processing it, but I have a question for those who have seen it.

*SPOILERS BELOW*

I assume the filmmaker intended this to be open for interpretation, but I wanted to see what others thought.

At the end, when Anna whispers to the head of the group what she has seen, it could either be:

1. She witnessed some sort of glorious afterlife. Describing it to the woman was so overwhelming that she had to die in order to experience what she had heard.
2. She witnessed some sort of glorious afterlife. But as a measure of revenge, she told the woman that there is nothing after death and her life's work has been meaningless. The woman killed herself as a result.
3. She witnessed nothing. She told the woman that there is no afterlife, which sent the woman into a depression and she killed herself.
4. She witnessed nothing. She told the woman that there is no afterlife. The woman decides that her wacky cult wouldn't be able to handle the news, so she becomes a "martyr" in some sense by sparing them what she heard from Anna and killing herself.

There could be other interpretations, I'm sure, but I'm thinking that it's one of those four. Or some combination of those four.

I also think this film may have created a new genre. Existential torture-porn for intellectuals. Or something.

[liner]

maybe i didn't look into it deep enough but i always thought it was #3. the lady always thought what she was doing served a higher purpose and in what was supposed to be her crowning moment, she realized she was really just torturing these people and ended it.

[rok]

I created another thread for this movie awhile back, and no one posted in it, but this will do.

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->There could be other interpretations, I'm sure, but I'm thinking that it's one of those four. Or some combination of those four.

I also think this film may have created a new genre. Existential torture-porn for intellectuals. Or something.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

It's also possible that the Anna shared a message from beyond that she would pay for her sins, giving the head of the group a feeling of unbearable guilt and driving her to suicide, not that such an act would erase all the pain and suffering that she and her people had caused.

I don't know what the answer is, and the open-endedness is one of the reasons why I loved the ending.

Like you, when I first watched this film, I was overwhelmed by it all. The movie kept throwing me curveballs, genre-shifting throughout. I didn't know where it was leading me, and was tempted at one point to turn it off. I'm glad I didn't. After watching it a few more times, I really really like this movie a lot. There are very few times that a horror movie makes me think, and leaves such an impression on me where I ponder it for months or years. I think this will stick with me for a long long time.

[liner]

i still think the scene just before the opening title, in her bed, was one of the scariest i've seen in a long time. it was only a "horror" movie for me until they grew up, and then i sort of figured out that stuff was in her head, and then it turned into something much more. the one girls is kind of hot, by the way, without gashes and blood all over her.

[Butcher]

<!--quoteo(post=57850:date=Aug 14 2009, 10:11 AM:name=rok)-->QUOTE (rok @ Aug 14 2009, 10:11 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I created another thread for this movie awhile back, but no one posted in it, but this will do.

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <!--quotec-->There could be other interpretations, I'm sure, but I'm thinking that it's one of those four. Or some combination of those four.

I also think this film may have created a new genre. Existential torture-porn for intellectuals. Or something.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

It's also possible that the Anna shared a message from beyond that she would pay for her sins, giving the head of the group a feeling of unbearable guilt and driving her to suicide, not that such an act would erase all the pain and suffering that she and her people had caused.

I don't know what the answer is, and the open-endedness is one of the reasons why I loved the ending.

Like you, when I first watched this film, I was overwhelmed by it all. The movie kept throwing me curveballs, genre-shifting throughout. I didn't know where it was leading me, and was tempted at one point to turn in off. I'm glad I didn't. After watching it a few more times, I really really like this movie a lot. There are very few times that a horror movie makes me think, and leaves such an impression on me where I ponder it for months or years. I think this will stick with me for a long long time.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I guess I missed that original thread. My bad.

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->It's also possible that the Anna shared a message from beyond that she would pay for her sins, giving the head of the group a feeling of unbearable guilt and driving her to suicide, not that such an act would erase all the pain and suffering that she and her people had caused.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That's actually a really good interpretation of it -- and one that hadn't occurred to me yet.

I'll have to give it some more thought. There probably is no "real" answer and it's up to the individual to decide.

And I agree -- I love movies that leave you thinking and stick with you for a while. It's kind of too bad that it was so excessive because I'd actually like to discuss this one with my wife. But I don't think she could make it through the whole thing. I was seriously considering turning it off in the middle of that long stretch of Anna's torture. Sheesh. But, yeah...I'm glad I stuck it out.

[rok]

<!--quoteo(post=57851:date=Aug 14 2009, 10:15 AM:name=liner)-->QUOTE (liner @ Aug 14 2009, 10:15 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->i still think the scene just before the opening title, in her bed, was one of the scariest i've seen in a long time. it was only a "horror" movie for me until they grew up, and then i sort of figured out that stuff was in her head, and then it turned into something much more. the one girls is kind of hot, by the way, without gashes and blood all over her.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah, it was cool how the haunted house/revenge/splatter/torture/supernatural genres were synthesized so well.

And yes, I would totally do her.

[liner]

i said before, too, that i think the torture was so excessive, as far as what was shown, so that the viewer is tortured as well. a couple of minutes and a startling picture of what she looked like in the end would have sufficed in getting across that she was beaten really badly for a long time, but showing it happen for that long makes the viewer feel like they've gone through it with her, i think

[rok]

And yes, in the middle of the torture sequence, which really wasn't that extreme, just tedious to the point of boredom, that was when I almost gave up, but I figured it was almost over and had to tough it out. I paused it, took a mental break to digest what was happening and got back into it.

I think Liner is onto something, where the director wanted to emotionally beat down the viewer so as to share in the brutal experience. It was emotional, for sure.