08-14-2009, 10:54 AM
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.
*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.