Author Topic: Nocturnal Animals  (Read 4160 times)

jaredwphoto

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 2
Nocturnal Animals
« on: December 09, 2016, 05:46:52 PM »
Ok, that ending!!  I need some help on this one.  I'm rarely stumped/baffled, but this one...  Man, what I'm I supposed to get from this?  I thought for sure that Edward was standing her up so that he could kill her husband (Hutton?) and thereby provide her with an alibi.  But no!  Roll credits!!  WHAT!?  Somebody give me something to make sense of this one. Thanks! :)

DarkeningHumour

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 10453
  • When not sure if sarcasm look at username.
    • Pretentiously Yours
Re: Nocturnal Animals
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2016, 03:08:23 AM »
I've got nothing on this one.
« Society is dumb. Art is everything. » - Junior

https://pretensiouslyyours.wordpress.com/

Bondo

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 23082
Re: Nocturnal Animals
« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2016, 07:36:46 PM »
I think it is as simple as he stood her up as revenge for her leaving him and aborting his child? Oh well, I pretty well hated the film.

DarkeningHumour

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 10453
  • When not sure if sarcasm look at username.
    • Pretentiously Yours
Re: Nocturnal Animals
« Reply #3 on: December 11, 2016, 05:16:33 AM »
I get the revenge part, but it is so petty and completely unrelated to their history. Wasting a couple of hours of someone's time, with a portion of slight humiliation on the side, is hardly comeuppance for cheating.
« Society is dumb. Art is everything. » - Junior

https://pretensiouslyyours.wordpress.com/

Bondo

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 23082
Re: Nocturnal Animals
« Reply #4 on: December 11, 2016, 07:28:41 AM »
I don't believe she cheated on him...she had dumped him before taking up with the other guy, no? I think the real offense was aborting his child. The film gets rather anti-abortion seeming in those moments.

DarkeningHumour

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 10453
  • When not sure if sarcasm look at username.
    • Pretentiously Yours
Re: Nocturnal Animals
« Reply #5 on: December 11, 2016, 07:38:16 AM »
I think they were still together. And that did not feel anti-abortiony to me. There was no regret or judgement.
« Society is dumb. Art is everything. » - Junior

https://pretensiouslyyours.wordpress.com/

Bondo

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 23082
Re: Nocturnal Animals
« Reply #6 on: December 11, 2016, 07:49:15 AM »
Wasn't his weakness in the novel, and failure to save his wife/daughter, a comment on his perceived weakness in real life and inability to keep her and save his unborn child? Did the new boyfriend push her into the abortion or just support her in the process? She says something about being conflicted because of her Catholicism. I figured he became the trio of assailants in the novel.

DarkeningHumour

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 10453
  • When not sure if sarcasm look at username.
    • Pretentiously Yours
Re: Nocturnal Animals
« Reply #7 on: December 11, 2016, 07:55:35 AM »
I think Hammer was just being supportive. Nothing indicated he pushed him towards it. Gyllenhall is trying to reconquer his masculinity in his novel after having been emasculated by his wife. I am not sure what to read into the transformation of cheating/leaving into double murder rape.
« Society is dumb. Art is everything. » - Junior

https://pretensiouslyyours.wordpress.com/

AdmiralObvious

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 7
Re: Nocturnal Animals
« Reply #8 on: December 11, 2016, 12:27:37 PM »
It kinda seemed like it was equating the physical/sexual violence of the novel with the emotional violence he believed himself to have suffered during their breakup, but the whole movie was kind of a mess. The only explanation for the end that makes sense to me is the revenge one, but that does seem awfully petty.

jaredwphoto

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 2
Re: Nocturnal Animals
« Reply #9 on: December 13, 2016, 03:18:32 PM »
I think it is as simple as he stood her up as revenge for her leaving him and aborting his child? Oh well, I pretty well hated the film.

Man, if that's 'it' then it seems pretty lame.  His revenge is wasting her time for an hour or two?  Maybe he IS weak.

 

love