I don't think your really supposed to get it . This makes me think of one of those pick your own adventure books , whatever you wanted to happen to her you can assume happened . I highly enjoyed the film .
P.S. I would let Alan Rickman interrogate me any day .
Hmmmmm...I just had a thought. Which one of these two, at the end, is really in a closet? It's quite possible that Stowe's character is going down the hallway to be executed...but in spite of everything they did to her, they didn't succeed in breaking her and she still has her integrity. Rickman's character, on the other hand, has basically admitted that he lies for a living (or at least so he can live) and does not appear to be wholly without conscience. Which one is really a prisoner?
Hmmmmm...I just had a thought. Which one of these two, at the end, is really in a closet? It's quite possible that Stowe's character is going down the hallway to be executed...but in spite of everything they did to her, they didn't succeed in breaking her and she still has her integrity. Rickman's character, on the other hand, has basically admitted that he lies for a living (or at least so he can live) and does not appear to be wholly without conscience. Which one is really a prisoner?
Hmmmmm...I just had a thought. Which one of these two, at the end, is really in a closet? It's quite possible that Stowe's character is going down the hallway to be executed...but in spite of everything they did to her, they didn't succeed in breaking her and she still has her integrity. Rickman's character, on the other hand, has basically admitted that he lies for a living (or at least so he can live) and does not appear to be wholly without conscience. Which one is really a prisoner?
Hmmmmm...I just had a thought. Which one of these two, at the end, is really in a closet? It's quite possible that Stowe's character is going down the hallway to be executed...but in spite of everything they did to her, they didn't succeed in breaking her and she still has her integrity. Rickman's character, on the other hand, has basically admitted that he lies for a living (or at least so he can live) and does not appear to be wholly without conscience. Which one is really a prisoner?
Hmmmmm...I just had a thought. Which one of these two, at the end, is really in a closet? It's quite possible that Stowe's character is going down the hallway to be executed...but in spite of everything they did to her, they didn't succeed in breaking her and she still has her integrity. Rickman's character, on the other hand, has basically admitted that he lies for a living (or at least so he can live) and does not appear to be wholly without conscience. Which one is really a prisoner?
Hmmmmm...I just had a thought. Which one of these two, at the end, is really in a closet? It's quite possible that Stowe's character is going down the hallway to be executed...but in spite of everything they did to her, they didn't succeed in breaking her and she still has her integrity. Rickman's character, on the other hand, has basically admitted that he lies for a living (or at least so he can live) and does not appear to be wholly without conscience. Which one is really a prisoner?
Hmmmmm...I just had a thought. Which one of these two, at the end, is really in a closet? It's quite possible that Stowe's character is going down the hallway to be executed...but in spite of everything they did to her, they didn't succeed in breaking her and she still has her integrity. Rickman's character, on the other hand, has basically admitted that he lies for a living (or at least so he can live) and does not appear to be wholly without conscience. Which one is really a prisoner?
Hmmmmm...I just had a thought. Which one of these two, at the end, is really in a closet? It's quite possible that Stowe's character is going down the hallway to be executed...but in spite of everything they did to her, they didn't succeed in breaking her and she still has her integrity. Rickman's character, on the other hand, has basically admitted that he lies for a living (or at least so he can live) and does not appear to be wholly without conscience. Which one is really a prisoner?
Hmmmmm...I just had a thought. Which one of these two, at the end, is really in a closet? It's quite possible that Stowe's character is going down the hallway to be executed...but in spite of everything they did to her, they didn't succeed in breaking her and she still has her integrity. Rickman's character, on the other hand, has basically admitted that he lies for a living (or at least so he can live) and does not appear to be wholly without conscience. Which one is really a prisoner?
Hmmmmm...I just had a thought. Which one of these two, at the end, is really in a closet? It's quite possible that Stowe's character is going down the hallway to be executed...but in spite of everything they did to her, they didn't succeed in breaking her and she still has her integrity. Rickman's character, on the other hand, has basically admitted that he lies for a living (or at least so he can live) and does not appear to be wholly without conscience. Which one is really a prisoner?
is this the end of the film? i dont know and why would the government be trying to protect a child rapist? and why would he have sympathy for her if he used to rape her? this film is sooo confusing i just dont get it and IS THIS THE END???????
@steph4691 Go back and read other people's comments, including mine, about this film. He's not necessarily the person who actually raped her anyway. He tells her a lot of lies because he wants to mess with her head. And what makes you think that there aren't governments that protect rapists, especially ones that are working for them?
I really dont fuking get it! was this all happening in her head? and if not, how could one man built up some shit like that and what for?and in the end...her walking out there with handcuffs on...wtf? would someone pls explain? Rickman was SUBLIME in this movie and its a great piece of art, really disturbing but great...but..MINDFUCK! what happened there now?
@pia91 -- I think the lack of definite explanation is part of the whole point. I think this is one of those films which is kept deliberately ambiguous because the director wants you to come up with your own answers. Personally, I think the Interrogator's claim that he's the man who abused her as a child is another lie with which he's trying to break her...and since the hallway's associated with freedom, I think the end means that while they'll probably kill her, they don't control her.
@pia91 As I said to someone else, go back and read other people's comments. I personally don't believe that it was all in her head but I suppose it might have been. Remember that he is not just acting on his own. He is meant to represent a repressive regime.
Directing the purpose of these comments, should we all think about the stete of 'closetness' that systemicly flows from media, plays like Harry Potters? In 'New Age' magical and control isn't just another fictional story. Problem is we are consuemed by it - what is there to talk about, should person him/herself Came out?
The moment in which Stowe's character tears up the confession is very reminiscent of the scene in "V For Vendetta" in which Evie is sitting on the floor of her cell and someone whom she thinks is a guard urges her to confess so that she won't be executed. Evie replies that she'd rather be executed (because death is preferable to sacrificing her integrity). However, whereas Evie doesn't die, I think Stowe's character will be executed because it seems clear that is the only way she can be free.
@hdatdi Oops! Thought that wasn't spelled quite right. Oh well. At least I didn't spell a simple word wrong. People's names, I'm not always sure of. You get the picture (-:
The first time I saw these film I thought she was free at the end and that he was not her rapist. Now that I've seen it a 2nd time it got me thinking why would he be spying on her two years before she wrote the book?
wow. what a film. the sheer strength of character and will power of madeleine's character is inspiring. though I feel more for the interrogator, fooling himself into believing that she was forcing his hand to do terrible things to her, and blah, i'm tired. i wonder what happened to the interrogator at the end? he was weak willed and I'm pretty sure he handed her in to the higher ups, but I wonder how all that affected him.
@00Jabberwoofles00 oh and this film was a great commentary on, to name just one, how many people, both individuals, societies, and nations as a whole turn a blind eye on injustice. Don't forget people, no matter what situation you find yourself in, YOU have a choice to do what is right or take the easy way out.
@00Jabberwoofles00 -- It does seem as if she's put him through the wringer (metaphorically speaking), doesn't it? I found myself reminded of Jack Lint, the interrogator in Terry Gilliam's film "Brazil"...there are subtle clues scattered through Michael Palin's portrayal which suggest that a part of Jack is appalled by what he has to do.
Perhaps in a sense, Stowe's character is not the only one in a closet...perhaps the Interrogator has to close parts of himself off to do what he does.
@OreadNYC Oh. Brazil I forgot about that movie. You've explained what I couldn't express myself beautifully. I love these films. There's an intimate quality about them that just seems to speak directly to a person than any other type of film.
Well, going to die, but it is free, mentally, in contrast to his executioners, is as much a topic, for those seen and not understood ....Pozdrowienia z Polski
its a perfect psychoanalytical approach for a movie. Human mind and consciousness is really complicated and the labyrinth that he used to get into her mind is mesmerizing. Instead of how he looks, people should watch this movie as a visual intellectuality, this reflects to symbolic interaction-ism.
stowe blew my mind.she's really great and brilliant as well. i just didn't get the story, can anyone tell me/ im confused. anyway, i feel bad for alan, i imagine him heartbroken then he turned out to be like this(you know alan,im just here!) but i love him! so much! i'm a fan! :)
That was one of the darkest, most seductive movies I have ever watched. Although I'm horrified, I can't help believe that Alan Rickman is the sexiest creature in this world.
I agree with Mariehansler- I am also a victim of sexual abuse as a pre-teen and young teen. This has done the same to me- I regress into a fantasy when dealing with stress. I have become an Oscar calibar actress also- all to hide the truth about my past experiences. I am now 50- and I am fascinated with this movie. As for Rickman, one of my molesters was very handsome, like him..... Very disturbing
I find it interesting that the director did not choose Alan Rickman for this part. She wanted either Anthony Hopkins, Ian Holm, or Peter O'Toole to play the part and still continues to feel that way to this day. I personally don't know what problem she has with Alan's performance because I think he did an excellent job. I believe it's the main reason that this film continues to garner the kind of attention that it does. I'd like to ask her why she feels this way. Does anybody out there know?
maybe rapist was the physicist? that's why the interrogator knows so much and can play to break her mind. i don't think he's the abuser, he could get the info from the real rapist. but at the same time... maybe he wanted to force her to sign and save herself because he wanted to amend for his abuse of her when she was a child????? that's why he tortured her, trying to save her from the worse. but he couldn't. couldn't save her and make up for his sin! that's why he's so desperate at the end...
I had no frakkin' idea what was going on in this movie. I took it literally which seemed far-fetched. Sounds like Mariehansler may have the right idea because in the end she seems to walk away into the light. Maybe in her mind she overcame her abuser finally by not letting herself be broken down? Pretty wild stuff. I found it disturbing.
@katielovesmarilyn ummm, not if he raped you as a child you wouldn't. please forget about the actor and look at the character. he sexually abused her as a child and he was harassing her, trying to make her scared in that one moment. Alan Rickman is yes, very sexy, but not all his parts are meant to be sexy. especially not this one. sorry but it just bothers me.
I don't think Alan Rickman's character was the one who abused her. At the age of 5 (and however many years she was abused) she'd recognise him, and ofcourse his voice. Also I don't think that would work with the character of the interrogator. This film is good but I have a few issues with it; mainly I just feel that human resolve is never strong enough to withstand real pain. Getting your eyes pulled out, Getting burned extensively all over, having rats nibble through your midsection, etc.
@Piccadillyo well, yeah, but keep in mind that a lot of people shove bad memories down so far they can't recall them clearly, or at all. she was just a small child when she was abused, and so she probably tried to forget about him as she grew, instead thinking of Closet Land whenever she thought of or dealt with something distressing or scary. this movie is full of symbolism, so I don't think it should be taken literally, it's more like poetry, you need to read between the lines.
I found this on wikipedia: ''Near the end of the film, the interrogator claims that he was the man who had sexually abused the author in her childhood. But one cannot be entirely sure he was the one who abused her, as the film suggests he was just using the abuse against her as a way of breaking her down.''
I hope it helps! Anyway, we all have our opinions and what everyone else says in the comments is the meaning of the film! And Alan Rickman is amazing as always!
Because thou hast the power and owns't the grace to see through and behind this mask of me against which years have beat thus blanchingly with their rains - and behold my soul's true face... my soul's true face." Many molesters think that the children they rape have seduced them. Sick, but true. I don't know whether or not he was the actual child molester but he wants her to believe it. It's part of the mind fuck.
If someone can answer please ? Is she free or dead at the end ? Do they leave her free or do they kill her ? I think we not have all the end of the film and I can't find the film in french version. I've unederstood all the story but not all the worlds. So is she still alive and free ?
@littleturttle Both, I think. He doesn't set her free because he handcuffs her after she refuses to sign the confession even though he tells her that it's her last chance. But she is mentally free because they can't control her mind. Whether they actually kill her, lobotomize her or silence her in some other way is not really the point. What is the point is that he is the one who looks defeated as she walks into the light, out of the closet in the end.
@chocolateicex3 That's the way a child molester would think. "Such a knowing look in such young eyes. What made you this way? Some hidden streak , an inner sickness. You had no hips then, tiny ribs like a sparrows bones. I could have broken them all with one rough caress. Sugar plum heart beating wildly in it's cage. Everything so small, so perfect. You took away my innocence too but when you grew up and had other lovers and when thy touched you, breathed your name you froze and thought of me.
I didn't understand the ending, can someone please explain? Was she executed or was she set free? What about the interrogator? Did he give up? PLEASE someone explain.
He didn't take her to rape her...he took her to do the same thing to her as they did to the physicist...they finally destroyed his mind with an injection.
Im really confused! Did he or did he not rape her? Or is this a movie were at the end everyone thinks something different? He is an amazing actor and really sexy! Want him! -3
I dont get it, was he a government worker thinking she had political messages? or was he the rapist who realized her book was about him and wanted to shut her up. And was she going to get hurt or free at the very end???
@bruchland I'm starting to sense male jealously, seeing as you've felt the need to post this on two different parts of the movie now. Tell me, am I correct in my assumptions?
Thanks for posting that, it was difficult to watch at times but strangely theraputic at the same time in that I have similar demons to hers and they couldn't break her with her worst horror because she'd already lived it at a more vulnerable age. ...trying to brainwash her via Alan's voice repeating things is never going to work though. I have his reading of The Return Of The Native and his voice is too distracting for me to be able to concentrate on what he's actually saying, LOL!
@OTTTB How does my comment about not having everything spelled out to you in black and white make me arrogant? It's supposed to be thought provoking. As to the point of it all, read my comment to Littleturttle on the next page.
its about . that we have the illusion of being free but wer not . at any time some govt agency can throw u in a hole if your too subserve.and its getting worse. your not free people! wake up.the sexual tension between the charecters is incedentl.
Wow! It has been a while since I've seen a decent movie...though it was quite difficult to pay attention to the plot with Rickman looking so delectable.
This movie is just amazing...I don't understand why is so unknown. the message is so powerful and it's open to many different interpretations. and besides, this is one of Rickman's best performances ever!
I think what's really ironic is that she's being accused of political agenda in her books, which is a lie, while this movie seems to have somewhat of a political agenda. It's about how the government forces people to do things they wouldn't have done otherwise, abuses mentally and physically, and is basically a tyrant. Which it is.
In my perspective, it seems that the movie wasn't really about the author and her escape from reality, but instead, about the interrogater and his coming to terms with reality. We can tell that he really doesn't want to torture her, and that he doesn't beleive a word of the politcal agenda he's accusing her of. He just wants to make it easier for both of them, and just do his job and get it done quickly. And as he stated, "he used to be a professor before they got to him."
@TotallyTscopeTV All he's doing it for is because it's his job, and because he's being watched, and being forced to use unorthodox means. His job is to break her, but she, at times, seems to be breaking him. When they're both repeating that stuff over eachother, he eventually says, "There is no justification for cruelty of any kind!" He's annoyed and astonished that rather than breaking her mind, it happened the other way around.
@TotallyTscopeTV Earlier, he told her that children were the easiest to trick when she claimed her books were for children, not political agenda. Later, she explained how the government got to one of her neighbors and people knew she was gone, but didn't notice what was really happening. She said it made everyone like children, afraid and easy to manipulate, because they didn't have an escape, but she did. You can tell, just by his face, that this is also what happened to the interrogater.
@TotallyTscopeTV The people around him were succumbing to the government, leaving him frightened and easy to manipulate. But then they found him too. While it seems he couldn't have been a victim, since he's the interrogater, that's actually how he became a victim. Obviously, they tortured him at first, and then attempted to brainwash him that such means were okay, and tortured him even worse by forcing him to do the torturing.
@TotallyTscopeTV But his mind had broken, and they rebuilt it through scientific means, forcing him to think differently, and he didn't oppose it at all, because he didn't know better at that point. But the horribility of it came back to him, and he got used to it, but he didn't have an escape. This is all proven when he shows her the picture... "They cut out his tongue but he found a way, he whistled. Then THEY found a way, that's why he couldn't whistle to you, today. One little injection...
@TotallyTscope he was a physicist! Look at him now! Not a care in the world, not a thought in his head. Look at his eyes... his empty, empty eyes..." He knew she was innocent the entire time, but was afraid to admit it, because he knew "the bad man would come to chop off his head." He even tells her it's a pack of lies, but to just sign it so they can both leave. He's broken, but the author taught him how to resist, and instead of succumbing to the government, he lets her go.
@TotallyTscopeTV Also, I don't think he was actually the guy who molested her as a child. I think it was just a part of his manipulation game, but he really doesn't want to do it. This is a great story, because it makes you feel sorry for what we could call the "villain" and feel as if he's not really a villain, and he might actually be what this story's about in the first place. Casting Alan Rickman for that part was awesome, because he makes it easier for us to like the villain...
@TotallyTscopeTV because he's so sexy! But also because he's so good at playing emotions, and even if the interrogater truly was evil, we would still feel sorry for him because he's Alan freaking Rickman.
@TotallyTscopeTV I think you gave a very good analysis of the film. I pretty much agree, but something that sticks out to me is....we never see any other people, none of the supposed "higher powers" in this whole interrogation business. Is this just to keep the focus on our 2 characters, feel how the entire experience relates to them personally & how it changes them, or maybe there's another layer to the story? (Not sure what that could be). I think possibly I'm just over-thinking that aspect ;)
@MouthOfTheUnknown you mean he's invented all this because he really is the maniac who abused her when she was a child? I'd never thought about it, but it could be, couldn't it?
@albuchi I guess. Actually, the first time I saw this film that's what I thought happened; after 2nd viewing, I think it'd be unnecessary & distracting to insert that plot into the story...I think overall the film is mostly a tribute to human strength of the mind w/ political undercurrents, using a deliberately mysterious setting as a vehicle, in order to keep the focus not on the factual plot points, but the emotions the characters feel. However I think the director kept interpretation open :)
@MouthOfTheUnknown You do see the hands and hear the dialogue of other people after the BBQ scene when they give her an injection. You also hear other people speaking at other points in the film. I don't believe that it's just a product of her imagination. I believe that the interrogator was, himself, either coerced or tortured at some point prior to the start of the movie.
@unnatural6edq Cool, thanks! I'm glad other people think along the same lines. Sorry I took forever explaining myself, but this is one of those fascinating stories that spark lively discussions and different interpretations! It's always fun for me to hear what other people think :)
Wow, just watched the whole movie! It was incredible.
So powerful & intense....wonderful performances. I don't think I've ever seen such amazing acting, especially from Alan (the scene where he does all those voices was unbelievable!)
I wanted to put in my 2 cents about what I think happened. I was left with a very strong impression that this entire thing happened in her mind. This could have been pre-meditated or even medicated-induced sleep~some form of therapy for her to confront her demons
(After all, it did begin with her asleep...she was in her nightgown, blindfolded and taken from her bed to a strange place)
This could be her trying to figure out why she wrote "Closet Land" and why she can't love or feel close to men, etc
She is pushing herself, pushing her mind to dig deep to remember her past & get to the root of her problems. She knows that one man started everything and that is represented by Alan's character, but he has different voices to represent the other factors...
@RubyMermaid89 (Factors to how she turned out, why she wrote "Closet Land", etc)
Drudging up these memories cause her a lot of pain, but everntually she reaches that next plateau deep in her mind where she can escape. She had to push herself, torture herself even to get back to that place.
I'd like to think she is free at the end. She discovers the truth, faces it head on, and refuses to submit~she freed herself & is able to move on. The flash of light takes her back to reality and her life.
this is not about her actually being abducted and tortured. It is a metaphor for how abuse and abusers physically, mentally, and emotionally continue to abuse a person even years and decades later. It is about how her escape (closetland) is not only her escape, but also her prison. In the end she comes to the realization that the prison is of her own making and only she has the key to setting herself free.
@mariehansler you nailed it right on the head. I was sexually abused as a child and would suffer horrible panic attacks. to escape, I would regress into a fantasy world. years later, I'm now 21, and still regress into fantasy whenever I deal with stress, and although it's helped me to cope with what happened, it's become a problem itself. I can't NOT escape from fantasy now, but I'm so terrified of letting it go. she's me, and every other girl and guy who's been abused.
So what are we supposed to deduce from the ending? That Rickman was the man who abused her, or that it was just a way of getting her to break? And are we supposed to assume that she is going to be executed, or put through more torture?
That was absolutely A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. just... wow. Both Alan Rickman and Madeleine Stowe's performances were simply beautiful... I didn't even realize that there were only two people in the entire film until reading the comments. This is now my officially favorite film!
And thank you, raremovies, for uploading this! I never would have found it if it hadn't been up here!
I realized what the ending is. She is to be excecuted ( she does have handcuffs put on her ), but yet, she IS truly free. For she still escaped on the back of a cat with green wings, and with the friendly rooster, and a flying cow. So the point is, she isn't "set free" but she is set free.
i really admire madeleine stowe's resolve towards the end! an amazing character... highlight for me in this movie was alan rickman monologueing in those different voices..
@killerberry405 The film is used to demonstrate the horrors of psychological & physical torture & how many governments utilize it as a "necessity of war"
I don't think your really supposed to get it . This makes me think of one of those pick your own adventure books , whatever you wanted to happen to her you can assume happened . I highly enjoyed the film .
P.S. I would let Alan Rickman interrogate me any day .
heartmulgrew15 4 days ago
Hmmmmm...I just had a thought. Which one of these two, at the end, is really in a closet? It's quite possible that Stowe's character is going down the hallway to be executed...but in spite of everything they did to her, they didn't succeed in breaking her and she still has her integrity. Rickman's character, on the other hand, has basically admitted that he lies for a living (or at least so he can live) and does not appear to be wholly without conscience. Which one is really a prisoner?
OreadNYC 4 days ago
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Hmmmmm...I just had a thought. Which one of these two, at the end, is really in a closet? It's quite possible that Stowe's character is going down the hallway to be executed...but in spite of everything they did to her, they didn't succeed in breaking her and she still has her integrity. Rickman's character, on the other hand, has basically admitted that he lies for a living (or at least so he can live) and does not appear to be wholly without conscience. Which one is really a prisoner?
OreadNYC 4 days ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Hmmmmm...I just had a thought. Which one of these two, at the end, is really in a closet? It's quite possible that Stowe's character is going down the hallway to be executed...but in spite of everything they did to her, they didn't succeed in breaking her and she still has her integrity. Rickman's character, on the other hand, has basically admitted that he lies for a living (or at least so he can live) and does not appear to be wholly without conscience. Which one is really a prisoner?
OreadNYC 4 days ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Hmmmmm...I just had a thought. Which one of these two, at the end, is really in a closet? It's quite possible that Stowe's character is going down the hallway to be executed...but in spite of everything they did to her, they didn't succeed in breaking her and she still has her integrity. Rickman's character, on the other hand, has basically admitted that he lies for a living (or at least so he can live) and does not appear to be wholly without conscience. Which one is really a prisoner?
OreadNYC 4 days ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Hmmmmm...I just had a thought. Which one of these two, at the end, is really in a closet? It's quite possible that Stowe's character is going down the hallway to be executed...but in spite of everything they did to her, they didn't succeed in breaking her and she still has her integrity. Rickman's character, on the other hand, has basically admitted that he lies for a living (or at least so he can live) and does not appear to be wholly without conscience. Which one is really a prisoner?
OreadNYC 4 days ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Hmmmmm...I just had a thought. Which one of these two, at the end, is really in a closet? It's quite possible that Stowe's character is going down the hallway to be executed...but in spite of everything they did to her, they didn't succeed in breaking her and she still has her integrity. Rickman's character, on the other hand, has basically admitted that he lies for a living (or at least so he can live) and does not appear to be wholly without conscience. Which one is really a prisoner?
OreadNYC 4 days ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Hmmmmm...I just had a thought. Which one of these two, at the end, is really in a closet? It's quite possible that Stowe's character is going down the hallway to be executed...but in spite of everything they did to her, they didn't succeed in breaking her and she still has her integrity. Rickman's character, on the other hand, has basically admitted that he lies for a living (or at least so he can live) and does not appear to be wholly without conscience. Which one is really a prisoner?
OreadNYC 4 days ago
Hmmmmm...I just had a thought. Which one of these two, at the end, is really in a closet? It's quite possible that Stowe's character is going down the hallway to be executed...but in spite of everything they did to her, they didn't succeed in breaking her and she still has her integrity. Rickman's character, on the other hand, has basically admitted that he lies for a living (or at least so he can live) and does not appear to be wholly without conscience. Which one is really a prisoner?
OreadNYC 4 days ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Hmmmmm...I just had a thought. Which one of these two, at the end, is really in a closet? It's quite possible that Stowe's character is going down the hallway to be executed...but in spite of everything they did to her, they didn't succeed in breaking her and she still has her integrity. Rickman's character, on the other hand, has basically admitted that he lies for a living (or at least so he can live) and does not appear to be wholly without conscience. Which one is really a prisoner?
OreadNYC 4 days ago
Hmmmmm...I just had a thought. Which one of these two, at the end, is really in a closet? It's quite possible that Stowe's character is going down the hallway to be executed...but in spite of everything they did to her, they didn't succeed in breaking her and she still has her integrity. Rickman's character, on the other hand, has basically admitted that he lies for a living (or at least so he can live) and does not appear to be wholly without conscience. Which one is really a prisoner?
OreadNYC 4 days ago
is this the end of the film? i dont know and why would the government be trying to protect a child rapist? and why would he have sympathy for her if he used to rape her? this film is sooo confusing i just dont get it and IS THIS THE END???????
steph4691 6 days ago
@steph4691 Go back and read other people's comments, including mine, about this film. He's not necessarily the person who actually raped her anyway. He tells her a lot of lies because he wants to mess with her head. And what makes you think that there aren't governments that protect rapists, especially ones that are working for them?
MsAppassionata 4 days ago
5:54 - I was getting hopeful that he was going to cry. Foolish me.
Semperpurus 6 days ago
I'm always going into my fantasy world when I'm afraid because that's what I did when he used to rape me I'm 14 now how long does it last
sk8terdiva 1 week ago
I really dont fuking get it! was this all happening in her head? and if not, how could one man built up some shit like that and what for?and in the end...her walking out there with handcuffs on...wtf? would someone pls explain? Rickman was SUBLIME in this movie and its a great piece of art, really disturbing but great...but..MINDFUCK! what happened there now?
pia91 1 week ago
@pia91 -- I think the lack of definite explanation is part of the whole point. I think this is one of those films which is kept deliberately ambiguous because the director wants you to come up with your own answers. Personally, I think the Interrogator's claim that he's the man who abused her as a child is another lie with which he's trying to break her...and since the hallway's associated with freedom, I think the end means that while they'll probably kill her, they don't control her.
OreadNYC 1 week ago
@pia91 As I said to someone else, go back and read other people's comments. I personally don't believe that it was all in her head but I suppose it might have been. Remember that he is not just acting on his own. He is meant to represent a repressive regime.
MsAppassionata 4 days ago
Directing the purpose of these comments, should we all think about the stete of 'closetness' that systemicly flows from media, plays like Harry Potters? In 'New Age' magical and control isn't just another fictional story. Problem is we are consuemed by it - what is there to talk about, should person him/herself Came out?
Mikaelaxo1 1 week ago
The moment in which Stowe's character tears up the confession is very reminiscent of the scene in "V For Vendetta" in which Evie is sitting on the floor of her cell and someone whom she thinks is a guard urges her to confess so that she won't be executed. Evie replies that she'd rather be executed (because death is preferable to sacrificing her integrity). However, whereas Evie doesn't die, I think Stowe's character will be executed because it seems clear that is the only way she can be free.
OreadNYC 1 week ago
is this a jock?
hdatdi 2 weeks ago
@hdatdi Rotflmao. Who? Michael Jordan, Alex Rodriguez, David Beckam perhaps?
MsAppassionata 4 days ago
@MsAppassionata
haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahaa
ammmm.......Beckham ??!! hoooooooooohohoo......Ms
hdatdi 4 days ago
@hdatdi Oops! Thought that wasn't spelled quite right. Oh well. At least I didn't spell a simple word wrong. People's names, I'm not always sure of. You get the picture (-:
MsAppassionata 4 days ago
o,o NOSEBLEED*
Mischeif4Fun 4 weeks ago
This film is underrated! Amazing acting.
TheSupaplum 1 month ago 2
omg!!!! madeleine is awesome in this!!!
4youDance 1 month ago
The first time I saw these film I thought she was free at the end and that he was not her rapist. Now that I've seen it a 2nd time it got me thinking why would he be spying on her two years before she wrote the book?
sultrystar 1 month ago
wow. what a film. the sheer strength of character and will power of madeleine's character is inspiring. though I feel more for the interrogator, fooling himself into believing that she was forcing his hand to do terrible things to her, and blah, i'm tired. i wonder what happened to the interrogator at the end? he was weak willed and I'm pretty sure he handed her in to the higher ups, but I wonder how all that affected him.
00Jabberwoofles00 1 month ago
@00Jabberwoofles00 oh and this film was a great commentary on, to name just one, how many people, both individuals, societies, and nations as a whole turn a blind eye on injustice. Don't forget people, no matter what situation you find yourself in, YOU have a choice to do what is right or take the easy way out.
00Jabberwoofles00 1 month ago
@00Jabberwoofles00 -- It does seem as if she's put him through the wringer (metaphorically speaking), doesn't it? I found myself reminded of Jack Lint, the interrogator in Terry Gilliam's film "Brazil"...there are subtle clues scattered through Michael Palin's portrayal which suggest that a part of Jack is appalled by what he has to do.
Perhaps in a sense, Stowe's character is not the only one in a closet...perhaps the Interrogator has to close parts of himself off to do what he does.
OreadNYC 1 week ago
@OreadNYC Oh. Brazil I forgot about that movie. You've explained what I couldn't express myself beautifully. I love these films. There's an intimate quality about them that just seems to speak directly to a person than any other type of film.
00Jabberwoofles00 1 week ago
@OreadNYC Loved your comment.
MsAppassionata 4 days ago
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00Jabberwoofles00 1 month ago
What exactly happens at the end?
Andizzle101 1 month ago
@CatchingMoonlight It is disgusting to think of a child being forced to be an adult at such a young age.
Andizzle101 1 month ago
@moonlitxstare I don't think the interrogator is actually her rapist,maybe he lies to psychologically break the prisoner.
AvvocatodiTito 2 months ago
Well, going to die, but it is free, mentally, in contrast to his executioners, is as much a topic, for those seen and not understood ....Pozdrowienia z Polski
ciemnokrzew 2 months ago
its a perfect psychoanalytical approach for a movie. Human mind and consciousness is really complicated and the labyrinth that he used to get into her mind is mesmerizing. Instead of how he looks, people should watch this movie as a visual intellectuality, this reflects to symbolic interaction-ism.
prpldwrf 3 months ago
I liked this movie.....but....I'm a little confused......
Littlestarlight7 3 months ago
So wait...what happened in the end? I didnt get it
Gaaraissomineforever 3 months ago
@Gaaraissomineforever I guess she is imprisoned for crimes against the state at the end,but the government can't make her sign the confession
AvvocatodiTito 2 months ago
Apparently her fate was a drug induced version of a lobotomy. One injection and she basically was a vegetable.
HotWallaby 3 months ago
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barroluna08 4 months ago
stowe blew my mind.she's really great and brilliant as well. i just didn't get the story, can anyone tell me/ im confused. anyway, i feel bad for alan, i imagine him heartbroken then he turned out to be like this(you know alan,im just here!) but i love him! so much! i'm a fan! :)
barroluna08 4 months ago
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That was one of the darkest, most seductive movies I have ever watched. Although I'm horrified, I can't help believe that Alan Rickman is the sexiest creature in this world.
oliviajohnson12529 4 months ago
madeleine stowe was GRATE!!!
TheKekeke1212 4 months ago
I dont get it, wta ahppened?
inuyasha6457 5 months ago
@inuyasha6457 My guess is they did to her what they did to that man in the picture he held up....
AllThingsGruesome 4 months ago
@AllThingsGruesome wat?
inuyasha6457 4 months ago
@AllThingsGruesome which was?
inuyasha6457 3 months ago
Great movie deserves an oscar .. Both Stowe and Alan are amazing in this movie! I love Alan is amazing!
francescahvoxilianah 5 months ago
I have to admit, though I first came here as an Alan Rickman fan, Stowe's performance is really good...
amandapotterify 5 months ago 3
I agree with Mariehansler- I am also a victim of sexual abuse as a pre-teen and young teen. This has done the same to me- I regress into a fantasy when dealing with stress. I have become an Oscar calibar actress also- all to hide the truth about my past experiences. I am now 50- and I am fascinated with this movie. As for Rickman, one of my molesters was very handsome, like him..... Very disturbing
TheLadyTavington 5 months ago
I find it interesting that the director did not choose Alan Rickman for this part. She wanted either Anthony Hopkins, Ian Holm, or Peter O'Toole to play the part and still continues to feel that way to this day. I personally don't know what problem she has with Alan's performance because I think he did an excellent job. I believe it's the main reason that this film continues to garner the kind of attention that it does. I'd like to ask her why she feels this way. Does anybody out there know?
MsAppassionata 5 months ago 4
sorry guys, I'm like, responding to everything here lol
ilovetruffles99 6 months ago
What the hell is this film and why did I love every second of it.
LiveLoveObsess 6 months ago 7
i really don't know)) my head is completely messed up after the film) cruel directors)
Danka72329 6 months ago
maybe rapist was the physicist? that's why the interrogator knows so much and can play to break her mind. i don't think he's the abuser, he could get the info from the real rapist. but at the same time... maybe he wanted to force her to sign and save herself because he wanted to amend for his abuse of her when she was a child????? that's why he tortured her, trying to save her from the worse. but he couldn't. couldn't save her and make up for his sin! that's why he's so desperate at the end...
Danka72329 6 months ago
flying pigs....cows :D
Danka72329 6 months ago 2
I had no frakkin' idea what was going on in this movie. I took it literally which seemed far-fetched. Sounds like Mariehansler may have the right idea because in the end she seems to walk away into the light. Maybe in her mind she overcame her abuser finally by not letting herself be broken down? Pretty wild stuff. I found it disturbing.
GrissomLovesSara 6 months ago
at 0:36 i wouldnt mind him doing that with me :) il be like take me im yours, do want you want with me :P
katielovesmarilyn 6 months ago 4
@katielovesmarilyn ummm, not if he raped you as a child you wouldn't. please forget about the actor and look at the character. he sexually abused her as a child and he was harassing her, trying to make her scared in that one moment. Alan Rickman is yes, very sexy, but not all his parts are meant to be sexy. especially not this one. sorry but it just bothers me.
ilovetruffles99 6 months ago 8
I don't think Alan Rickman's character was the one who abused her. At the age of 5 (and however many years she was abused) she'd recognise him, and ofcourse his voice. Also I don't think that would work with the character of the interrogator. This film is good but I have a few issues with it; mainly I just feel that human resolve is never strong enough to withstand real pain. Getting your eyes pulled out, Getting burned extensively all over, having rats nibble through your midsection, etc.
Piccadillyo 6 months ago 3
@Piccadillyo well, yeah, but keep in mind that a lot of people shove bad memories down so far they can't recall them clearly, or at all. she was just a small child when she was abused, and so she probably tried to forget about him as she grew, instead thinking of Closet Land whenever she thought of or dealt with something distressing or scary. this movie is full of symbolism, so I don't think it should be taken literally, it's more like poetry, you need to read between the lines.
ilovetruffles99 6 months ago
id die 0.0 id scream oh id scream :P ecspecialy if u did that 0:32 id die if u were that close to me and if u loved me : OMG
seastar567 7 months ago 3
I found this on wikipedia: ''Near the end of the film, the interrogator claims that he was the man who had sexually abused the author in her childhood. But one cannot be entirely sure he was the one who abused her, as the film suggests he was just using the abuse against her as a way of breaking her down.''
I hope it helps! Anyway, we all have our opinions and what everyone else says in the comments is the meaning of the film! And Alan Rickman is amazing as always!
213ZOE 7 months ago
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All I can say about this movie is.... what the hell?!
RobzFanpire 7 months ago
Because thou hast the power and owns't the grace to see through and behind this mask of me against which years have beat thus blanchingly with their rains - and behold my soul's true face... my soul's true face." Many molesters think that the children they rape have seduced them. Sick, but true. I don't know whether or not he was the actual child molester but he wants her to believe it. It's part of the mind fuck.
MsAppassionata 7 months ago
If someone can answer please ? Is she free or dead at the end ? Do they leave her free or do they kill her ? I think we not have all the end of the film and I can't find the film in french version. I've unederstood all the story but not all the worlds. So is she still alive and free ?
littleturttle 7 months ago
@littleturttle Both, I think. He doesn't set her free because he handcuffs her after she refuses to sign the confession even though he tells her that it's her last chance. But she is mentally free because they can't control her mind. Whether they actually kill her, lobotomize her or silence her in some other way is not really the point. What is the point is that he is the one who looks defeated as she walks into the light, out of the closet in the end.
MsAppassionata 7 months ago 3
@MsAppassionata thanks for your answer and sorry to answer you so later
littleturttle 5 months ago
@littleturttle That's ok. You're very welcome.
MsAppassionata 5 months ago
wait, how did she take away his innocence too? O.o
chocolateicex3 7 months ago
@chocolateicex3 That's the way a child molester would think. "Such a knowing look in such young eyes. What made you this way? Some hidden streak , an inner sickness. You had no hips then, tiny ribs like a sparrows bones. I could have broken them all with one rough caress. Sugar plum heart beating wildly in it's cage. Everything so small, so perfect. You took away my innocence too but when you grew up and had other lovers and when thy touched you, breathed your name you froze and thought of me.
MsAppassionata 7 months ago
I didn't understand the ending, can someone please explain? Was she executed or was she set free? What about the interrogator? Did he give up? PLEASE someone explain.
sneak44215 7 months ago
He didn't take her to rape her...he took her to do the same thing to her as they did to the physicist...they finally destroyed his mind with an injection.
amatoanima 7 months ago
ummm... at the end was he letting her free or was he going to keep torturing her??
MJlover2916 7 months ago
I'm with you on that one Rebaneller1955! I certainly wouldn't be complaining if he was touching me like he was touching her! Mmmm...
MusicGirlRWS 7 months ago
omg i want him to hold me like he holding her at the biggining of this part ***drooolsss**** ALANS HOTT!
Rebaneller1955 7 months ago 2
Im really confused! Did he or did he not rape her? Or is this a movie were at the end everyone thinks something different? He is an amazing actor and really sexy! Want him! -3
stargirl7800 7 months ago 8
anyone else think his little white suspenders just make him that much more sexy?
Garza1921 7 months ago 24
I dont get it, was he a government worker thinking she had political messages? or was he the rapist who realized her book was about him and wanted to shut her up. And was she going to get hurt or free at the very end???
mooneyes89 7 months ago
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@mooneyes89 I believe it's all up to your own interpretation of the film, what you think it all is.
ronvins 7 months ago
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geminicarmen 7 months ago
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geminicarmen 7 months ago
He raped her!?!? =O How can Alan Rickman RAPE anyone!?!? I know for a fact that he would NEVER be able to rape me.... I would be willing!! ; )
TheWWEFan4Lyfe 7 months ago 6
She kinda looks like vivian hsu.
spaz9i2 7 months ago
I think Alan Rickman would laugh out loud by reading all this girlish lollipops.
bruchland 7 months ago 27
@bruchland I'm starting to sense male jealously, seeing as you've felt the need to post this on two different parts of the movie now. Tell me, am I correct in my assumptions?
Kairixriku 7 months ago in playlist Alan Rickman movies
Your descrition says its 8 when its nine.
JenMars15 7 months ago
omg i can not stop watching the begging part its ssssoooooooooooooooo sexy
alynabrown 8 months ago
omg he is soooo sexy i would scream for him ahahahahhahaahhah sexy
alynabrown 8 months ago 2
@alynabrown
XD and scream we shall
shidenblade 8 months ago
Thanks for posting that, it was difficult to watch at times but strangely theraputic at the same time in that I have similar demons to hers and they couldn't break her with her worst horror because she'd already lived it at a more vulnerable age. ...trying to brainwash her via Alan's voice repeating things is never going to work though. I have his reading of The Return Of The Native and his voice is too distracting for me to be able to concentrate on what he's actually saying, LOL!
sentstarr 8 months ago 4
There shoulda been a second one this is not a complete story
OTTTB 8 months ago in playlist Alan Rickman movies 2
@OTTTB Yes it is
MsAppassionata 7 months ago
@MsAppassionata then explain to me the point of it all.
OTTTB 7 months ago
This movie is so powerful, and with only two actors in it!!!
lordviorio 9 months ago 7
Wait thats it?
AGAIN WRITERS THAT IS NOT AN ENDING
I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS AND NO GDAMNED ANSWERS!!!!
OTTTB 9 months ago
@OTTTB It is a proper ending. Watch it again. Everything doesn't have to be spelled out to you.
MsAppassionata 7 months ago
@MsAppassionata good to see you're as arrogant as your comment.
OTTTB 7 months ago
@OTTTB How does my comment about not having everything spelled out to you in black and white make me arrogant? It's supposed to be thought provoking. As to the point of it all, read my comment to Littleturttle on the next page.
MsAppassionata 7 months ago
Ok I think I came like 17 times during this movie .... oh he was speaking oh so softly .... and almost .... poetically ...
JDavis4U 9 months ago
its about . that we have the illusion of being free but wer not . at any time some govt agency can throw u in a hole if your too subserve.and its getting worse. your not free people! wake up.the sexual tension between the charecters is incedentl.
mikedeath4u 9 months ago 2
I don't think he was the molester.
toradora1017 9 months ago
Wow! It has been a while since I've seen a decent movie...though it was quite difficult to pay attention to the plot with Rickman looking so delectable.
BruNdl3Fly 11 months ago 6
Sorry,but all I can think of is "I want to sleep with Alan!!!!"
Jana333ify 11 months ago 5
Thank you to raremovies for posting this. I showed it in my class on Human Rights tonight. I couldn't find it anywhere else.
Cyndi707 1 year ago
This movie is just amazing...I don't understand why is so unknown. the message is so powerful and it's open to many different interpretations. and besides, this is one of Rickman's best performances ever!
albuchi 1 year ago 40
This is the world The New World Order wants. Watch Fall of the Republic here on you tube and wake up.
Ranlon 1 year ago
@Ranlon It's already happened. Look at Gitmo.
annikee59 10 months ago
this film is truley beautiful and both of their performances in this are outstanding! i also want to mention... alan rickman is a god!
IceSingerLucy 1 year ago 4
I think what's really ironic is that she's being accused of political agenda in her books, which is a lie, while this movie seems to have somewhat of a political agenda. It's about how the government forces people to do things they wouldn't have done otherwise, abuses mentally and physically, and is basically a tyrant. Which it is.
TotallyTscopeTV 1 year ago 4
In my perspective, it seems that the movie wasn't really about the author and her escape from reality, but instead, about the interrogater and his coming to terms with reality. We can tell that he really doesn't want to torture her, and that he doesn't beleive a word of the politcal agenda he's accusing her of. He just wants to make it easier for both of them, and just do his job and get it done quickly. And as he stated, "he used to be a professor before they got to him."
TotallyTscopeTV 1 year ago
@TotallyTscopeTV All he's doing it for is because it's his job, and because he's being watched, and being forced to use unorthodox means. His job is to break her, but she, at times, seems to be breaking him. When they're both repeating that stuff over eachother, he eventually says, "There is no justification for cruelty of any kind!" He's annoyed and astonished that rather than breaking her mind, it happened the other way around.
TotallyTscopeTV 1 year ago 4
@TotallyTscopeTV Earlier, he told her that children were the easiest to trick when she claimed her books were for children, not political agenda. Later, she explained how the government got to one of her neighbors and people knew she was gone, but didn't notice what was really happening. She said it made everyone like children, afraid and easy to manipulate, because they didn't have an escape, but she did. You can tell, just by his face, that this is also what happened to the interrogater.
TotallyTscopeTV 1 year ago 3
@TotallyTscopeTV The people around him were succumbing to the government, leaving him frightened and easy to manipulate. But then they found him too. While it seems he couldn't have been a victim, since he's the interrogater, that's actually how he became a victim. Obviously, they tortured him at first, and then attempted to brainwash him that such means were okay, and tortured him even worse by forcing him to do the torturing.
TotallyTscopeTV 1 year ago 2
@TotallyTscopeTV But his mind had broken, and they rebuilt it through scientific means, forcing him to think differently, and he didn't oppose it at all, because he didn't know better at that point. But the horribility of it came back to him, and he got used to it, but he didn't have an escape. This is all proven when he shows her the picture... "They cut out his tongue but he found a way, he whistled. Then THEY found a way, that's why he couldn't whistle to you, today. One little injection...
TotallyTscopeTV 1 year ago 2
@TotallyTscope he was a physicist! Look at him now! Not a care in the world, not a thought in his head. Look at his eyes... his empty, empty eyes..." He knew she was innocent the entire time, but was afraid to admit it, because he knew "the bad man would come to chop off his head." He even tells her it's a pack of lies, but to just sign it so they can both leave. He's broken, but the author taught him how to resist, and instead of succumbing to the government, he lets her go.
TotallyTscopeTV 1 year ago 3
@TotallyTscopeTV Also, I don't think he was actually the guy who molested her as a child. I think it was just a part of his manipulation game, but he really doesn't want to do it. This is a great story, because it makes you feel sorry for what we could call the "villain" and feel as if he's not really a villain, and he might actually be what this story's about in the first place. Casting Alan Rickman for that part was awesome, because he makes it easier for us to like the villain...
TotallyTscopeTV 1 year ago 4
@TotallyTscopeTV because he's so sexy! But also because he's so good at playing emotions, and even if the interrogater truly was evil, we would still feel sorry for him because he's Alan freaking Rickman.
TotallyTscopeTV 1 year ago
@TotallyTscopeTV I think you gave a very good analysis of the film. I pretty much agree, but something that sticks out to me is....we never see any other people, none of the supposed "higher powers" in this whole interrogation business. Is this just to keep the focus on our 2 characters, feel how the entire experience relates to them personally & how it changes them, or maybe there's another layer to the story? (Not sure what that could be). I think possibly I'm just over-thinking that aspect ;)
MouthOfTheUnknown 1 year ago
@MouthOfTheUnknown you mean he's invented all this because he really is the maniac who abused her when she was a child? I'd never thought about it, but it could be, couldn't it?
albuchi 1 year ago
@albuchi I guess. Actually, the first time I saw this film that's what I thought happened; after 2nd viewing, I think it'd be unnecessary & distracting to insert that plot into the story...I think overall the film is mostly a tribute to human strength of the mind w/ political undercurrents, using a deliberately mysterious setting as a vehicle, in order to keep the focus not on the factual plot points, but the emotions the characters feel. However I think the director kept interpretation open :)
MouthOfTheUnknown 1 year ago
@MouthOfTheUnknown You do see the hands and hear the dialogue of other people after the BBQ scene when they give her an injection. You also hear other people speaking at other points in the film. I don't believe that it's just a product of her imagination. I believe that the interrogator was, himself, either coerced or tortured at some point prior to the start of the movie.
MsAppassionata 7 months ago
@TotallyTscopeTV great analysis. I agree 100%
TDIJennGer 7 months ago
@TotallyTscopeTV He doesn't let her go. He handcuffs her before she leaves.
MsAppassionata 7 months ago
@TotallyTscopeTV Great analysis concerning the interrogator but the man who whistles was a separate character, a physicist.
MsAppassionata 7 months ago
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MsAppassionata 7 months ago
Anyone else like the fact that he's magically on her other side for the third "scream"? I find it really entertaining. :D
SterlingJag 1 year ago
He took away my innocence too..........in an affective way of course ;-)
redchillie183 1 year ago
Oh dear God!!!!!! He is the best at what he does...
elaheighani 1 year ago
Oh dear God!!!!!! He is the best at what he does.
elaheighani 1 year ago
When he whispers in her ear, I swear, that is a voice that caresses!!!!!!!!!
drummerchick24 1 year ago 3
WHY WASN'T THIS AT LEAST BEEN NOMINATED????? I DON"T GET IT! AT LEAST BOTH TO WIN AN AWARD!!!! SNUBED!
Chynaash 1 year ago 5
@Papegei what do you meen "used to be"
luv2sketch100 1 year ago
I love your analysis of the movie, RubyMermaid89! I happen to very much agree with you!
unnatural6edq 1 year ago
@unnatural6edq Cool, thanks! I'm glad other people think along the same lines. Sorry I took forever explaining myself, but this is one of those fascinating stories that spark lively discussions and different interpretations! It's always fun for me to hear what other people think :)
RubyMermaid89 1 year ago
Wow, just watched the whole movie! It was incredible.
So powerful & intense....wonderful performances. I don't think I've ever seen such amazing acting, especially from Alan (the scene where he does all those voices was unbelievable!)
I wanted to put in my 2 cents about what I think happened. I was left with a very strong impression that this entire thing happened in her mind. This could have been pre-meditated or even medicated-induced sleep~some form of therapy for her to confront her demons
RubyMermaid89 1 year ago 2
(After all, it did begin with her asleep...she was in her nightgown, blindfolded and taken from her bed to a strange place)
This could be her trying to figure out why she wrote "Closet Land" and why she can't love or feel close to men, etc
She is pushing herself, pushing her mind to dig deep to remember her past & get to the root of her problems. She knows that one man started everything and that is represented by Alan's character, but he has different voices to represent the other factors...
RubyMermaid89 1 year ago
@RubyMermaid89 (Factors to how she turned out, why she wrote "Closet Land", etc)
Drudging up these memories cause her a lot of pain, but everntually she reaches that next plateau deep in her mind where she can escape. She had to push herself, torture herself even to get back to that place.
I'd like to think she is free at the end. She discovers the truth, faces it head on, and refuses to submit~she freed herself & is able to move on. The flash of light takes her back to reality and her life.
RubyMermaid89 1 year ago
@RubyMermaid89 she's free at the end, but she's still hand cuffed
luv2sketch100 1 year ago
I love this film... it's a pity they haven't got CZ sbtitles.. :( :(
Guitar15Girl 1 year ago
this is not about her actually being abducted and tortured. It is a metaphor for how abuse and abusers physically, mentally, and emotionally continue to abuse a person even years and decades later. It is about how her escape (closetland) is not only her escape, but also her prison. In the end she comes to the realization that the prison is of her own making and only she has the key to setting herself free.
mariehansler 1 year ago 43
@mariehansler Fantastic Analysis!
amatoanima 7 months ago
@amatoanima Thank-you.
mariehansler 7 months ago
@mariehansler you nailed it right on the head. I was sexually abused as a child and would suffer horrible panic attacks. to escape, I would regress into a fantasy world. years later, I'm now 21, and still regress into fantasy whenever I deal with stress, and although it's helped me to cope with what happened, it's become a problem itself. I can't NOT escape from fantasy now, but I'm so terrified of letting it go. she's me, and every other girl and guy who's been abused.
ilovetruffles99 6 months ago 6
@ilovetruffles99 I am sorry that you have gone thru such hardship. I hope that you are able to seek out that which is able to heal you.
mariehansler 6 months ago
@mariehansler thanks :)
ilovetruffles99 6 months ago
Alan was not the abuser just another way of interrogating her, trying to break her.
willowbel 1 year ago
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aRuKiDaShItE 1 year ago
So what are we supposed to deduce from the ending? That Rickman was the man who abused her, or that it was just a way of getting her to break? And are we supposed to assume that she is going to be executed, or put through more torture?
BrokenTourniquet 1 year ago
That was absolutely A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. just... wow. Both Alan Rickman and Madeleine Stowe's performances were simply beautiful... I didn't even realize that there were only two people in the entire film until reading the comments. This is now my officially favorite film!
And thank you, raremovies, for uploading this! I never would have found it if it hadn't been up here!
TheArtOfTheSpy 1 year ago
There is no word in the English dictionary to describe this. This is bloody brilliant, to simply put it.
grace14518 1 year ago 4
Thank you SO much for uploading. Truly.
BlueAsianDragon 1 year ago 7
I realized what the ending is. She is to be excecuted ( she does have handcuffs put on her ), but yet, she IS truly free. For she still escaped on the back of a cat with green wings, and with the friendly rooster, and a flying cow. So the point is, she isn't "set free" but she is set free.
BlueAsianDragon 1 year ago
Wow, just watched all of them. Thrilling! So, what exactly does happen at the end, does ut basicaly mean she's free?
asboabsypie 1 year ago
Roger Ebert was right about this one.
However Alan Rickman did deliver a fantastic performance, though.
JeanCocteau777 1 year ago
so what happenes at the end? it doesnt make sense...
therealirwin2000 1 year ago
Jeeesus! Amazing acting, incredibly catching for having only two characters but . . .
MAN that's trippy!!!
munchiesx92 1 year ago
jst finished watching! thanx for this upload!
i really admire madeleine stowe's resolve towards the end! an amazing character... highlight for me in this movie was alan rickman monologueing in those different voices..
mrtapsing 1 year ago
man i dnt get tht film
killerberry405 1 year ago
@killerberry405 The film is used to demonstrate the horrors of psychological & physical torture & how many governments utilize it as a "necessity of war"
LuckyJrEskie 1 year ago
This movie will haunt me forever. It was absolutely bloody brilliant. Rickman is a wonderful actor.
MJacksonLover4Life 1 year ago 4