Quote:
Originally Posted by jhiggy23
Very well-written review and I'm glad you liked it. I think you absolutely nailed the purpose of the film, as stated by the director: the film isn't about the answers. [Show spoiler]What's in the box isn't important, the journey is. I think you're def right about the two main points being that the father loves the sons and the sons love the father.
Although it's not important to the meaning of the film, how do you interpret the ending? Or do you simply not try to come up with a decision about it, since it isn't essential? [Show spoiler]My original take was that he was an escaped convict from a gulag who survived in the wild and that the box held his booty. Then, I completely changed my interpretation because I forgot about the ship that is discovered. We know the father was a ship captain, so it seems to make sense that he must have crashed on the island and been marooned there for several years. The box, potentially, held photographs of his family (I've speculated that the concluding photographs in the film are the photos that were in the box) and those things kept him strong. Of course, the main hole is why he was on the island for so long if he was so capable of making a boat and also how he remained muscular if he was marooned. Despite these things, I love the interpretation because it makes the rest of the movie more meaningful to me. The whole film the father is attempting to teach his children how to be independent, which he would have had to be to survive on the island. When he first climbs the tower with the older son, he does so so that his son can see just how removed from civilization this island was. This could possibly explain why no one came to help him and he had to survive himself. But was he on the ship alone? That hardly seems possible.
I think the whole purpose of bringing the kids is to teach them independence along the way and then to show them where he had been the whole time. It was his way of explaining things through actions, not words. I don't think he was hiding the box from the kids, which would be the case if it was booty. If he was hiding it from them, he def wouldn't let them paddle away in the boat for an hour or so when they easily could discover the box. I think he simply wanted to wait till they got home to show the kids and wife. While there are no definitive answers, I really like this interpretation and it furthers what I got out of the film---the relationship between father and son.
Btw, so sad that the elder son died not far from where the latter half of the movie takes place. |
Did you read the spoiler in my post? Its about the ending.
Edit: Oh, I see, you did.
[Show spoiler]I havent given much thought to why he was gone and where he was. But yes, obviously he was on the island for some time before, but why? Dunno. Your thought about booty vs family pics is interesting indeed. I noticed a couple things. He burried the box very very deep. If family pics, why do that? Also, he only took one of the small boxes from inside the big box. Why not take all 3? Dunno. He put the box in the boat and wasnt hiding it from the boys....so it must be something he is OK with them seeing. We know he has a casual attitude about cash because he gave his son the wallet stuffed with cash at the diner. Dunno.
Do you mean the actor died there? How? Details please.
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After all these months of waiting and complaining, A Serious Man arrived today. 
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