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Topic : "12 Monkeys" |
Gort
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Joined: 09 Oct 2001
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Location: Atlanta, GA
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 Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2002 3:39 pm |
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So I got some of 12 Monkeys on scifi last night. I've seen the movie before, and it's ending has been somewhat been the topic of a coffee cup discussion.
In the ending of the film we see the older scientist woman on the plane next to our "passive" antagonist. When asked about her business she states that she's "in insurance".
Insurance to see that the future stays the way it is so that she and her elite scientists can maintain control on the literal underground society? If so why even go back in time? Did I miss something here?
What do you think? |
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Loki
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| Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2002 3:47 pm |
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Their whole struggle was to track down the originator/creator or the virus, so they could eliminate him, thus changing the future and being able to live above ground.
I don't think their 'evilness' was a deliberate hint for them to do that to stay in power, since I'm sure even those guys want to live on the surface again too. On the other hand - who knows, and that's why I love Gilliam's movies so much, there is space for personal interpretation. It's not like the usual cookie-cutter stories in 99% of Hollywood movies "Good guy wins, evil guy dead - The End" ... |
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Gort
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| Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2002 3:51 pm |
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Yes - I know - that's what's so damned perplexing! I couldn't agree with you more on Gilliam's manner of storytelling. I saw 12 Monkeys in the theater upon release, and to this day that ending still leaves me wondering.
Guess it worked!
[ September 08, 2002: Message edited by: Tom Carter ] |
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jr
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| Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2002 8:56 pm |
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| if you guys haven't seen la jetee , check it. old french movie that inspired 12 monkeys. |
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Cleoric
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Location: Kelowna, BC, Canada
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| Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2002 11:58 pm |
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| I don't think they were trying to find the man to eliminate him so they could live above ground. I think they were trying to find information so that they could find the cure, since the past is unchangeable, they couldn't kill him to stop it, rather, just find out information to CURE it. Errr... rambling? I dunno. ANYHOW... |
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Blind Tree Frog
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| Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2002 12:33 pm |
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quote:
if you guys haven't seen la jetee , check it. old french movie that inspired 12 monkeys.
yeah, but la jetee is just odd... Not a bad 14 minutes of your life to spend, but odd. |
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Sumaleth
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| Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2002 11:25 pm |
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Cleoric: rambling yes, but also correct. 
They only wanted to find out about the virus so they could fix the future.
But David Webb Peoples definitely wrote the story in a way that is open to interpretation - it's not completely locked down in stone. A lot of the story is centered around the question; "is Cole crazy?" For half the film you're never totally sure whats real, and then by the time that you've come to accept that it is true Cole himself starts to think that it's not.
Good stuff. |
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Frost
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Location: Montr�al, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2002 11:31 pm |
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| [I should probably see this movie one day...] |
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