Take Shelter

[jrice73]

I love Take Shelter and I'm glad to see you guys have really taken to it. My two cents on the ending...

Spoiler

What he is seeing is VERY REAL. It's not a dream or hallucination even though you should suspect that considering his mental history but no, not here. He is seeing the storms swirl and the oil like substance starting to rain down on his wife. The question is, what is going to happen to his wife afterward? Will she become the violent, rage-fueled monster like he saw in the dream or something else. The black oil reminds me of the story of Wormwood. Its all very apocalyptic stuff that has begin going on and somehow, someway, this guy's brain got turned on to what was coming. And man, oh man that is chilling.

 

[meth head]

Shannon is awesome in Bug. So is Judd. Bug is such an underrated movie primarily because it was mismarketed.
I have the director of Take Shelter's other film "Shotgun Stories" in my Netflix queue.

Bug was awesome! I got Take Shelter in BestBuy the day it came out. It's such a good movie.

great movie.
Best part is how a lot is left up to interpretation.
The debate and discussion is the continuing fun after viewing.
Im still up in the air on the ending. I will watch it again this weekend. (had no problems with my BluRay).....

Trust me, you will love MUD by Nichols. A wonderful filmmaker at such a young age! Massively high hopes for this fella.

 

[Mr Quimper]

If you have seen this movie would love to hear your thoughts on the ending. I am mixed right now.

Spoiler

I don't know whether the ending was real or a dream! There is a large part of me that wants it to be a real ending but then the logical side of me is saying it was a dream. I don't know whether the motor oil is the hint? Would you really have motor oil like rain when the world is ending? That detail seems like something you would dream about like he did at the beginning. I am confused.com!

Spoiler

Funny people think its real here. My opinion its all in his head. The whole film sets this up as a battle with schizophrenia - otherwise the character of his mother is completely redundant. For me, the ending is a metaphor. He is no longer alone when he is running from the storm. He now has his familiy to support him through it. If it were REAL then it makes a mockery of the theme of mental illness that runs through the entire film. I must admit I originally thought it was real and felt totally deflated about the film as it made no sense. But giving it a bit more thought, the "in his head" ending makes a lot more sense to me and reinforces the major themes of the film (loneliness, isolation, mental illness and family)

 

[Devil_666]

Spoiler

My opinion its all in his head. The whole film sets this up as a battle with schizophrenia - otherwise the character of his mother is completely redundant.

Spoiler

She's not redundant. That character/his family history is necessary to raise doubt for the viewers/the other characters in the film. Without that aspect it would be a pretty straight forward movie about a guy having end of the world premonitions.

Spoiler

For me, the ending is a metaphor. He is no longer alone when he is running from the storm. He now has his familiy to support him through it.

Spoiler

Suggesting that the ending is simply a metaphor breaks the rule that the movie sets up i.e. that his visions are either premonitions of future events or they're hallucinations from mental sickness. To insert a scene that is neither is cheating. You can't give two options to the audience, wait for them to decide/debate it and then say "HA! Fooled you! There was actually a third option!"

Now with that said, if it were just him and his wife in that final scene I would at least be open to the possibility of that theory. But the presence of his daughter nullifies that premise. Because if the storm is a metaphor for his mental illness and his family ALSO seeing the storm is meant to show that they finally "see" what he's been seeing i.e. they understand that's he's sick and they finally understand and support him then that's just piss poor writing. Because his daughter is too young to have any idea what the hell schizophrenia is or what it does. So exactly can she support and understand him!? Just makes no sense.

Spoiler

If it were REAL then it makes a mockery of the theme of mental illness that runs through the entire film.

Spoiler

Oh c'mon.. if that's the case, then you must think The Usual Suspects made a mockery of Handicap people when it was revealed that Verbal was actually Soze and NOT handicap. Or that The Sixth Sense made a mockery of people living when you find out that Bruce Willis was actually dead. It's called a Red Herring. It's a typical literary device. No more, no less. lol.

Spoiler

I must admit I originally thought it was real and felt totally deflated about the film as it made no sense. But giving it a bit more thought, the "in his head" ending makes a lot more sense to me and reinforces the major themes of the film (loneliness, isolation, mental illness and family)

Spoiler

But that's the thing.. it also makes just as much sense if it's real because having premonitions of a disastrous event would also reinforce the major themes of the film.

You'd sound absolutely crazy trying to explain it (mental illness)

You'd wonder why you were the only one who could see what was coming (loneliness)

You'd feel powerless trying to warn people who didn't believe you (isolation)

And you would definitely put a strain on your loved ones because they would not only have to deal with you going on and on about some future disaster and the need to prepare for it but they'd also have to deal with how it would look to the outside world (family)