(Wes Anderson) Tenenbaums Suicide - Problem

Started by USTopGun47, June 17, 2003, 07:02:25 PM

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

USTopGun47

OK... I LOVE the suicide scene in The Royal Tenenbaums.  Excellent, and what a great use of the Elliott Smith.  Great use of music all around.  Nick Drake's song's lyrics are so perfect too for the time.  But the problem - did anyone else notice that Richie says, "I'm gonna kill myself tomorrow."  I've viewed it many times, and he kills himself then.  It's only a few minutes in one day, so it's impossible.  Any ideas why or what?
I'm somebody now, Harry. Everybody likes me. Soon, millions of people will see me and they'll all like me. I'll tell them about you, and your father, how good he was to us. Remember? It's a reason to get up in the morning. It's a reason to lose weight, to fit in the red dress. It's a reason to smile. It makes tomorrow all right. What have I got Harry, hm? Why should I even make the bed, or wash the dishes? I do them, but why should I? I'm alone. Your father's gone, you're gone. I got no one to care for. What have I got, Harry? I'm lonely. I'm old.

bonanzataz

i've always had the same problem with it, then decided to just ignore it.
The corpses all hang headless and limp bodies with no surprises and the blood drains down like devil's rain we'll bathe tonight I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls Demon I am and face I peel to see your skin turned inside out, 'cause gotta have you on my wall gotta have you on my wall, 'cause I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls collect the heads of little girls and put 'em on my wall hack the heads off little girls and put 'em on my wall I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls

children with angels

Yeah, me too. I figured in the end that he just decided he couldn't wait that long. I takes you by surpirise more this way certainly - almost more so than if he said nothing.
"Should I bring my own chains?"
"We always do..."

http://www.alternatetakes.co.uk/
http://thelesserfeat.blogspot.com/

USTopGun47

Perhaps he couldn't wait.  Something else that would back that theory - he only shaves one stroke down his cheek.  Then he stops, ponders while looking in the mirror and STOPS.  Then he removes the blade and cuts his wrists suddenly!  Through the hospital scenes, he is only left with one stroke and the rest of his face is shaving cream!  Second, why would he kill himself with Dunley and the Dr. in the room next door?  Another reason why perhaps he wasn't planning on it.  Definetly does add suspense.  Damn it, I think we've cracked it!  :-D
I'm somebody now, Harry. Everybody likes me. Soon, millions of people will see me and they'll all like me. I'll tell them about you, and your father, how good he was to us. Remember? It's a reason to get up in the morning. It's a reason to lose weight, to fit in the red dress. It's a reason to smile. It makes tomorrow all right. What have I got Harry, hm? Why should I even make the bed, or wash the dishes? I do them, but why should I? I'm alone. Your father's gone, you're gone. I got no one to care for. What have I got, Harry? I'm lonely. I'm old.

children with angels

"Should I bring my own chains?"
"We always do..."

http://www.alternatetakes.co.uk/
http://thelesserfeat.blogspot.com/

Ghostboy

Yes, you have cracked it, but all you had to do was listen to the commentary track and Wes would have explained it to you in person! Apparently that confused a lot of people.

modage

i always thought it just sounded better. the declarative statement "I'm going to kill myself tomorrow", sounds poetic.
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

MacGuffin

On the commentary track Anderson says:

"A lot of people have asked me about that line. It confuses a lot of people. It's actually taken from a Louis Malle movie called "Le Feu Follet" which was a big influence on this whole film, and in that movie he says it and then tries to kill himself the next day which makes sense. In this case he says and then tries to kill himself right then, which my original thought was that that's something that...that's just a turn he makes in between saying the line and, you know, trying to kill himself. But then I had this idea of doing this montage to sort of flashback in his mind kind of... electrical thing...and, um, it changed and I dunno....I couldn't explain why he needs to say "I'm gonna kill myself," but somehow it seems right to me."
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

USTopGun47

Furthermore, after he shaves the one stroke and says "I'm going to kill myself tomorrow", we see a cut to him in a much more dubious and contemplating state, then we cut to the shot of him with long hair, Anderson really pulls it together there with those milisecond shots to get that emotional change.  It's the only cut to when he had hair too.  And then of course, the poetry reaches stage two.
I'm somebody now, Harry. Everybody likes me. Soon, millions of people will see me and they'll all like me. I'll tell them about you, and your father, how good he was to us. Remember? It's a reason to get up in the morning. It's a reason to lose weight, to fit in the red dress. It's a reason to smile. It makes tomorrow all right. What have I got Harry, hm? Why should I even make the bed, or wash the dishes? I do them, but why should I? I'm alone. Your father's gone, you're gone. I got no one to care for. What have I got, Harry? I'm lonely. I'm old.

lamas

Le Feu Follet is a great movie.  I love the Erik Satie music that plays throughout.  The same music plays when Richie visits Eli's apartment in TRT.

©brad

Quote from: themodernage02i always thought it just sounded better. the declarative statement "I'm going to kill myself tomorrow", sounds poetic.

definitely. its my favorite line/part in the movie. its so fuckin wonderful and sad. i dont see why it would confuse ppl, remember kids- can't take everything literally.

USTopGun47

Which is why I brought it up, thinking it had a deeper level to it and to clarify.  I agree that it is more poetic that way of course.
I'm somebody now, Harry. Everybody likes me. Soon, millions of people will see me and they'll all like me. I'll tell them about you, and your father, how good he was to us. Remember? It's a reason to get up in the morning. It's a reason to lose weight, to fit in the red dress. It's a reason to smile. It makes tomorrow all right. What have I got Harry, hm? Why should I even make the bed, or wash the dishes? I do them, but why should I? I'm alone. Your father's gone, you're gone. I got no one to care for. What have I got, Harry? I'm lonely. I'm old.

Cecil

Quote from: USTopGun47Perhaps he couldn't wait.

thats what i always thought

chainsmoking insomniac

You're all right I think.  Clearly, it was a split-second decision...he stops shaving, stares at his face in the mirror, then something clicks in his head and he probably thinks: "Fuck it, let's just do it now."
"Ernest Hemingway once wrote: 'The world's a fine place, and worth fighting for.'  I agree with the second part."
    --Morgan Freeman, Se7en

"Have you ever fucking seen that...? Ever seen a mistake in nature?  Have you ever seen an animal make a mistake?"
 --Paul Schneider, All the Real Girls

Kev Hoffman

I always thought the very same as you folks: he pondered his words "I'm going to kill myself tomorrow", and realized he couldn't live with himself a day longer, so he killed himself at that very moment.