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've always had the same problem with it, then decided to just ignore it.
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.
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
8) Genius, ain't we? :roll:
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.
i always thought it just sounded better. the declarative statement "I'm going to kill myself tomorrow", sounds poetic.
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 (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0057058)" 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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
Quote from: USTopGun47Perhaps he couldn't wait.
thats what i always thought
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."
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.
it's just sum cold shit to say before u pop a cap in yo own ass.
that was good. REALLY good. :lol:
Quote from: ©bradQuote 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.
yeah i mean, its just sounds good the way it is. and wes basically confirms that there really is no other reason. just that, he liked the way it sounded.
Quote from: Pit's just sum cold shit to say before u pop a cap in yo own ass.
Exquisite way of putting it :-D
Perhaps Richie had been saying that line in his head for a long time, and once he finally said it he could no longer hesitate. Just my "interp".
i remember someone on here mentioning what film influenced the "look" of this scene......maybe a Truffaut or Godard film?
anyone know?
Quote from: bigideasi remember someone on here mentioning what film influenced the "look" of this scene......maybe a Truffaut or Godard film?
anyone know?
Well, I don't know for sure but...if you look at one of the storyboards for this scene (on the dvd)...you can see a little note that says (I think) "Persona" lighting...it might be referring to the lighting of a certain scene in Ingmar Bergman's film of that name or maybe the lighting of whole film as an influence on the lighting of the suicide scene, I'm not sure...haven't seen Persona...but I think that's what that whole thing meant. It's hard to say, storyboards can be so hard to interpret sometimes. You should probably take a look at the ones for this scene yourself if you haven't yet just to clarify.
Also, you still may be right of course...I know Godard and especially Truffaut are a huge influence on many many aspects of his films.
I doubt anyone will read this, but I took it to consideration that he shaved off all of his hair, which is like a change from night to day. In a way that could very well be the "tomorrow" he wes was trying to accomplish. But hey nothing that simple could put this movie to shame.
someone should also tell him that usually when you shave, you should shave your whole face. None of this half assed bullshit.
the scars on his arms are some intense shit
I missed how it was confusing. He looks in the mirror and says "I'm going to kill myself tomorrow." So we know he's suicidal and he wants to. He just does because why wait? He's lost Margot, and the shit really seemed to hit the fan for him.
Thats got to be one of the most powerful scenes in the movie.