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Reader comments on
Subject: The Rest is Silence (Another Thought)
Date: Oct 20, 2002
This is going to be train-of-thought, so bear with me. Just saw the film on HBO last night.
For some reason, that movie's final line from the strange, clown-like figure at Silencio reminds me of some other plays/operas/movies, including, from Hamlet, "The rest is silence," and, from Pagliacci, "La comedia e finita." (Remember, Pagliacci is a tragedy -- lots of dead bodies at the end.)
There is also the fact that the emcee earlier has said, "It's all an illusion. It's recorded." So what we think is in the present is already in the past.
When the singer dies but her voice continues, we see that there is death, but the rest is not necessarily silence, at least not immediately. Her soul had something left to say. In the mini-moments between the gunshot and Diane's death, Diane finishes her song -- the fantasy/dream part of the movie. Just as we hear the voice continue after the singer is dead, we are privy to the fantasy in Diane's dying moments. When Diane has finished her song, the figure at Silencio declares "Silence" once and for all.
This also recalls for me the after-death scene in "Our Town," when Emily looks down at the world she has left behind. She is told she will be able to see and hear her living loved ones only for a little while, then all memories of moral life will fade and she will evolve to some other ethereal existence. The voice continues but will end. Diane's fantasy finishes itself out and will end.
Someone may wish to tease out the idea that, as in Pagliacci, the movie is both comedy and tragedy. My mind is fried for now.
I think I will buy this DVD. It's much more interesting, in my view, of the overrated Memento.
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Another thought
First and foremost, thanks to all for their comments. They're GREAT and bring a fascinating new meaning to this great movie.
Someone may have already mentioned this idea, but how about this:
Perhaps the scene in Silencio where the thunder claps and Betty is shaking somehow represents the gun shot when Betty commits suicide. Then when the brunette singer dies, that represents either Betty or Camilla dying.
This idea is kind of a follow on to someone else's idea that the first part of the show is what goes through Diane's mind as she lays down on the bed, or before she dies...
It seems as though thunder is like a gun shot, then there's the smoke in both Silencio and in Diane's room.
Any comments on this idea? Thanks
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Comment index:
wow from Rosanna, Jun 10, 2002
Re: wow from Joshua (editor of Offoffoff), Jun 12, 2002
Re: wow from Tashtigo707, Jun 17, 2002
PCP from Kilgore Trout, Sep 1, 2002
» The Rest is Silence (Another Thought) « from inkie, Oct 20, 2002
Aunt??? from HugeElvis, Oct 14, 2002
wow from Rosanna, Jun 10, 2002
Re: wow from Joshua (editor of Offoffoff), Jun 12, 2002
Re: wow from Tashtigo707, Jun 17, 2002
PCP from Kilgore Trout, Sep 1, 2002
» The Rest is Silence (Another Thought) « from inkie, Oct 20, 2002
Aunt??? from HugeElvis, Oct 14, 2002
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