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Mother! Discussion thread (spoilers)

M

More_Badass

Member
Haven't seen a movie in quite some time that made me want to break it down and analyze it. While watching I started noticing the Biblical references, but afterwards reading articles, I realized the entire movie is allegory.

So while there are certainly other interpretations, the most clear is that it's a representation of the Bible. Bardem is God, more specifically Yahweh; he even says he is "I am I". Lawrence is Mother Nature, or earth, or maybe human nature, much like how she represents the audience's POV and confused mindset. Harris and Pfeiffer are Adam and Eve. The Gleeson brothers are Cain and Abel. The writer study is the garden of eden, the crystal/heart is the apple. The baby cannibalism is communion. I assume the basement is hell, and the final inferno is revelations/the apocalypse

I interpreted the chaos through the end as mankind's corruption of the Bible and religion, how the teachings spread from simple followers to more and more people until the once beautiful inspiring message is corrupted and twisted to be merely used as justification for war and slavery and other horrible acts
 
N

Neece

Member
Added on. The great work that the writer finishes and is called "perfect" is the Bible. Or at least the old testament, inspired from all of the events that preceded it being written.
 
B

Biggest-Geek-Ever

Member
I'm curious what people made of the way law enforcement and the military are portrayed when all hell breaks loose. The police officer pepper sprays Bardem and is (I think) the only instance of a person outside of Lawrence physically harming him, and the soldier protects Lawrence once he sees she is pregnant.
 
D

Dan-o

Member
Biggest-Geek-Ever said:
I'm curious what people made of the way law enforcement and the military are portrayed when all hell breaks loose. The police officer pepper sprays Bardem and is (I think) the only instance of a person outside of Lawrence physically harming him, and the soldier protects Lawrence once he sees she is pregnant.
Click to expand...

Hmm. I'm not sure about the meaning behind the ability of the officer to hurt Bardem, but the soldier protecting her (mother nature, I think), to me, is a sign of how there's only a tiny number of people really fighting to save the earth by respecting and trying to protect mother nature, but they're doomed to fail... which is why the soldier gets his face blown off.
 
H

Hattori

Banned
I thought the movie was just pure insanity, but reading about the religious allegory it makes sense to me now. I kinda want to see it again.
 
M

MoeDabs

Member
I watched this after I dropped a tab.. That was about 8 hours ago. I'm still trying to comprehend what the actual fuck I just watched...
 
T

The Illiterati

Member
My interpretation lines up with the OP. I loved it. My wife got up and left during the scene where they begin beating the mother. She still really enjoyed the film but violence like that and the neck snapping upset her. On one hand you can say this isn't a horror film but I found some of it more unsettling and disturbing than 90% of horror out there, and it's what I go to for horror.

Edit: I have to add that I think this is a very interesting condemnation of God.
 
V

Violence Jack

Member
I'll just say that taking my 8.5 months pregnant wife to see this was a mistake. She almost got up and left when the baby got his neck snapped.

I'm still trying to process this film in my head two days later, but all I know is that I don't wish to ever see it again.
 
H

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
Disappointing. Another bible romp from Aronofsky that felt rather meandering between all the shocking stuff. I won't say I thought it was a bad movie but it felt kind of vapid and been there, dont that aside from the shocking scenes and about as subtle as a doorknob to the head. A pretentious allegory that would come off as rote if it weren't for the solid direction in parts and the general insanity near the end.
 
L

Lucian Cat

Kissed a mod for a tag; liked it
It was definitely something. My first aronofsky film and idk what to think. Bf loved it, he's into hidden meanings and allegory. Didn't stop talking about when we saw it yesterday. The more I think about it, the more I get it. But boy was I lost when the credits rolled.

I did spend the whole movie being angry at everyone treating jlaw like crap though. That touched a nerve.
 
I

Interface23

Member
Violence Jack said:
I'll just say that taking my 8.5 months pregnant wife to see this was a mistake. She almost got up and left when the baby got his neck snapped.

I'm still trying to process this film in my head two days later, but all I know is that I don't wish to ever see it again.
Click to expand...

Yea I went with a few friends. One of which is pregnant and that last part of the film messed her up.
 
H

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
SexyFish said:
Uhm..did anyone else get strong climate change vibes from this? JLaw being Mother Nature, the House is earth.
Click to expand...

More like humans are going to destroy everything no matter what because God is a narcissistic sociopath who can't say no and nurtures the worst impulses as long as it gets him more attention.
 
P

Pappasman

Member
Just got back from watching it. I was told going in that it was supposed to be a climate change metaphor, and I could see that, but I think the religious reading makes a bit more sense. Still not really sure what the hell I just watched.

I did love the direction and camera work. Putting the camera in orbit around Lawrence's head like that was intense and impressive.
 
T

The Illiterati

Member
SexyFish said:
Uhm..did anyone else get strong climate change vibes from this? JLaw being Mother Nature, the House is earth.
Click to expand...

Well, ultimately humanity fucks the house/mother up so much that she explodes, which you could read has human caused climate change. God/Bardem doesn't care ultimately about anything but himself and his own worship, lets humans destroy themselves the world/mother and just redoes it all again.
 
N

Neece

Member
SexyFish said:
Uhm..did anyone else get strong climate change vibes from this? JLaw being Mother Nature, the House is earth.
Click to expand...
It's in there. It works perfectly fine that humans are abusing natural resources and destroying earth without a care, and the few that do care (like the officer that saw she was pregnant and attempted to help her) get ran over.

Lots of mixed metaphors are stirred in.
 
S

SexyFish

Banned
Neece said:
It's in there. It works perfectly fine that humans are abusing natural resources and destroying earth without a care, and the few that do care (like the officer that saw she was pregnant and attempted to help her) get ran over.

Lots of mixed metaphors are stirred in.
Click to expand...
I also took that the people trying to help paint after angering her was a sign of fad environmentalism.
 
K

kai3345

Banned
I'm guessing the sink was the great flood.

Was that black dude that kept hitting on Jennifer Lawrence and then went up into her bedroom with someone else supposed to be someone specific?

I didn't catch on until about halfway through the movie so I missed who some of the earlier characters were supposed to be representing
 
H

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
kai3345 said:
I'm guessing the sink was the great flood.

Was that black dude that kept hitting on Jennifer Lawrence and then went up into her bedroom with someone else supposed to be someone specific?

I didn't catch on until about halfway through the movie so I missed who some of the earlier characters were supposed to be representing
Click to expand...

The brothers were Cain and Abel and I assume Ed Harris was Adam and Michelle Pfeiffer was Eve.
 
K

kai3345

Banned
HStallion said:
The brothers were Cain and Abel and I assume Ed Harris was Adam and Michelle Pfeiffer was Eve.
Click to expand...
Yeah I caught onto those. I was more curious about if the smalller characters were representing anyone specific, like the guy at the party who called her a cunt after rejecting his advances
 
H

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
kai3345 said:
Yeah I caught onto those. I was more curious about if the smalller characters were representing anyone specific, like the guy at the party who called her a cunt after rejecting his advances
Click to expand...

I'm not sure but it felt like the mourners and then the fans/everyone else might have been normal humans with all their flaws and foibles whether it was the rampant lust and gluttony or the wrath as fights break out and even go to "war".
 
F

FTF

Member
Just got back, enjoyed it quite a bit. And agree with the OP and others about it being Mother Nature/Earth and all the religious themes/overtones, etc.

One thing that did stick out to me (other than the lack of music, which was a bit of a disappointment) was that there were no mirrors in the entire house and you never saw Lawrence's (or anyone's?) reflection. Even in obvious places where mirrors should be, like the bathroom medicine cabinet. There was nothing there. Is that supposed to be because you can't see Mother Nature or God?? Did anyone else notice no mirrors?
 
S

shintoki

sparkle this bitch
Neece said:
Added on. The great work that the writer finishes and is called "perfect" is the Bible. Or at least the old testament, inspired from all of the events that preceded it being written.
Click to expand...

Remember in the beginning too, when she was talking. How she wanted paradise to Eve.

Also, noting, the baby is Jesus for sure. Dies for their sins, no coincidence it is the priest figure talking, followed up with everyone eating him. Obviously the guttonous nature of humanity at the end. Alongside Godrem saying, we must forgive them.

kai3345 said:
Yeah I caught onto those. I was more curious about if the smalller characters were representing anyone specific, like the guy at the party who called her a cunt after rejecting his advances
Click to expand...

As someone stated, they were sins of humanity. Each acting out. Each character was one of the sins or a mix, but notice they never were a character but a trait.
 
H

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
I actually think JLaw was not Mother Earth but was actually part of the Holy Trinity along with Bardem and their baby aka the Father (Bardem), the Son (the baby) and the Holy Ghost (JLaw).
 
S

shintoki

sparkle this bitch
HStallion said:
I actually think JLaw was not Mother Earth but was actually part of the Holy Trinity along with Bardem and their baby aka the Father (Bardem), the Son (the baby) and the Holy Ghost (JLaw).
Click to expand...

It's possible, but her being Gaia fits a bit too well.

Godrem allows Adam and Eve into paradise(Jlaw states it too). They take the crystal and break it. God kicks them out of paradise(That room). Hence why none of them were ever seen in that room again. Paradise becomes corrupted and we have first since with Cain and Abel. While Godrem is always worried about the people, she shows more concern for her house.

Basically, I feel like if she was the Holy Spirit, possible, she would more in line with God. Rather than against.
 
H

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
Personally I took the house and the surrounding land to be Earth as the humans inhabited it, made their "mark" and eventually destroyed it. I took JLaw as to be something far more in line with Bardem as the two of them create the baby and even whens she dies, she comes back. Not only that but the way the random people as well Bardem refers to her are often in terms that are associated with Mother Earth such as Bardem calling her "hope" and the people saying she is the inspiration. Not too mention she is in fact in line with Bardem for the good majority of the movie until the baby comes.
 
SargerusBR

SargerusBR

I love Pokken!
Going to see the movie soon, just need to know this: Did DA pulled another Black Swan (it was all in her head) situation?
 
O

Osahi

Member
So, I hadn't realized up until now Pfeifer and Harris can be seen as Adam and Eve. Now I'm thinking about the wound Harris has in the night he's sick. Is this Bardem taking his rib? Next day Pfeifer arrives, right?

I liked the film, but it lost me in the insanity at the end. Most of the allegory stuff only dawned on me afterwards though, so I should rewatch it to see it with other eyes.
 
B

Bahorel

Member
Osahi said:
So, I hadn't realized up until now Pfeifer and Harris can be seen as Adam and Eve. Now I'm thinking about the wound Harris has in the night he's sick. Is this Bardem taking his rib? Next day Pfeifer arrives, right?

I liked the film, but it lost me in the insanity at the end. Most of the allegory stuff only dawned on me afterwards though, so I should rewatch it to see it with other eyes.
Click to expand...

Omg thank you re: the rib wound I was trying to figure out the significance of that and now it's clear. Good point
 
B

Burbeting

Banned
It was a very interesting movie. Full of allegories though, so I was confused Diqing watching it a little. The audience in the theatre kept mostly laughing during the movie, which disturbed me a little.

The CGI explosion in the end was bit too over the top.
 
N

Nafai1123

Banned
Saw it tonight. There's a lot to digest but the more I think about it the more I like it. My GF and I came out discussing the man/woman allegory more so than the biblical interpretation but it makes perfect sense. There's several layers to explore.

The sound mixing was incredible. One of the best uses of surround I can remember. The end was morbid comedy and horrific violence. I doubt I'll see anything like it anytime soon, which is why I like DA so much.
 
R

Replicant

Member
The only takeaway I got from this is how some people often don't know when to quit a relationship that's clearly one-sided and not emotionally fulfilling because of love.

But no matter how much you give, it'll never be enough to win over the other person. Because there are always other people who worship him like a God, while he treated you like you're a non-entity. In the end, you'll still get replaced by a new person.

Maybe I'm wrong but as someone who's been in that position, it's the only part of the film that made sense to me. I'll leave the biblical interpretation to the rest of you.
 
M

Moonkid

Member
Fuck this movie. No amount of analysis or interpretation is going to make it compelling for me. I'm all for allegories and weird shit in the stuff I watch or read but it at all fell flat.
 
J

Johndoey

Banned
I took it as commentary on power dynamics, and toxic celebrity. Her status keeps getting reduced until she's just a prop in her own home, she has no ownership over her husband, the home she rebuilt, even her child.

The biblical shit ain't my bag.
 
E

Expendable.

Member
This got an F-grade CinemaScore.

DJ19mg0UMAAl_rR.jpg
Click to expand...

Iconic.
 
M

More_Badass

Member
Expendable. said:
This got an F-grade CinemaScore.



Iconic.
Click to expand...
I blame the marketing. Much like It Comes At Night, the average person went into this expecting...something. A weird psychological thriller? A horror movie with Jennifer Lawrence? They sure were not expecting an entirely allegorical story that represents the Bible or the artist's struggle or whatnot. This movie was essentially a cinematic parable or the highest budget Biblical stage play
 
M

Majora

Member
Expendable. said:
This got an F-grade CinemaScore.



Iconic.
Click to expand...

Totally expected. General audiences ain't here for a two hour long allegory where a woman gets repeatedly abused both mentally and physically and her baby gets torn apart and eaten.

Does anyone know the budget for this movie? Word of mouth will be dire. I'm assuming they didn't put too much money into something so clearly niche and divisive. Not that it looks cheap.
 
M

Mark Andrew

Member
I had zero interest in this based on marketing but after being spoiled on everything it seems like a film I’d love. Wonder how different the experience will be knowing everything going in.
 
T

The Illiterati

Member
More_Badass said:
I blame the marketing. Much like It Comes At Night, the average person went into this expecting...something. A weird psychological thriller? A horror movie with Jennifer Lawrence? They sure were not expecting an entirely allegorical story that represents the Bible or the artist's struggle or whatnot. This movie was essentially a cinematic parable or the highest budget Biblical stage play
Click to expand...

You can blame the marketing, but how else is DA supposed to market it? It certainly wasn't misleading as far as I'm concerned. Like it or hate it, mainstream audiences just don't want to see a capital A "Art" film, which this is attempting to be.
 
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