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[richiek]

Is that right?

Spoiler

Well, the doctors stated that Leo's character has done this before, and has a history of relapsing back to his "Teddy Daniels" personality. So I'm pretty sure he's still insane at the end. Though I must say, his "Is it better to live as a monster or die a good man" speech reminds of the end of Oldboy.

 

[commish]

Thats cause the line in the movie doesn't exist in the book (thats what the people in the official thread said anyway)

Great movie with great acting. I was glued to the screen from start to end partly thanks to the amazing music!

What was the line? I didn't watch the movie yet.

 

[Kozak]

What was the line? I didn't watch the movie yet.

Spoiler

"Is it better to live as a monster or die a good man"

 

[dave is ok]

Spoiler

Well, the doctors stated that Leo's character has done this before, and has a history of relapsing back to his "Teddy Daniels" personality. So I'm pretty sure he's still insane at the end. Though I must say, his "Is it better to live as a monster or die a good man" speech reminds of the end of Oldboy.

Spoiler

Really, the line he says should be enough to make the viewer understand that he's hasn't regressed into his fantasy - but for added measure he walks away peacefully with people he had just stated he doesn't trust and who are brandishing sharp tools - AND he doesn't answer to the name 'Teddy' when the doctor yells for him.

I really don't understand how anyone can watch that scene and then decide the movie ends the way you think it ended.

 

[commish]

Spoiler

Really, the line he says should be enough to make the viewer understand that he's hasn't regressed into his fantasy - but for added measure he walks away peacefully with people he had just stated he doesn't trust and who are brandishing sharp tools - AND he doesn't answer to the name 'Teddy' when the doctor yells for him.

I really don't understand how anyone can watch that scene and then decide the movie ends the way you think it ended.

Spoiler

The author of the book thinks he's still insane at the end of the movie version.

http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/03/0...s-lehane-gives-his-read-on-the-movies-ending/

 

[Z_Y]

Mediocre movie.

Also has several parts where it intentionally tricks the audience, making the ending weaker than it could have been.



That's not a twist.

That was exactly my problem with the movie. That angered me for some reason. :lol I wish I didn't know there was a "twist" at all...might have enjoyed it more.

Yes, that's the way I interpreted it anyway. And that's the real twist in my opinion. The twist that is most talked about is pretty obvious and you can see it coming from a mile away. I LOVED the last 10 minutes of this movie... I really didn't see the real twist coming and made the whole thing so sad.

Again, that's not a twist.

Spoiler

He was insane. The treatment worked. He decided that he'd rather get the lobotomy then live with that memory. By saying that is the twist you are implying that he was sane all along throughout the movie.

Spoiler

Well, the doctors stated that Leo's character has done this before, and has a history of relapsing back to his "Teddy Daniels" personality. So I'm pretty sure he's still insane at the end. Though I must say, his "Is it better to live as a monster or die a good man" speech reminds of the end of Oldboy.

Spoiler

He is sane at the end. That line says it all. He'd rather have the procedure and forget it all/possibly die then live with that memory. Also, he didn't answer when "Chuck" called out Teddy.

edit: beaten

 

[Borgnine]

1. Movie is medium
2. There is no "twist."
3. The

Spoiler

final line

is unambiguous.

 

[dave is ok]

Spoiler

The author of the book thinks he's still insane at the end of the movie version.

http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/03/0...s-lehane-gives-his-read-on-the-movies-ending/

Well that's the way he wrote it in the book, so I'm not surprised. He's wrong though.

 

[RSTEIN]

Again, that's not a twist.

Spoiler

He was insane. The treatment worked. He decided that he'd rather get the lobotomy then live with that memory. By saying that is the twist you are implying that he was sane all along throughout the movie.

Yes, I know it's not a "twist" but it was the real "twist" for me (in the sense that it was totally unexpected).

Spoiler

It's a twist because you expect a happy ending and everything to work out well for him but then he went down an unexpected - and tragic - path anyway.

 

[Tenks]

Like most people in here I thought the movie was great but kind of started piecing things together.

Spoiler

It became fairly obvious at the start that the dreams featured more reality than when Leo was awake. He claimed his wife died in a fire but in the initial dream she was wet and bleeding through her stomach. Things didn't add up.

The child also seemed fairly relevant. He never stated he had a child in his fake-reality but the child was always there. Made me think that there was much more to the story.

Either way I high recommend the movie to anyone.

 

[Z_Y]

Yes, I know it's not a "twist" but it was the real "twist" for me (in the sense that it was totally unexpected).

Spoiler

It's a twist because you expect a happy ending and everything to work out well for him but then he went down an unexpected - and tragic - path anyway.

Eh...depends on your perspective.

Spoiler

He's going to forget what happened with his kids and wife so...that could be a "happy ending".

Is there a good summary out there of all the "hints" throughout the movie to the "twist". I would like to read what people have caught. Example:

Spoiler

The little old balding lady doing yardwork saying "shhhh" to Leo when he arrived."

 

[Houston3000]

I saw it for the first time a few days ago. I really enjoyed it.

Spoiler

I had a couple of ideas of what the twist might be going into the ending of the movie one being that he was actually a patient the whole time but I didn't piece together that everyone was roleplaying with him until they spelled it out in the end... it just didn't seem logical.

I had a good time going back and rewatching different scenes after finding out the ending. The way his "partner" is always looking over at the doctors like "oh shit guys, maybe we should stop this now" and the way he was having a hard time getting his gun holster off his belt in the very beginning of the movie. Just re-listening to some of the conversations was interesting how much hints they threw in there. I also was pretty moved by his real flashback near the end, that was sad shit - bunch of dead children and a fucked up crazy ass wife.

As for the final scene, the last few lines, I didn't see that as any sort of twist. He was in-fact insane throughout the movie. At the end, once he became sane again, he just didn't want to deal with his emotionally painful memories and pretended to become Teddy again so that his doctor would authorize the lobotomy. Bittersweet really.

 

[Prince of Space]

I think its the least engaging and most forgettable of the four DiCaprio/Scorsese efforts. Its pretty to look at, but it never got its hooks into me in any fashion.

Agreed. Was kinda interested in seeing the movie after the trailer (even though that made it pretty obvious what the twist was;

Spoiler

Leo: "Who is Patient 67?!" Me: "Probably you."

), and when I eventually did a month ago, I thought it was a decent suspense thriller, but not up to par with the rest of Scorsese's recent efforts.

 

[Chipopo]

My least liked Scorsese movie of the 21st century. The obvious twist makes most of the movie worthless.

The "twist" in Shutter Island isn't the point of the movie and you're dumb and have bad taste.

 

[RobotNinjaHornets]

Casino and The Departed.

I'm not sure how either them really have twists. Also that's 2 out of like 40 films, that's not much of a track record >_>

Anyway, I thought it was a great film. And to everyone complaining about the twist, that's not the most important part of the film, getting to it is. Which to me will just make it all the more watchable.

 

[Ezduo]

I thought it was great though I wish the advertisements hadn't promised some giant twist ending. Because of that I spent the entire movie trying to guess the twist and it wasn't that hard really.

Spoiler

I think if I had just gone in not expecting a twist I would've been more likely to just assume Dicaprio was actually a cop and not the missing patient.

 

[alterno69]

Spoilers unspoilered ahead


Saw this movie yesterday, fucking amazing movie, i can't believe i let the internet and some friends convince me the movie was bad before watching it. I fucking loved it.

Watching it again right now, it's even more amazing, like a different movie, watching all the nurses, doctors and sherifs reactions to Teddys actions is fucking hilarious.

Like most people in the 1/4 of the movie i was like, too obvios, lame but then it gets really interesting, you know he's a patient or at least it's a trap to lock him there, is chuck in it too? is he inocent? It really fucks with your mind.

Then you realise how much the doctor and chuck care for Teddy, all they do is an act of faith, an act of love, they go through all this ordeal cause they have hope he can be cured.

Then the end hits you like a ton of bricks, i felt really sad for Chuck and Dr. Cawley, especially the face on Dr. Cawley as he let him go to the hands of the Nazi doctor, so sad.

Man i fucking loved this, only rented it but will buy for sure when i get the chance, Leo has become such an amazing actor too, huge fan.
All the actors were amazing, from Leo to the mental patients role playing the whole time, Mark Rufalo was particularly brilliant, like they said in the extras, it was like making to movies at once.


Bravo.

 

[kehs]

This movie was so predictable, anyone who didn't think so has no taste, trite and pedantic, blahlkabalkdfadsfkjasdf



Right?

 

[alterno69]

This movie was so predictable, anyone who didn't think so has no taste, trite and pedantic, blahlkabalkdfadsfkjasdf



Right?

Exactly, people like to forget the actual twist, how the movie throws clue after clue at your face, the director wants you to realise from the very beginning that he is a patient but knowing why is the actual twist and it's amazing.

 

[Zeliard]

Again, that's not a twist.

Spoiler

He was insane. The treatment worked. He decided that he'd rather get the lobotomy then live with that memory. By saying that is the twist you are implying that he was sane all along throughout the movie.

?

I realize I'm replying to a post months old here, but of course that's a twist. It confounds audience expectations. That'd be a twist.

 

[alterno69]

It's a twist of course, you see him sitting there with a happy face and feel great, he's cured, he can now be at peace and then bam they crush your heart.

 

[BobsRevenge]

I don't see how the twist makes the movie worthless. The movie takes you on a journey from the main character's perspective. The twist is incidental to the overall point of the movie. I always find the ending to be powerful because the movie did so much to put you into the head of the lead, regardless of how many times I've seen it.

I thought it was really underrated because people looked at it as a puzzle, which it kind of is--and it was marketed as such, but that distracted them from the emotional power of the events.

It was also a gorgeous movie. Some of the best special effects shots I've ever seen.

 

[alterno69]

As a father i was specially moved by the revelation scene, man it was tough.

Also i don't consider the "he is a patient" twist an actual "twist", from the very first scene the director wants the audience to realise this, that's the point of the whole movie.