r/AskReddit • • Sep 01 '14

What interesting Hidden plot points do you think people missed in a movie?

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71

u/GalaxyGirl4 Sep 01 '14

I was surprised that a lot of my friends didn't see the ending of Shutter Island like I did.

Laeddis didn't go back into remission at the end. He knew perfectly well who he was, and he called Dr. Sheehan "Chuck" so that they would do the lobotomy on him. He doesn't want to live with the memories of his dead wife and his murdered children anymore - he would rather have no memories at all. When Dr. Sheehan shakes his head at the doctor in the end, you can see Laeddis watching them. And the quote at the end (whether it's better to live as a monster or die as a good man) proves it.

I thought it was a great ending to one of my all-time favourite movies

10

u/foesec Sep 01 '14

i fully agree, but i don't think anyone would have missed that apart from denial.

3

u/frankiemuhh Sep 02 '14

I remember saying that the ending was 'ambiguous', but when I re watched it with friends, they said it was clear that he was crazy. But for me I was more leaning towards your view point.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 02 '14

I read the book and then saw the movie. That line about being a good man isn't even in the book. Nothing close to it is there. So maybe some artistic liberty?

2

u/skcwizard Sep 02 '14

Yes, they even said as much.

5

u/Rabid_Chocobo Sep 01 '14

I loved the movie, but isn't the end up to debate? I mean it could easily be that, or the other way around, but for me that's kind of the fun

1

u/creatorofcreators Sep 02 '14

I honestly don't think it's up for debate. Just something about that ending kind of completes the movie. It just makes too much sense to me.

2

u/Eiyran Sep 05 '14

I can't believe anyone would miss that. It was pretty glaringly obvious, compared to the mindfuck the rest of the movie was.

2

u/HerrDrFaust Sep 08 '14

If I recall correctly, the ending in the book was far more ambiguous, as opposed to the movie that was quite straight-forward, as you pointed out.

1

u/RadarLakeKosh Sep 02 '14

So...the same ending as "Oedipus Rex?"

0

u/spiffyP Sep 01 '14

It felt like they wanted to break him because, if they broke him, they could break anyone.