What was the last scene with the Amish horse and the kid on the mechanical horse about? It seemed significant but I didn't get it. Or maybe it was nothing?
Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish.share
My interpretation was that Zach's character feels like he is now the fake, plastic horse and is longing to be the real horse.
The tone in this scene was sad to me, like there was a loss. But I don't know what the alternative would be - the movie established that he may be harmful to himself and others if he did not take medication.
I think he saw the mechanical horse and realized he was settling for the normal apartment life and most likely would fall into the relationship with the nice, ordinary lady. He feels like a shell of a man though, now kind of "stuck" in this new life. It was like he deep down really wants to go back to being the free/real/unprotected horse.
"I know...it's a lotta junk...but I'm a a really good mother"...said after Ben grabs the steaks.
Listen to Zach's quick outbursts when speaking with the psychologist (acceptable vs. unacceptable drug use, etc.)
Although "conformity" is applicable, I think there's more than that simple notion. How often do we fool / convince ourselves that we're doing the right thing? Or it's ok because others do it?
Final scene says "technology is here, you can't fight it"
shareHe said many times of how the Amish live so close to the land and how wonderful that is.
Then Owen somewhere says how what 80% relapse from their drugs.
Then you see them standing waiting for the rain, and how the child rides on a fake and boring horse. The scene tries to show the melancholia in the day to day lives of the people. The mother is also distracted while the child wants to play, she gave another man a coin and she didn't pay attention to the child.
Lastly you see the Amish guy, and the Amish guy, each time it was shown provoked Zach's character with extreme emotions. Then the horse in the rain, close to nature being free.
What you should think at the end: Owen and his girl live at the farm house, they are back together and can take care of Zach's character when he relapses. The last scene of the melancholy prison that is day to day life, waiting for the rain to stop, and the horse and Amish guy being free, will be the reason for Zach's breaking off his medication. He will be full of passion again, living in the farm house under the care of Owen and the girl.
I don't know why so many people see the real horse as being close to nature and free. The thing that stood out to me was how the horse had blinders and a bit and bridle and was forced to pull the wagon. It seemed more like the movie was trying to say that either way isn't so great. The boring Amish guy blindly going through his life that is free of creativity and full of rules and conformity. Or the free spirited child who's imagination is enough to find great enjoyment on what most regular adults would look at and consider boring. Maybe it wasn't so much about how you live your life, but how much you appreciate it.
edit: I meant to add that the real horse has as much control about its own movements as the mechanical horse does.
In the last moments of the film, I think Ben was contemplating the differences in the two horses. The child's ride was colorful and smiling and going nowhere, kind of like how he used to be before his bipolar disorder was tamed by lithium. The real horse in the rain was working and ploughing along, which when contrasted with the horsey ride shows the reality of a normal adult life versus being a man-child such as he was. I think the whole movie was essentially about Dallas and Ben growing up and becoming better men.
shareI noticed the blinders. Semi close up shot of real horse's blinders immediately followed by ultra close up shot of the play horse's eyes wide open. On full display.
That's my perception of the final shot.
So many of these views/perceptions are so damn interesting though. Love when a film inspires thought and discussion.
I've read all these comments and I agree most with you, wetrainbow: there are compromises in Life, no matter what paths we choose. The trick is to find acceptance in what we DO choose, if it works for us, and to not keep looking 'over the fence' for something 'better', which takes us out of the present, out of 'you are here' to 'Are you here'.
http://www.roguesreviews.com
I too noticed the blinders. I'm surprised more people haven't mentioned them.
It seemed to say that the horse needed blinders to be a functioning member of society, so to speak. Whereas the mechanical horse didn't have any blinders, but it wasn't going anywhere.
I think both are meant to represent Ben at different points in his life, before and after going on the medication.
which is something the "new Ben" will probably never have again
Umm, this is pretty simple. Life keeps going whether you want to stop for the rain or not, and it didn't matter if it was being in the machine or living on the farm, hence they are part of the SAME SYSTEM.
shareI got exactly the same thing from this scene.
This film was incredibly depressing to me.
.
Everyone will have a different view of what that scene meant.
To me, the main character had expressed his views on living off the land, then became the opposite -- a regular consumer citizen. He became what he hated, a weak shadow of his former energetic self.
The scene with him staring into the consumerist plastic horse seemed to be mocking him, going nowhere and doing nothing while sucking up your money. Standing with a group of people he views as shallow, too meek and insufficient to even walk to their automatic gas cars because of some rain.
Meanwhile the Amish guy and his horse are the light shining on what his life has become, mocking him with by having a real life, a real horse and buggy, doing real down-to-earth work for the day, and not being bothered by the rain (as animals are not, including the horse and Amish man, it's just part of life).
He seemed to be having a profound moment of "my life has become a plastic shell, can this really be me?". And to me it seemed like he was going to answer "no" by having a full break from reality and doing something extreme, such as smashing the electric horse, going off his meds, or killing himself.
The audio frequency in that sequence was continuously intensifying while he stared at the horses, comparing them. I was sure the audio cue meant he was going to snap, but it never showed what happened next.
I agree with your views completely up to the point of his "snapping." We wish he would snap. But if the scene is any reflection of life, he wont. He has been processed :) And there is no escape from that. I think it is likely he will get an office job and worry about his fico score. Because, what else is there?
Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o-clock this afternoon... with nail polish.share
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well that amish guy said family is everything and there's zack galifanakis standing there with a woman and kid...time to start a family and have everything
"how's a fella go about gettin' a holt of the police?" -Karl
All it meant was "Art imitates life." It's just a visual of it. A nice, simple way to end the film.
shareIt contrasts real vs fake, but I think thats meant to equate to struggle vs ease. It also shows they both have their pros and cons, but now he has the lucidity to see both options and choose which path to take rather than his illness choosing for him. It feels like maybe he hasnt actually locked in a choice yet either, or perhaps that choice might change in the future.
The umbrella was marijuana, and having him put the coin in the slot was him putting his new meds in his mouth btw.