View Full Version : Meet Joe Black (POSSIBLE SPOILERS)
SOUNDSTYLE
14-01-2002, 13:55
What a brilliant film: a moving, emotional and thought provoking film.
Even though it was long, the time went extremely quick and I never once got bored.
Brad Pitt's character got on my nerves at the beginning but I got used to him by the middle of the film.
The only part I didn't like was the end. What exactly happened?
Brat Pitt and Anthony Hopkins character walk off over the bridge and disappear from view, his daughter following. When she gets near the bridge, Joe Black appears. She doesn't ask where her father is (Perhaps she knew what was happening: When her father talked to her just before he left and walked over the bridge with Joe??).
Who is Joe Black at the end of the film? Has he still got the same spirit in him and where had her father gone??? :brickwall
I posted a similar thread about 6 months ago. I absolutley love this movie, it's great.
There were quite a few others who shared my opinions, if the search facility was working I'd post a link to the thread.
At the end of the movie, Joe Black takes Anthony Hopkins character to the afterlife with him. He then returns the spirit of the body he took back to the body and this is why at the end when he comes back over the bridge he doesnt realy know whats going on. Claire Forlani's Character kind of puts two and two together. It's very sad. :(
But I gues at the end of the movie they both help eachother and death also decides to return the proper spirit to the body as this can make Claire Forlani's character happy.
Sorry but I have forgotton the character names!
What a great movie... :)
glad you enjoyed it. i thought it was awful, syrupy sentimental claptrap.
Well each to their own... :rolleyes:
SOUNDSTYLE
15-01-2002, 12:44
Thanks for your reply Pythons.
I watched it on my own, and I think it's a film which should be watched in this way.
Whoever didn't like it for whatever reason: Were you watching it with a number of people?
Or perhaps Pythons and me are soft ************:D
cjbarker
15-01-2002, 12:56
I saw this film a few weeks ago on TV and loved it, but I have a couple of questions.
What happens to Joe's body after the cars hit him? Does it just disappear? If so, doesn't anyone notice?
When Joe comes back (after being run down) why doesn’t he have any injuries?
At the end of the film, a lot of people see the two walk over the bridge and only Joe comes back. Surely there is a dead body at the other side. Wouldn't this be a bit suspicious?
Maybe the whole point was to leave questions unanswered... 2001 anyone?
Originally posted by cjbarker
I saw this film a few weeks ago on TV and loved it, but I have a couple of questions.
What happens to Joe's body after the cars hit him? Does it just disappear? If so, doesn't anyone notice?
When Joe comes back (after being run down) why doesn’t he have any injuries?
At the end of the film, a lot of people see the two walk over the bridge and only Joe comes back. Surely there is a dead body at the other side. Wouldn't this be a bit suspicious?
Maybe the whole point was to leave questions unanswered... 2001 anyone?
artistic licence I guess.. :)
I too enjoyed Meet Joe Black. I saw it on the original cinema release, when critics in general were quite dismissive. It is very slow, but sometimes that's OK.
I didn't think the story was really quite so challenging. Why does noone notice the lawyer's messy death, and why doesn't he have any injuries when he reappears? Quide liderally - it's magic. This is a fantasy film in which Death, actually the process of entropy in action, steals a body and walks the earth. Not everything is going to have a tidy real world explanation. The death of the lawyer is a McGuffin to give Joe a body, there isn't the narrative requirement for a bloody smear on the tarmac and 10 minutes of ER action.
From what I remember of the ending, all it "means" is that Anthony Hopkins's character dies, that he finally accepts this is a natural part of the life process, and he's happy that his daughter will have a life afterwards. As far as I remember the girl also realises it's OK to have fallen for Joe Black, that he's not actually killing her father or responsible for it in any way. Basically it's a three-hanky tearjerker, everyone gets to grow as a person, with the standard Holywood morality that says everyone rich, sad and beautiful gets what they deserve.
I've got this on video, it's one of the 30 Vids/DVD's that I own that I've never seen, though it's in good company - I've had Magnolia for 13 months but not had the time to watch it.
Meet Joe Black was a film that appealed to me straight away, and almost all the time that is a good sign that I'll really like it - hence why I bought it!
But the reviews, and the general criticisms of it's 3hr 19mins running time has put me off. General consensus at the time was of the opinion that if it was edited to 2/2.5hrs it would have been really good.
But still, I'm glad to see some of the good views on it - maybe I'll move it up the pecking order....
Oh and Magnolia. another film criticised by some loved by others..
Magnolia is a superb film, I reckon you should watch it as soon as you get a chance! :)
Mr Dubby
22-01-2002, 13:57
I feel like I'm raising this one from the dead but then again I never venture into the review forums and was surprised to see one of my favourite films of all time here!
Thought provoking, spellbinding and generally enthralling throughout...3 hours was over in no time at all - Brad Pitt crafted his character perfectly, cool, calculated and at the same time chilling - not often 'Death' is seen as the 'good guy'.
Worth watching again and again..
right I'm off to find what I came for.....a review of Memento!
Originally posted by Mr Dubby
right I'm off to find what I came for.....a review of Memento!
Spooky mate, thats exactly what I was looking for when I came across this, thought it was the original longer thread resurrected. Anyway still not made my mind up about MJB and its been a month or so, which probably means I'll have to watch it again. The ending annoyed me as well because it seemed to much of a reach for Claire Forlani's character to just stroll of arm in arm with her new beau when her dad was over the bridge dead..... Still, a very sedately heavily directed film, which is good.. I think.
Now wheres that memento spoiler thread, there must be one.... :)
tj_director
23-01-2002, 13:25
a film i was forced to watch by my mate.. i fell asleep during the show (although missed sleep night before).. and thought what a boring film... but watched it again, alone on DVD.. and i must say i really liked it. One of those films that is so much better at home... :)
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