Did it appearing before Ben and Aunt Elizabeth symbolise that his aunt went to hell or just passed away.
shareIn my opinion, just passed away. It was like he was just representing the Grim Reaper or something coming for the aunt. Ben was always freaked out by him perhaps because he always associated him with death.
share[deleted]
Why would you think it symbolized her going to hell? The driver merely represented Death, nothing more. Elizabeth was in pain because of her failing health, which was the result of the evil that was feeding on her and the family. She was scared and upset because of how Marion had treated her, and she knows at this point that something is very wrong with the house. It is too late, though. Nothing here suggests her going to hell.
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I am not a fan. I just happen to enjoy movies. Fans are embarrassing.
I agree with every one that it is death and not the devil but it might have some kind of relevance what the OP said because the picture at the end represents they are trapped for eternity in some way in that house which could very well be some version of hell.
shareI don't really agree with that. The photos are nothing more than trophies, a part of Mother Allerdyce's collection. She is the malevolent spirit at work here. She may feed on their life force, but nothing suggests that she collects souls as prisoners.
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I am not a fan. I just happen to enjoy movies. Fans are embarrassing.
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The pictures could also be there to tell us the audience they aren't the first victims.
I remember reading that the writer of the film said that ultimately, the driver (Anthony James) represents the malevolent spirit of the house using Ben's memory of his Mom's funeral to haunt him.
Here's an interesting quote I found on another movie site about the film:
"The haunting flashbacks that Ben Rolf has about the creepy chauffeur were based on an actual childhood experience of Dan Curtis. Curtis recalled as a young child being at his mother's funeral and seeing a group of chauffeurs laughing outside of the funeral parlor which disturbed him deeply. He wrote the memory into the film, and the chauffeur became a most eerie character."
Anyone else recognize the actor playing the chauffeur?
He played Ralph, the killer in "In the Heat of the Night."
That smile is unforgettable.
RIP Anthony James.