MovieChat Forums > The Hitcher (1986) Discussion > Significance of the coins in the eyes

Significance of the coins in the eyes

posted 12 years ago by dcobbimdb
6 replies | jump to latest

Love this movie, haven't seen it in years and then caught it on hbogo just now. In any case when they are in the diner and John puts those coins in Jim's eyes, what is that supposed to symbolize or mean?

I know with some religions it's to pay to ferry the dead into the afterlife, which isn't really applicable here. Another symbol of coins in eyes is death, which I suppose could be it, and lastly would be to keep eyelids of the dead closed, which again wouldn't be the case here

Unless it's meant to symbolize Jim transitioning or ferrying into a man with the ability to kill another man, a trait which he did not have before meeting John? Curious what did others get out of this?

Could it have been Jim was 2 cents short of his coffee bill and John was just being a good guy helping him out? eh... Maybe not

[–] Littlebitsofgaming 12 years ago

I know with some religions it's to pay to ferry the dead into the afterlife, which isn't really applicable here.

Why is it not "applicable here"?

Jesus died for our sins. As he's already dead...sin away.

[–] porkjelly 12 years ago

Could it have been Jim was 2 cents short of his coffee bill and John was just being a good guy helping him out? eh... Maybe not

Heheh...I got a chuckle out of this. Thanks o-)

[–] eoval 12 years ago

My take was that the coins were a symbolic "you're going to be dead," as in keeping the eyes of the dead closed would be in Jim's near future.

The trouble with Socialism is that someone else always gets to determine what's fair

[–] SpecialAgentScully 11 years ago

I thought putting coins on dead people's eyelids was something they used to do to keep their eyes from accidentally opening again when the body is moved. I'm sure I've seen it in old Western films after a duel in the street - some bystander would put pennies on the eyes of the dead person lying there. It's only pennies because nickels and dimes are too expensive! So John was simply saying to Jim, "You're as good as dead right now, IF I decide to kill you."

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. -Edison

[–] chris-1692 7 years ago

By doing this, John is saying to Jim that he's already dead, in a figurative sense.

[–] PaladinNJ (20310) 6 years ago

That's how I read it as well.