why? spoliers


did he kill himself?

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[deleted]

I'm not just referring to the film but in all cases, a person takes there own life when they think its the only way. Living for them is unbearable even if to those around them it doesn't seem that way. You can be of any age, social status, etc. and feel so helpless, overwhelmed, ashamed that its better to be dead than to feel what there feeling.

And if your wondering why only few commit suicide while most don't, than you need to also ask why only few commit murder or rape. Suicide is a violence just like all other crimes except its toward the self. There are causes which leads people to do all acts of violence but there often indirect and inconspicuous.

All violence is a tragedy and murder(towards others or the self) is often the most tragic of all.

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I think that is what the movie's main theme was ..in real life when someone commits suicide, when those around him/ her try to piece the reasons why that is all they can do. They never get to know why he did and can only speculate and live through the pain of the persons passing and this is what they were showing in the movie.

the triumph of a suicider..is that they left their body there

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I think the not knowing exactly why is the reason I love this movie even more and makes it so much more messed up. David didn't seem to exhibit the basic characteristics of someone who's depressed. To everyone around him, he seemed to have it all together and was destined to go on to good things with his music and life. Perhaps if he seemed depressed to everyone, they could have said ok, I know why he did it or maybe would have spoken to him and tried to help him before he committed suicide. But no, he internalized it all; instead of turning to someone for help until I guess he felt he couldn't take it anymore. It's so scary how sometimes you never know what goes on in someone's head. What's behind the smile that they give you as you pass them on the street, that type of thing. Great, great movie by the way.

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movielovrr916^

Spot on! 




"Much communication in a motion, without conversation or a notion"

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He was tired of being pressured by everyone and couldn't deal with it. That's how I read it.

I'm happiest...in the saddle.

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I dedicate occasional 80’s nostalgia moments over the weekends. This movie will never make it into that special 80’s memorabilia corner, but still deserved to be played and to recollect its value. I can now confirm that I don’t find it any more special then back to golden 80’s. But, since I’ve just finished watching this movie, at least I can rationalize motives of his death.

Whether this was due to undeveloped script or deliberately changed with story... I don’t know. However, omit the pressure, since his first scene he was wearing a very heavy red lipstic! Not just lips, eyes also! In fact, since I’ve only seen this movie once, I thought into the story, this side of his character would be explained. Watch for yourself, if you are careful observer you can’t miss this. I mention this if you only have VHS and not in mercy of good picture. His eyes have decent (compared to lips) but clealry visible eye makup pronunced.

Why director made this unexplained I have no idea. I'm not talking usual 80's new romantic makeup! Because others would have pronounce their presence in the same way. But they don't!

Also, that kid he recommended for orchestration, he wanted to engage conversation just before his demise. Some kind of truth talk, to reveal something. Just before that kid was fixing his hair for performance, he gave him a very strange look. Ambivalent in sense of sexuality. So those leads trigger allusion of hidden homosexuality that he can’t reveal to anyone.

Don’t forget the scene with his girlfriend in bed and benign explanation of their relationship while in the same bed. Not that this makes any difference, but this motive is very clear from the start.

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I like my theory better, sorry.

I'm happiest...in the saddle.

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i agree with you, i think he struggled with being gay

it hit me during the stage rehearsal scene with all the gay show tunes and such


-----------------------------------
"Where.... can I put my ash?"

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huh...I'm half-watching it right now. I'm gonna hafta TiVo it and check it out to see if I agree with you...but it's an interesting theory. If it's true, I think I understand Lou Reed's presence now...I was thinking it was just random, and Lou chose to do the movie cuz he was in the midst of a comeback, but now you got me thinking...cuz as we all know, Lou has always climbed both sides of that fence, and he's certainly an idol to many aspiring musicians...

also, apropos of nothing, but I was listening to "Sixteen Blue" by The Replacements last week, and, since Paul Westerberg kinda mumbles some of the lyrics, I looked 'em up, and...they're about a kid questioning whether he's gay or not...and, although The Replacements were never a commercial success, they wanted to be (at least they said they did...they also did many things to sabotage it)...and, I thought, this was a bold statement to make in 1984...and, thinking about 'Permanent Record', if your theory is correct, questioning your sexuality in 1987 or 88 woulda been a HUGE deal (not that it isn't now, but times are different, I guess, depending on where you live)...and, since The Replacements were on the macho side, it makes me wonder if this wasn't a common thing in the 80s, and I just missed it. Does anybody who grew up in the 80s remember friends (or yourselves) questioning their sexuality? It doesn't seem like it'd be easy to spot, but Paul Westerberg saw it (unless he was singing about himself...but I don't think so)...it just seems to kinda dovetail, in my ,mind at least, with your theory about 'Permanent Record', considering the time and all (Gen X coming to the fore)...

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[deleted]

Because he didn't think he could deal with the pressures he was facing at that moment of his life.

Which is pretty much why anyone kills himself.


I think the fact that this was such a shockingly realistic portrayal of suicide is one of the reasons that the film didn't gain a wider audience. The fact that the suicide was unexplained - like many real suicides - was probably off-putting to many people who wanted something much more tame and painless.


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