MovieChat Forums > Monsieur Hire Discussion > What was up with the mice? (possible spo...

What was up with the mice? (possible spoilers)


I just watched this movie and loved it, I can't believe I overlooked it for so long. I returned it to Netflix, but haven't been able to find a discussion about the significance of the white mice seen in 2 scenes of the movie. One reviewer was offended by the death of one or more of them, and I've seen a discussion about how M. Hire's "burial at sea" of one dead mouse was meant to make him a more sympathetic figure, but what was up at the end with releasing the mice on the train tracks? And whose mice were they, anyway? Thanks for any light anyone can cast on this

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I find the mice issue to be one of the most confusing about this film. As you say, did he kill the white mouse or did he simply bury a dead one. (Releasing the live mice over the rail tracks is also puzzling.)

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I actually viewed this film for my french class last year and will again for my film class but the mice are part of the 'parasitic' france, the untouchables who no one understands or wants around, they are constantly being set as a symbol for M. Hire. He releases them symbolically on a train train because of what trains represent; time, the promise of a new destination, but more significantly they have the possibility to be free or to be killed...it is a matter of chance...will the train kill them? the mice represent Hire and his situation as they are constantly juxtaposed with the episodes in his current situation

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Interesting, glittergal522. Merci. A good movie that, BTW.

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I'm not satisfied by that explanation, although I'm not saying it's wrong. I just saw this movie, so I'll look into the book. Maybe it's more clear in that.

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