MovieChat Forums > Brain Dead (1990) Discussion > Well, it really doesn't make sense

Well, it really doesn't make sense

posted 16 years ago by b_pratt
9 replies | jump to latest

Mind you I have seen this innumerable times and the thing that I have noticed is that every time you watch it, WHILE you watch it you will keep going (over and over) "Oh! Now I get it!" At least until you come to the end of the film and try and put the whole thing back together. That is when it becomes like nailing Jello to the wall. It's just kind of a mess.

Mind you, I absolutely love this film though. I give it a 9 and will watch it repeatedly because it almost always seems like a different film.

Another film that I find has this same effect is the original DOA. Seems to make sense until it ends, but then you really can't quite put all the pieces back together. Another excellent film. And this one practically defines 'noir'.

The Big Sleep comes close to the same effect, but it is just difficult, not impossible, to put back together. (helps that the book makes sense)

And yes, the theme song at the end is really catchy. And also, this would be an interesting experience on LSD.

[–] itekisan 15 years ago

Huh? To me it makes perfect sense.

SPOILER

The movie plays in the real world until the moment Dr. Martin meets the beggar on the street and the car accident occurs. From then on it's Dr. Martin's imagination in coma, until he is eventually operated and dies at the very end of the movie. (Where it goes back to his imagination for a few scenes, of course.) The butterfly in the last scene with his dead body I regard as only a metaphorical device of the director.
To me, the main message of the movie is that the surgeon's "At least he didn't feel anything." is a ridiculous statement considering what he 'felt' in his nightmares due to his brain trauma.

[–] JarethNomak 15 years ago

the surgeon refers to the fact, that he did not feel any pain! are you sure the accident is the beginning of his coma? what if it started already at the beginning, there are some strange oddities early on, just think about those! i have to admit i only watched it once, yet! but i will go into repeat uses!;)
togheter with Jacob's Ladder and Dellamorte Dellamore (Cemetery Man) this piece is one of the most intriguing subjects i have seen within the movie subject matter! good movies like these are hard to find! the fact that it riffs on the b side on purpose takes a little of the edge of the matter itself and helps to get a little more comfortable with it!

[–] Alfabeta 15 years ago

First of all the surgent's line is supposed to be an ironic joke by the screenwriter (surgent thinks that the doctor felt no pain, but as we saw he in fact went through hell and back). The film is full of quirky lines and is very selfaware (which adds to it's charm). Second of all, only Dellamore has an open structure. BD and Jacob end with an explicit clarity. They die, and everything else (except the very begining) was a nightmare trip of their mind, based on their experiences and fears, while it was dying off.

[–] stillanotherharris 14 years ago

And also, the shark was fncking cool.

Some people get the idea of double agent confused with double penetration.

[–] TheChoccyStarfish 14 years ago

There was also a very clear symbol near the beginning when the camera zooms in on the jarred brain smashing to the pavement implying the Doctor's state of consciousness. Of course, we still have to wait for the reveal at the end!

An underrated classic of B-cinema that surpasses it's A-cinema counterparts (which are usually only attempted many years later). Bill Pullman also ends up in 'Lost Highway', of course.

Revelation Below!!!!:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusory_superiority

[–] stanleyhetz 12 years ago

The movie plays in the real world until the moment Dr. Martin meets the beggar on the street and the car accident occurs. From then on it's Dr. Martin's imagination in coma, until he is eventually operated and dies at the very end of the movie. (Where it goes back to his imagination for a few scenes, of course.) The butterfly in the last scene with his dead body I regard as only a metaphorical device of the director.
To me, the main message of the movie is that the surgeon's "At least he didn't feel anything." is a ridiculous statement considering what he 'felt' in his nightmares due to his brain trauma.

I think you've got it figured out. That's also how I've always interpreted this classic masterpiece!

[–] lpd42 11 years ago

I always thought the accident really occured before the beginning of the film, and the entire movie was in his coma, the "reality" wavering bit by bit.

[–] boramaster 11 years ago

hehehehehehe :-0) See? Precisely what I meant at the start of this. The movie is totally open to interpretation. Refer to 'Jello'/'wall'.

[–] PenalColony 11 years ago

I had an interesting thought about this movie, and I think it may disprove your theory. Keep in mind this is in the spirit of discussion, not that I'm necessarily right and you're wrong:

Martin's introduction to Halsey (the "original", Bud Cort Halsey) in the mental hospital happens BEFORE the car accident, correct? If so, consider this-- Martin is fully aware that Halsey is a paranoid schizophrenic. Halsey in fact demonstrates a few obvious indicators, such as when he freaks out that Martin is working for Eunice. However, when Martin informs Halsey that he'd like to do a surgical procedure to examine his brain, he seems perfectly fine with that.

To me, that just doesn't add up. Compare Halsey's reaction with the street beggar who thinks Martin is carrying the beggar's brain around in a jar and fights him for it. Would a true paranoid schizophrenic really be so cooperative to having his brain physically messed with?

Just another layer to think about in this flick, which is one of my favorites.