MovieChat Forums > The Doom Generation (1995) Discussion > Epic Subtext in a Trashy Film???

Epic Subtext in a Trashy Film???


When i first watched this i was like what the ****??? But the movie made a lasting impression on me. I loved the overblown homoerotic references (despite being straight) and the doom inspired attitude. However, the more i watch it, the more interested i become in what is going on in the subtext. Here is my most recent theory, feel free to comment:

At first i thought Amy Blue was the human of the piece and Xavier Red was Satan personified/demon and Jordan White was a Jesus character/angel. It seemed to me as the film proceeds they fight for Amy's soul.

But... having watched the film a lot more now i am starting to think maybe Xavier is the human and he just stumbles across this Demon(Amy)/Angel(Jordan) odd couple, who then proceed to fight for his soul through words and temptations. It makes more sense for Amy to be the demon because all the people recognising her could be people she has tempted and screwed over in the past. (But that bit is a rough at the moment).

Thoughts??? Comments???


Dr. Lilian Thurman: The search for God is absurd?
Donnie: It is if everyone dies alone.

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VERY interesting...Im going to buy this DVD (as I have not seen it since like 96-97) and watch it again. Then i'll let ya know what I think.

Steve

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Good man...

Dr. Lilian Thurman: The search for God is absurd?
Donnie: It is if everyone dies alone.

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Amy is somewhere between Jordan and Xavier, she's as good as Jordan but she covers it up by being obnoxious. And I don't think those people actually knew Amy.

So I disagree with the entirety of your post. ;)

"I'll be in my bunk."

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'Amy is somewhere between Jordan and Xavier'

So surely, from your point of view, the theory where she is human fits perfectly.

Dr. Lilian Thurman: The search for God is absurd?
Donnie: It is if everyone dies alone.

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Ah, I must have skipped over that one. So yes, that makes sense! Although being an agnostic I tend to dislike using or reading religious symbolism into things.

"I'll be in my bunk."

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This is exactly how I have always thought of the movie. It's quite obvious - the number 666 showing up so many times, Amy refering to X as "devil" or "demon" (i can't remember which), the angelic naivete of Jordan. They gay-bashers for me also had religious overtones, since gay-bashing is sometimes, some would say often, done in the name of religion. How ironic that Jordan was the one killed, when X was the one with homosexual tendencies. I think that the fact that Amy ends up with X completes the movie, leaving you with a sense of hopelessness, the knowledge that evil will prevail, and the realization that evil might not actually be as evil as you think (after all, even though X was the catalyst for all of the violence and death, he did try to help Amy and Jordan in each situation, and in the end is seen as more of a victim when the gay-bashers show up).

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I don't think there's anything ironic about Jordan being killed--he was the most pure of the three, and so the least likely to survive in the bizarre post-apocalyptic world the movie is set in. Makes sense that he's the one who dies.

"I'll be in my bunk."

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I didn't even realise he was killed.i knew SOMETHING happened but the flasshing light really put me off and i thought he was in the back of the car at the end,laying down.
I need to wipe my eyes and look again i guess

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I agree with yellowskylark. I never thought of it that way.

I am. I was.

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The movie is a satire of our Armageddon obsessed, Apocalypse humping culture. The end times have been shoved down our throats for so long that we are making it happen.

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Let me begin by saying that I am a huge fan of this film and Gregg Araki's other films. There is all kinds of subtext going on in this film. I see this film as a commentary on the youth of America and how they are viewed by not only the media but also "Christian America". Amy is mistaken over and over for someone else everywhere they go. This to me seems to allude to the steroetyping of teens in America. They are seen as the same. They don't have any sort of identity in the eyes of their elders.

I also think that the violence, gore, and sex are a comment on the desensitising of Amlierica through the media. The film climaxes when Amy is raped by a statue of the virgin mary. This symbolizes the power and hypocritical nature of christianity in American society. The fact that it has no effect on Amy is an even more powerful image. The nazis at the end of the film symbolize white america and their values that they try to force on others. This is seen with the rape of Amy and the castration of Jordan because they think he is a homosexual.

I could go on and on about this film. I liked it so much I bought it and its counterparts. I love this film the most because it makes you think and everytime you watch it you can get a new message or find new meanings. Araki is a genious!!!

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I definitely agree with randalpf's post. While I'm relatively new to Gregg Araki, having just watched this film and 'Mysterious Skin' a few months ago, he's quickly becoming one of my favorite film makers. I find it disappointing that this film has such a low rating because it will discourage people from checking it out. The only reason I gave a sub-5.0 movie a shot was because it was Araki's work.

I know that Jordan is supposed to be the naive, angelic figure, which is why he's an endearing character. But I don't think either Xavier or Amy is necessarily evil. They're both dominant whereas Jordan is submissive, so I see it as a power struggle for control over Jordan that ended in both of them losing out. It does disappoint me that Xavier and Jordan never have sex without Amy's presence to seal his victory over hers since he was the one who seemed to be in control.

Also, any other movies y'all would recommend to me since I liked this one? Also, I didn't have difficulty with the strong presence of sex and violence in the movie, so give me your best shot.

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See Performance (1970) then, Mick Jagger is in it; the movies aren't even alike, but I don't know: you might like it.

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I'm 23 and have a degree in English Literature. Bite me.

Dr. Lilian Thurman: The search for God is absurd?
Donnie: It is if everyone dies alone.

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"i could make up some really wild *beep* right now and make it work.."
go on then.

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That's a pretty interesting take on it. I'd love to pick apart every scene in this puppy, SO much interesting symbolism.

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[deleted]

I like your points. I view it as being red, white & blue (the colours of the american flag). The characters are all very different but they come together for the greater good and work as a whole. Of course we can't miss the 666 everywhere. I view it as american youth is going to hell AKA the doom generation, but maybe thats just me.

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