Interpretation of the ending

All I know is I was so bored during this movie, I turned to the person I was w/ and said, "the only way this movie can redeem itself is if a guy comes out of nowhere and kills everyone."

And then, lo and behold, it happened.

You know, I absolutely despised this movie but your interpretation of the ending actually makes more sense, and makes the movie itself a bit more palatable. I saw Fat Girl in an art house type NYC movie theater and mostly everyone was grumbling about it afterwards -- boring and drawn out, gratuitous sex, nudity, violence, unrealistic and cringe-worthy dialog. In fact, when we got out to the street, one guy yelled out "Whatever you do New York, do not go to see Fat Girl!".

Don't try too hard to interpret this movie. I think it all happened and Mullholand Dr. had nothing to do with Fantasy and imagination. you can't really compare Mullholand with this movie.

My life isn't any better than yours.

Well, I just watched this on FilmFour in the UK and unfortunately The British Film Board passed the film uncut for cinematic release but cut the rape scene at the end for home viewing (DVD, VHS and broadcast) because they believed that if the scene were ever isolated from the film, it could encourage paedophiles to groom young girls. Or something. Honestly, I think the only way their concerns would be justified is if you take the ending as a wish fulfilling daydream of Anais'. Breillat is a first-class provocateur so I'm sure the intention is for it to be open for interpretation; and, equally, not to have to explain her work.

If the ending is taken literally, it's fairly unsatisfying. But I think the build up on the highway w/ Anais vomiting, her mother playing loud music and disregarding her daughter's feelings, her calling attention to Anais' hunger, etc., makes it clear that Anais is in a pretty agitated state. I mean, it's a film about pre-pubescent girls throwing themselves head-long into their budding sexuality, not a film about violence at highway rest stops. Aside from her childish, revenge fantasy tag line ("Don't believe me if you don't want to..."), there's also clearly something of a smile on the face of her dead sister's body (among other details) which defies the ultra-realism of the rest of the film. Clearly there's a separation there but Breillat's not going to be overly obvious about it. What makes it a powerful ending is the mind of the young girl and how she is processing a tempestuous mix of feelings about herself, her sexuality, her sister, her mother, etc. To be like, "Oh well, I guess they all died then," pretty much misses the point.

I've seen Breillat's Romance and thought, as a film, it was a bunch of pretentious rubbish but this film shows a real maturity for her as an artist. I thought it was excellent. Makes me want to check out some of her more recent work.

Okay,
SO i didnt have the interpretation you had initially and then went back to watch the butcher scene.

It makes more sense. There is a great deal of time that passes that the mother does nothing when the windshield is broken and the first daughter killed. Then the killer looking at the girl. Then, the scene cuts to the girl pissing. Then, quick cut to the mother being choked. completely against the films previous realism. The mother doing nothing-no movement, nothing, all that time? goes into the theory that it's all in her mind.

Thought then, that the little girl watches--she is the voyeur the whole time. She watches the man butcher her sister (penetrate her face with the phallic axe) and then kill her mother. She clearly decides that he is not into her and "casually" gets out of the car. Then, he ends up "wanting" her.

Very thought provoking.

I felt it was pretty reasonable deduction myself. No Mullholland Dr. fantasies involved. The only thing that bothered me or that I kept questioning, because I knew something was going to happen once they set off to driving ... was that man after Anais or what? I thought originally they would kill the sister to show that her side of the coin wasn't all perfect either. She had a guy who obviously just wanted to hit it, so being beautiful could get you into danger in many ways. So when the guy raped the sister I felt like he got off on killing the pretty one and then spur of the moment took pity on the fat one and raped her or used her as a vehicle to climax if you know what I mean. I don't know ...

I'm still mentally toying with this one.

very weird movie











http://www.imdb.com/list/FKYHx6LoPgo/

My understanding is that to Anais what the murderer has done to her sexually is so much less disturbing than the "sex" her older sister has endured that it couldn't possibly be rape. I think this is a point the director's making about the private violence of certain male attitudes towards sex.