In the scene where Byron and Tobias are talking about the new book and Byron is making suggestions about how to make it better, you can see a copy of "Hitler's Child" sitting on top of Tobias' library.
Unless I missed it, I don't recall Byron giving him the book or even mentioning that he had been published.
Maybe the whole thing was a setup and planned from the start?
Could be, I never noticed that before either, your so right. I just watched that scene again and there is was sitting right on top of the mantle. He even walks over to the mantle to pick up drink that is sitting there, but neither one of them ever mentioned it, but I think it was supposed to be noticed. How observant of you.
shareI always did think Tobias and his wife had been looking for a gigalo with literary talents to help them with their respective problems, and that Luther Fox jumped at the opportunity when he found out the Byron was a writer.
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*** WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS ***
The minute I saw the copy of Hitler's Child on Tobias' shelf, I knew something was up. Then one night he decides to sleep with his wife?! Mmmmmm.. What totally surprised me was that Byron didn't notice it, since he had the same POV as the camera. If we saw it, why didn't he? It soon became obvious that Byron was a victim of a scam, conceived to perpetuate Tobias' reputation after his death. I question whether Luther had a hand in it. Perhaps he knew of Byron's office across the hall, just as Byron knew of Elysian Fields. Perhaps Luther asked the bartender in the local bar about Byron and discovered he was a writer, and went from there. The DVD doesn't reveal too much since there are no deleted scenes included. The interviews don't really reveal too much either. I guess it's left up to the audience to figure out the lineage of the scam.
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I did notice, but my first impression was that perhaps his wife had picked up a copy after he entered their world, not before. But you could be right.
shareGood spot. 13 yrs later. I'm watching this for the 4th time (I actually saw in the theater) and I don't think I ever saw that. Brings an interesting twist. I did also notice that twice they showed the Capital records building (Geffen=Satan) prominently in the backdrop, further symbolizing whoring out and exploitation in an industry that uses unnamed talent to sell other (actors) records, as well as the heresay whoring out to get a record deal, selling your soul to the devil, plagiarising other work, selling phony dreams, shoddy record deals, used & discarded talent...take your pick. I don't think it's any coincidence.
I think you're right. It was planned from the start. Olivia Williams was the Black Widow seductress preying on the needy Tiller, via her network of contacts. The novel they argue over writing together also discusses slavery and exploiting one class of people. Just a microcosim of the world.