MovieChat Forums > Blue Car (2003) Discussion > Which do you think upset her more? (spoi...

Which do you think upset her more? (spoilers)

posted 18 years ago by rainbow_cupcake
9 replies | jump to latest

Hi,

I have a med school exam on Monday so should technically be studying, but I saw this movie last night on the BBC and I found it really quite moving, in fact it's been in my head all day! I was just wondering what people thought upset Meg the most when she was reading her poem at the end: the fact that her teacher was a fraud and that he'd lied about writing a book, or the fact that he'd seduced her (and by the looks of it did things she was pretty uncomfortable with!) when she'd turned to him for comfort, and then buggered off to his wife.

Or maybe it's both?

[–] veganartist 18 years ago

I think it was finding out he'd lied about the book that upset her the most - she looked up to him as a mentor so much. Obviously the seducing part didn't help - she really did not seem to enjoy that - just went along with it to please him, maybe. She wanted his affection and that seemed the way to get it. I think she saw him as a substitute dad, which is why the sex scene was so painful to watch.
In her poem she says thanks for the leaving so even though maybe it hurt her (or did it?) when he left, it helped her grow out of her feelings for him.
By the way - Lyra Silvertongue is so great! Was trying to find a His Dark Materials chatroom the other day, but no luck so far.

[–] philjama 18 years ago

I reckon you've both reached pretty much the conclusion that anyone watching this film should.
The seduction scene was so discomfiting. As you say she appeared to go along it simply because someone who she admired and relied upon for apparent emotional support wanted her. I wanted to shout at the screen, "don't so it!!"

Did Auster leave (in an emotional sense?) Meg to return to his family? Not sure, I think the unbalanced relationship ended in an inevitably unpleasant way and could go nowhere thereafter. I think the reading of the poem at the end conveyed Meg's contempt of Auster, his no longer being part of her life is something she'll always be glad of. I don't know whether the seduction or the lies upset her more, what mattered most was that in combination they opened her eyes to him, allowing her to move on without her over reliance on Auster.

[–] ARH 16 years ago

I think the two things were too connected to reduce it to just one of them. I think when she saw that he lied about the book she realized that he just manipulated her to get her into bed.

[–] ShrinkMD 14 years ago

I somewhat disagree. If you watch the scene where Meg asks Auster to read an excerpt from his novel, he looks confused; indeed he asks "what novel?" She then says that her friend told her. I think at this point he was too embarrassed to admit the truth but you can see how uneasy he was reading the Rilke poem and how uncomfortable it made him when she told him it was beautiful. Most people would respond with a thank you; he simply nodded and frowned.

In light of this, I don't think he manipulated her just to sleep with her. I think he had a true platonic fondness for her that evolved into a sexual attraction as she became closer to him. He tried to control himself ("I wish I could show you how I feel" and his running out of the room just after she starts nuzzling his neck), but eventually proves to be human and incapable of controlling his feelings. I'm not justifying his actions and as the person in the position of power and experience I think what he did was reprehensible, but I feel more sorry for him than disgusted.

[–] jescci 14 years ago

I find it interesting that when she was attracted to him most - when he provided gentle comfort for her emotional neediness - he found the strength ot resist her. When he was attracted to her most - during his lusty, pathetic neediness - she was virtually indifferent. She had the reasons mentioned above to be upset with him. But on some I think she was also upset - even as they "made love" - that he turned out to be ordinary and imperfect. Like her father. And her mother too for that matter.

[–] timlin-4 12 years ago

Girl is kind dumb not to notice that when a guy is reading his "book" that it is a poem! If there was some great writing there she probably would have gone back for more pitiful sex, but as it is she realized she wanted him as a father, and that an old public school teacher does not measure up as a man.

[–] Tracey73 9 years ago

Well said, Shrink!

The beauty is I'm learning how to face my beast ~ Blue October

[–] Zando777 11 years ago

Why do people keep calling this a "seduction"? He practically forced himself on her, and she just felt too bad/obligated to say no. And how could any man that age be so sexually incompetent as to not even prepare her? If he *had* actually seduced her, she would've likely enjoyed it, and not been so upset by it.

Reading the blank novel just confirmed this guy was a complete fraud. If he really cared about her, he would've at least made proper love to her, instead of treating her like a $5 whore. The blank novel just confirmed how lame he was.

[–] VelvetVoice 10 years ago

I agree with you Zando. A$$hole. He didnt even give her good advice about her work. And he didn't know that she didn't have money? Come on! She was desperate to have someone care about her, resorting to stealing, lying, and sex with a teacher, and she ends up with nothing except a damaged psyche. This dude needs some killing, because he is a serial predator.

Velvet Voice