MovieChat Forums > Haute tension (2005) Discussion > Does no one understand the twist?

Does no one understand the twist?

posted 10 years ago by to_the_ark
23 replies | jump to latest

It appears as though not a single thread on this board has the easiest explanation (I apologize if someone has already given this explanation) for this film's ending.

(I am fully aware that the whole "explain the twist" thing has been said countless times, but please bare with me.)

Let me begin:

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The events of this film are not reality versus hallucination.

NOTE: The opening scene, where Marie asks, "Is it recording?" (Or something to that effect.)

ALSO NOTE: By her asking this, she is intending to give HER OWN version of the upcoming events.

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To the twist:

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The police view the security footage. Marie is seen murdering the station attendant. Cut to:

Alex in the truck. Marie opens the back and frees her. Immediately, Alex is hostile. Alex blames Marie for her relative's murders, and we see Marie commit the acts.

NOTE: This does not mean the events of the film thus far have been a hallucination.

ALSO NOTE: We have now heard two testimonies. One from Marie and one from Alex. However, we are also given evidence that Alex's testimony is true. (From the security footage.)

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The chase scene:

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Alex stabs Marie and runs off into the forest. We see - instead of Marie - the film's primary murderer remove the knife, get the circular saw, and chase after Alex.

NOTE: The introduction of truth conflict. We have been given two stories, and have also been told which to believe. But since we aren't fully certain of the whether or not Marie is guilty, both sides of the story fight for dominance.

Intercuts show Alex being chased by Marie and the madman simultaneously.

NOTE: How Alex's POV (point of view) never changes, but Marie's POV does. Once again we are given evidence as to who to believe.

The entire sequence plays out. Marie is revealed to love Alex, and "won't let anyone come between us anymore". We are given her motive, and once again given even more evidence that Marie has LIED about what happens over the course of the film.

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The last scene:

If everything before this didn't convince you that the true story is Alex's and that Marie has lied, then this blatantly states it.

THE EVENTS OF THE ENTIRE FILM ARE A CONFLICT BETWEEN TWO GIVEN STORIES, NOT REALITY VERSUS HALLUCINATION.

Marie gives what she believes to be true, not what actually happens. Up until the police footage, everything we see is what we are supposed to believe. And it is then that we realize Marie is simply lying - even if she may not.

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Thanks for taking the time to read this. Love this film to death. 10/10.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] Thrashman88 10 years ago

Nice explanation. It isn't as apparent at first glance. The only thing that left me clueless was not knowing the reason that triggered Marie's bipolarity. We just see her go off, but no explanations or hints are ever given as to why she flipped out that bad. When watching Alex and Marie's relationship at the beginning, it is rather obvious that both have been friends for many years, they knew each other pretty well. There are no hints at all that would lead us to think Marie is gay (except maybe, the shower scene), or that she suffered from some mental problem.

That's the only thing that left me unsatisfied, the killer's motivation. Hell, even Jason from FRIDAY THE 13TH had a motivation (avenging his mother) but there's no such thing in HAUTE TENSION. I think the movie, despite the over the top gore, would've fared much better if such a hint or explanation had been given.

Stay Punk!

[–] to_the_ark 10 years ago

The only explanation I can come up with as to her motive is that she wants Alex to herself. She wants to be the only person who loves Alex and no one else. During the scene where Alex and Marie arrive at the house, there are a few shots that focus on Marie's facial expressions as Alex meets her parents and she seems very disconnected, almost jealous, that Alex is loved by someone other than herself.

It isn't stated in the film, but it's like someone coming out of the closet. He/she doesn't really know when they're going to express their true feelings until they just do it and get it over with. I feel it's implied that Marie decides on the spot that that night is the right time to do it.

Other than this, there isn't an explanation as to why she does what she does - and I can understand why that would leave you unsatisfied.

[–] FaithRosco 10 years ago

The trigger is her masturbating. During that scene they cut back and forth between Marie masturbating and the old truck come speeding down to the house. I think after seeing Alex naked in the shower and masturbating it set her off...Marie had to have Alex no matter what. Even at the end when the "killer" is talking to Alex doesn't "he" say you little slut, you could drive anyone crazy....

[–] JackAteSally 9 years ago

In real life , we don't always find out the motive . That's what makes this movie great , its realistic.

"Oh... I'm not afraid."
-Pamela Vorhees

[–] sm-meehan 10 years ago

NOTE: The introduction of truth conflict. We have been given two stories, and have also been told which to believe. But since we aren't fully certain of the whether or not Marie is guilty, both sides of the story fight for dominance.

But we are fully aware which story is true at this point since the video footage of marie axing the attendant is followed by a montage of scenes of marie slaughtering alex's family. At this point, we know the truth.

[–] to_the_ark 10 years ago

I have spent the last hour typing mindless paragraphs countering what you've said, but in all honesty - you're right.

[–] fillshertease 10 years ago

It's an interesting theory but I don't think it really works. For example, how do you explain the fact that after Marie killed the 'Bad Guy', that she then went and rescued Alex and in the conversation with her was obviously quite convinced that she had killed him and that everything was now OK? Obviously Marie believed that there had been a raging killer on the loose and that she had stopped him. What about the scene at the end when Alex tells the 'Bad Guy' that she loves him and then he turns into Marie? Why is Marie in a mental institution at the end and not in prison if she is simply lying and isn't insane?

I think Marie has some sort of multiple personality disorder but different from usual in that she doesn't forget what she does while she's in the 'Bad Guy' persona, she simply sees what is happening as a sort of out of body experience and substitutes the 'Bad Guy' for herself.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] kemuksigak 8 years ago

The bad guy, from what I have gathered, is a fictional murderer made up my Marie to try and explain why she killed everyone. She thinks she is getting away with it, due to complete psychopathy and/or delusional thoughts that this is what actually happened. The entire first half of the movie is Marie's fictional story (I'm pretty sure I got most of this from the special features on the DVD when it came out, but my memory has always been a bit fuzzy on specifics)

Once the scene shows Marie killing the gas station clerk, we now get to see what actually happened intermingled with her delusional story.

The subtle clue about her giving her story at the beginning explains all the "plot holes" that may pop up. People make up absolutely incredible excuses in the face of a life sentence or death, even with indisputable evidence stacked against them. This is very realistic in that portrayal because a lot of the times, what truly happened is never found out. The real motivations are lost to time and even with the right person behind bars, it can remain a huge mystery.

Also, what I believe happened in the car chase. I think Marie took off with Alex in the van from the gas station, but crashed or broke down shortly after near that farm/greenhouse area, went back to get the gas station clerks car (which is why both of them were gone) and when she came back Alex had escaped and she had to recapture her, or she stashed her away somewhere until she got back with a new ride and Alex escaped then. This seems like the most logical explanation for why both cars were involved even though it was just Marie the whole time. Once the whole story is revealed that way, most of her entire crime spree can be explained pretty logically and I would assume that the "car chase" was no different.

Anyway, that's how I viewed it, I'm not trying to argue, just throw out my perspective on the matter.

[–] DarthHonus 10 years ago

This is probably the best explanation for the handful of errors in the flick.

I still can't help but think of the movie Adaptation. Remember Charlie's twin brother in that movie? Remember that script he's writing called "The 3"? It's all I could think about through out the last twenty minutes of the movie and I just laughed and laughed.

It wasn't totally awful but I do think horror fans hold it in far too high of a regard.

[–] chikomon 10 years ago

I honestly don't know how else could this film be understood. To me it seems pretty clear for the most part and I loved the twist, I think it was so much better than having a crazy guy after everyone. I guess people just have very different minds and that's why there are other ways to see this, but your explanation is the truth to me.

[–] timgc 10 years ago

I've always had the same interpretation. Up until the gas station camera footage, we see the story being recalled by an unreliable narrator until eventually we are shown how that version stacks up against reality - and the two are quite different. This explanation makes everything in the film fit. When I hear people talking about "plot holes", I start to wonder if they missed the opening shot with Marie in front of the camcorder saying "Is it recording?"

[–] fatpie42 9 years ago

Okay, so she wasn't hallucinating, it's just that nothing we were shown had actually happened. That's still equivalent to the "it was all a dream" twist, and it's a pretty awful example of it.

[–] sm-meehan 9 years ago

Okay, so she wasn't hallucinating, it's just that nothing we were shown had actually happened. That's still equivalent to the "it was all a dream" twist, and it's a pretty awful example of it.

This is not exactly true. The slaughter of Alex's family happened like we saw it, except it was by Marie. Remember, after the 'reveal' we are shown the killings again as they actually happened.

[–] visitorq27 9 years ago

I understood the twist just fine but for me it doesn't change the fact that it was a lazy plot device which was poorly executed and let down an otherwise decent film.

[–] markbowen 9 years ago

^^^ This.

Finally got around to seeing this, and came away disappointed. If the movie had a conventional ending -- the heroine kills the bad guy and rescues her friend -- I would have been perfectly satisfied. Even though it was standard slasher fare up until then, it was well done. The twist comes completely out of nowhere -- especially with the red herring of the guy masturbating with the severed head at the beginning -- and is unnecessary.

If they wanted a twist, it would have been more plausible for the killer to have destroyed the tape at the gas station so there was no footage of that murder, then to have decapitated Alex but run for it as he heard police sirens approaching. Marie could have found Alex's body, and in her state of shock started talking to Alex's severed head. The police could have showed up, found Marie holding Alex's head, and with Marie being incoherent and her prints everywhere else and the family's blood all over her, arrested her for the crime. The last scene could have been her in a psychiatric ward, talking to a ball and calling it Alex. There's your twist!