MovieChat Forums > Mar adentro (2005) Discussion > Weaknesses of the movie

Weaknesses of the movie

posted 9 years ago by johannasisko
4 replies | jump to latest

I think the movie was entertaining. I wanted to know how the story ends. I also liked Javier Bardem's acting.

But there are three major weaknesses in The Sea Inside :

1. It was psychologically somewhat unrealistic.

Everyone who has experienced immobility through an illness or an accident oneself, or knows closely someone who has, will know that one's dread, detestation or aversion towards the wheelchair falls off quickly when you really need it. So Ramon's extreme reluctance - that had lasted for 26 years! - to sit in one is a psychological anomaly; if the Ramon-character really was that strange and an exceptional person in that sense, the reasons for it should have been explored in the movie. The fact that they were not makes me think that this psychological unrealisticness was just based on the ignorance of the auteur.

Plus, Rosa's complete change of mind about the assisted suicide should have been explored a little more. The character was left shallow.

2. At times the movie was overly sentimental in a ...purposeful way, I think.

3. And the worst weakness is that philosophically and ethically the movie completely lacked the Christian view point to euthanasia, even though the story was situated in a traditionally Catholic society.

And no, the fact that one of the characters happened to be dressed in a priest's uniform is not the same as having a Christian perspective. I mean, the priest guy's argument was basically that "living is more than just being able to run...", wtf!? The writer of the story clearly wanted to exclude the sacredness of one's life -view point from the ethical aspects of the story. Why? Because it might have awaken the religious sentiments of the Catholic audience? Making them "remember" euthanasia is a sin?

[–] joshavanhoudt 9 years ago

It is not about the Christian viewpoint to euthanasia, even if it is set in a predominantly Christian society. Don't be so religiously centered, honestly...

[–] aktivist 9 years ago

as I see as an atheist or non-believer or what ever people call them - the whole subject was a pain a single being had to bear and the faith, religion nor beliefs were not enough to agree with the terms he had!
as a single human being there is a limit what man can withstand.
there is no reason to bear the suffering because the others think that it will oppose the beliefs.
believe for your self, but do not force others.

as a bystander it is easy to condemn a person, but the masses do not know

[–] rubirub 8 years ago

I agree: it was overly sentimental and it was annoying.

Most part of characters were left shallow. I think the movie should have explored them more, and avoid giving so much screen time to the characters of Gené and her husband*.

* I know they bring another view on life to the movie, they fall in love, they have a child, etc., but it was pointless for the main storyline.

[–] OldSamVimes 8 years ago

I disagree.

The guy didn't want to live as a quadriplegic, he wanted to die.

You could see what he thought of the priest that visited him.

Not everyone raised in a Christian country is Christian. Who gives a fart it it lacked a Christian viewpoint?

The point was it was his life and if he wanted to end it he should have that choice, and his method was ingenious at the end. He resented the fact that he had no control over his life (and death), and I could empathize with that.

You really think that EVERYONE who experiences immobility through an accident 'gets used to it' and accepts it?

I don't think so. Everyone is different.