MovieChat Forums > Så som i himmelen (2004) Discussion > What did she mean at the end?

What did she mean at the end?

posted 17 years ago by groennevik
26 replies | jump to latest

I don't know why, but I heard somewhere she was referring to something else, but at the end of the film she says to Daniel "I think grandpa has to go to the school to draw a little angel". I can only interpret it as she's saying she's pregnant with him. That must be correct, right? Anyway, I wonder how she can know that if that was the first time they slept together. I really feel sad for her, considering she had been left by that doctor, and then she got pregnant with a man that dies only moments later.

[–] gcathmail 17 years ago

I have been grappling with all the clues and symbols in this film - and yes, I was thinking the same thing: she is now pregnant with his baby, therefore a new angel needs to be painted in the school as it was when she was born.

I was taking it too literally and thinking it was sad too, that she was left once and now again, etc but think perhaps this whole thing is meant to be viewed on a symbolic level:

Note that she is also the one who says she saw wings on people - the older couple, the retarded boy and on Daniel - I think that means that she can see that they are closer to dying.

She also said she can see that he (Daniel) is afraid and she tells him there is nothing to be afraid of, there is no death.

AND at the very beginning she is dressed up with some 'angel'-ish stuff - I think she is meant to be some sort of symbol of life or love or an angel...

Am I making too much of all this??

[–] plouw 15 years ago

You have made some good points ... I see her as some kind of loving earth-mother symbol, with knowledge of life and death. That's why some people may perceive her as having "loose morals" - the earth-mother figure of literature attracts many men and satisfies them, as she loves Life (and babies, such as the "adult baby" in the form of the village idiot). An earth-mother is also fertile, so the references to pregnancy are not out of place.

[–] Mr_Gesundheit 17 years ago

---I wonder how she can know that if that was the first time they slept together.---

Maybe she's like Jeff Bridges in "Starman"...

I don't wanna waste one of these boulders - they're expensive!

[–] steinbergerth 17 years ago

@ gcathmail

You're not making too much of it...
If you study literature or art you'll know that pregnancy/angels/death-life/"transsubstantiation" of Christ and stuff are very much related symbols.. To ignore the christian content of this movie would be just dumb..

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Arum 15 years ago

Could it not be that she meant Daniel himself? He was the angel in the village after all, a bit like the mysterious visitor in Pasolini's Theorema.

[–] kyrill_87 15 years ago

Yeah I think the same thing as Arum. It never occured to me once that she was pregnant.

[–] roboh-1 14 years ago

At first I took it to mean she was pregnant, which didn't make much sense. I prefer the idea that she was referring to Daniel as the new angel.

[–] girlfryday9 12 years ago

yes I believe she is referring to Daniel. Earliar in the story when she talks about seeing wings she states that she sees them when you are coming close, and then right after they she says to Daniel I knew you were always afraid of dying, but there is no such thing as death! many many Christian messages. Daniel was like a Christ figure to the people, they rejoiced around him and others hated him for it!

[–] kemmiller 14 years ago

Does anyone know where I can buy the DVD with English subtitles, and the DVD will play on a US DVD player? Thanks in advance for your help.

[–] marcorenton 14 years ago

I was also thinking she meant Daniel as being the angel to be painted on the wall.

[–] aczmd 14 years ago

It is available as of 2/2/10 on a Lorber DVD from Netflix or for purchase from Amazon.

[–] annaguil-1 14 years ago

I just watched this movie on Netflix. It had English subtitles. Perhaps you can contact Netflix and ask where they purchase their DVD's. Good luck.

[–] McPoyle 13 years ago

I assume anyone who doesn't think she means she's pregnant isn't Swedish, because the way she says it leaves me with no doubt that she is. Pregnant, that is.

[–] zubromak 13 years ago

There is POSSIBILITY that Daniel does NOT die at the end. From his leaning against the radiator bleeding it cuts to a FATHER walking through the wheat fields and picking up the little boy playing violin. That boy could be the child she was pregnant with, and the father could be Daniel. Most people insist he died at the end, but it is not 100% certain.

[–] KlutzyGirl 13 years ago

No, he does die--watch his breathing. That is him reuniting with, making peace with, comforting his wounded child and going off together.

IMO either interpretation of her comment can be correct. She might mean that Daniel is the angel. However, I think she means she is pregnant. Sometimes a woman just knows.

This is one of the best films I have seen in a very long time. Ten stars in every respect!

[–] toph1980 13 years ago

He dies. Like someone said, watch his breathing.

--
A picture with a smile -- and perhaps, a tear.

[–] zubromak 13 years ago

I have the movie. I watched his breathing over and over. If the director wanted everyone to think he died, we wouldn't be having this discussion. The music, the choir, his message about the power and message of 'real music' was the climax of the film. The boy he picked up at the end was his son, who would not have to suffer what he did.

[–] toph1980 13 years ago

Watch it again, there are several clues. His time was up, he acknowledged so himself (to his mentor). The "Angelic wings" scene is also important, with "there is no death" and "your time is up when you see them (wings) on everybody." He did so when he came to love everybody towards the end (before seeking out Lena in the hotel room), meaning, again, his time was up. He also fulfilled his dream, why he was smiling during his dying moment. And if you watched his breathing I'm sure you noticed how he took one last breath and then stopped breathing (all while the camera was still on him).

You can argue that someone found and rushed him to the hospital, thus saving him, but here is the biggest spoiler: The boy in the beginning and end of the movie is the same boy, with the same face, brown hair, red shirt and blue shorts. Feel free to compare both scenes. There is just no way the boy in the end is his son. That would be sloppy filmmaking.

--
A picture with a smile -- and perhaps, a tear.

[–] angelofvic 12 years ago

Also, you can see his blood literally coursing out of him at his temple. I've never before seen a movie that showed the blood actually pulsing out of someone like that with each heartbeat (each pulse was distinctly visible with a new spurt of blood). Since it was such an unpleasant and prolonged image for such an otherwise "nice" movie, it led me to believe that it was to emphasize he was dying.
.

[–] Borg222 7 years ago

Yes as with many aspects of this movie...just so well done, such attention to detail. How Kay the director was able to get such subtle and perfect performances out of all the actors...gad what a great movie.

[–] jacinta-l-s 12 years ago

I thought she was referring to Daniel. She had told him before that she had seen his wings. It was like she was acknowledging his growth and the shedding of his fear and telling him he had grown into them (his wings), or something.

How could she be pregnant? They just had sex for the first time.

[–] jeronavdg 11 years ago

Dude, women can get pregnant from having sex just once, you know that right. :')

He's definetely dead, you can tell he stopped breathing at the end.
Along with all the things that have been mentioned: the wings, the boy is the same as in the flashback scenes. It's him.