MovieChat Forums > Deja Vu (2006) Discussion > Was that Denzel in the body bag?

Was that Denzel in the body bag?

posted 14 years ago by Haasino
45 replies | jump to latest

I've seen the movie several times now, and one thing I'm still trying to figure out is the scene when Denzel shows up at the scene of the first ferry bombing. He's standing near a row of body bags containing some of the recovered victims and his phone rings. Then, as he goes to answer it, he looks down at one of the body bags and seems to react as if there is a phone ringing inside the body bag as well.

I took this as a clue that the body inside the bag was the version of Denzel from a prior failed attempt to go back and prevent the bombing... and that his same phone was on his body inside the bag. My friend, however, disagrees...

What's the opinion of others? Was that another version of Denzel inside the body bag, or am I reading too far into this?

[–] rainofwalrus 14 years ago

we lack data on unfilmed attempts. it could be anyone in that bag.

On. And Off.

[–] Tales-from-the-Goondocks 14 years ago

That part also caught my attention. I would love to think that the body was product of a future denzel's failed attemp to stop the bomber but, i doubt the filmakers were smart or subtle enough to do something like that. Leave it to 12 Monkeys to be that creative.

[–] oo447762552341 14 years ago

I thought the same, but just seeing the movie again I wondered if its the partner, that later in the film gets kill on the pier, as it looks more like Denzil trying to call his partner, and he finds it weird that a bag is ringing just has he him self is dialing/ringing

[–] oo447762552341 14 years ago

just thought of something its not denzil in the bag in the start, since to keep the mass down, he strips so he didn't take mobile with him..

[–] oo447762552341 14 years ago

just seen the clip again it means nothing, its just to show the horror of the whole thing, love ones calling to check up,

becasuse we hear the ringing bag first, Denzil like many checks his mobile, thinking it his, he doesn't answer it, or like I thought was starting to call his partner, he just gets this horror look of the whole thing

[–] kof_br 14 years ago

Exactly. To keep the mass down he would not travel in time with the cellphone. It is someone else in the bag.

He thinks that it is his cellphone ringing, but it's not.

[–] adamhansil 11 years ago

But the ringer is the same. . .

[–] sErpEnt_v 14 years ago

Leave it to 12 Monkeys to be that creative

thumbs up, very true.

_____
I don't know, Butchie, instead.

[–] Trumerica 14 years ago

I read the FAQ and watched again and it was supposed to be him in the body bag and it was his phone ringing to indicate that he went back in time already and failed. That is not hard to figure out considering all of the deja vu moments had the same effect with Denzel pausing and hearing a sound effect to represent the scene. The FAQ here also mentions that the movie starts on his second attempt. The first attempt the Ferry just blew up and I bet he then went back in time to prevent the boat from exploding but died too. The second attempt involved his partner and the girl being killed, so he had to go back once more to save the girl and the people on the boat.

[–] DavidTL 14 years ago

I think I get it. So he thought somebodys phone was in their pocket or something and it rang the same time as his phone rang so he didn't look into it. But well that's actually the easiest thing to think

Bourne + Bond = Best Action Film Award

[–] craig-278 14 years ago

So where did dead Denzil get his phone? The FAQ is wrong.

"I'm entitled. Simple. End of.."

[–] quirkyrecords 14 years ago

through all the murky theories comes a shining light of inspiration.

denzel travelling back through time had no possesions on him, hense why he carried around the clock. he had no phone on him.

besides, it was a pretty standard ring tone.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3136037

[–] Frequency270 14 years ago

As these things were all supposed to be clues, I'm more inclined to believe that the director made an error. He wanted the body in the bag to be Denzel, and wanted it represented by the ring tone. But he did make the error by not considering that Denzel wouldn't have the phone.

Damion Crowley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVzvRsl4rEM

[–] stednitzrules250 14 years ago

Yes I also agree that it was in fact a error. I think its too much of a coincidence; yes it COULD be that he was "seeing the horror of it all" but in my opinion i think that it just fits with the rest of the films as a whole and the various clues throughout. Of course, we know that it is an error because he didn't have a phone.

I also offer this idea: Im very surprised they made this error, not only because its quite obvious that the character wouldn't have had a phone as previously evidenced, but also because no cell phone would've worked after an explosion and being in water. Its just common sense right there. So. It is just an error. Nothing more. Of course, you would have to ask the director to confirm it.

Any one got his number? =P

[–] The-Mund 14 years ago

As he was in the car when it exploded, I wouldn't have thought there would be enough of his body left to fill a body bag.

[–] Strunkinator 14 years ago

Yes, it was Denzel in the body bag. And the issue regarding the mystery phone is NOT AN ERROR. Check the FAQ again. ;)

How do you like that piece of satire?

[–] stednitzrules250 14 years ago

ya i saw it but that still doesnt explain the simple fact that theres no way any phone wouldve worked after all that...

[–] DeAd_MiKe_187 13 years ago

You must time travel a lot to know that.

;-)

[–] Malgalad 13 years ago

yea read the FAQ, seems to me someones been thinking way too much trying to cover up the plothole.

[–] Slynge 13 years ago

I was absolutely under the impression that it was his partner who at that time had been put there by the killer. I think Denzel wondered where he was and tried to call him. He didn't know at the time that the partner's car was at the dock.

[–] OoAnd1 13 years ago

This is where you guys are going wrong. Only the Denzel that we saw was left in the exploding car. If there was a time-traveling Denzel during the initial bombing.. we don't know where he may have been since we saw the car unoccupied when it exploded.

Which brings up my second point. We only witnessed that one Denzel take "mass" off his body in order to survive the trip-- the only Denzel that saved the day. If another Denzel traveled back before this one, again, we have no proof of what he did or didn't do. But we do know he failed his mission.

The Denzel that failed could have brought his phone. He could have brought his gun. Since that Denzel failed at saving the girl AND the boat.. and the Denzel we witnessed DID save them, we can conclude that the two Denzels acted differently.

Basically there's evidence it was him in that body bag.

[–] arentol 11 years ago

While he might have brought his phone it wouldn't work. They established extremely clearly that any electronic device they tried to send would get fried. It is entirely impossible for the phone in the bag to be his phone it simply would not survive the trip.

[–] shystichu 13 years ago

To all the idiots, it IS him, and just because on his 2ND attempt he did not have the phone, did not mean he couldn't have brought it with him the FIRST time. We do not know the details of the first time so don't assume he didn't have a phone. That scene clearly was to show it was him and he had failed the first time through.

Life's tough, it's tougher if you're stupid.

[–] jaipex 8 years ago

This. If this was reddit I would upvote this so good.

[–] cs_morris89 13 years ago

Im pretty sure it was him of curse anybody can have that ringtone. Im watching it right now and when Denzel gets in the time machine he says " what if I already have" suggesting that most likely he has already been in the time machine, failed his mission and is doing it again.

"Well, I done seen just about everything, but I ain't never seen your boy, no way, no how!"

[–] Jay_Rusty 13 years ago

I think that that the body inside the bag is Agent Larry Minuti - ATF

[–] darthboba 12 years ago

So the FIRST time Denzel goes back in time, the Denzel we DIDN'T see, the scientist tells him it's cool to take on extra mass, ie the phone? I thought he was supposed to take as little mass as possible with him. Did the rules of time travel change between attempts?

-------------------------------------
It'll take more than a heart attack to kill that old bear. OLD BEAR! He likes the honey!

[–] sanddragon939 12 years ago

I just saw the movie for the first time today, and I too felt that it was Doug (Denzel's character) in the body bag. In fact, before the movie ended, I felt it was a clue to the fact that this movie operated on a 'fixed time' model-that everything that happened has 'already happened' and you can't change the past (meaning that Doug would fail to prevent the ferry bombing, die, be put in the body bag, and his younger self would notice the bag just like at the start of the film...and it goes on and on). Of course, when Doug DID successfully change the past at the end of the movie-it was clear that the fixed time theory wasn't in place.

However, it could very much STILL have been Doug in the body bag. I think for this movie to make sense, it was necessary that there WAS a version of Doug who went back in time, was at Claire's house and left behind the message for himself, but somehow failed to save her or prevent the ferry bombing and died in the process.

[–] drivenkick43 12 years ago

Except Minuti was eaten by alligators back at the compound., remember?

[–] sebastian111 12 years ago

OMG ! I can't believe no one saw this. How can it be Denzel's phone ?

The alternative Denzel phone would still had the exact phone number. The PHONE NUMBER !! . You all forgot about that.

If someone would have call him, both the phones would have rang. Or none at all, because the cell operator would malfunction and call an error. I don't think two different cell phones can exist and work with the same number.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] voyagerandsouthpark 11 years ago

his body was burnt. The hand we saw the alligator wasn't burned. Why would the killer burn the body and then feed it to alligators so it would be found? It wasn't Larry. It's explained in the FAQ

"sir, sir, i gotta check and see if you've soiled yourself, I'll get to you in a moment, sir!"

[–] JonasRoCo 12 years ago

yes. larry minuti. The agent and friend on "vacation".

[–] Trumerica 12 years ago

I changed my mind... I just watched this movie again and it totally makes sense that it was his partner's phone. Especially since his partner was on the ferry to begin with the first time. Later he was mentioning how he tried to call his partner but couldn't reach him. He called his partner and heard a phone ring at the same time in the body bag. There are a lot of movies where someone calls someone and hears a phone ring nearby and then naturally looking at their phone wondering if that is the phone they are calling that is ringing near them or just a coincidence. He only went back through time once, and all of the events from after the explosion were changed (when he went back).

If the explosion didn't happen, he would have never been assigned to that FBI surveillance and went back in time. The explosion had to happen first and the changed events like his fingerprints and blood at Claire's house and the ambulance in the terrorist's house were the weird changed events that happened. All of the things that happened near the end of the movie were all of the changes that Doug made which showed up during his investigation. If you make a change in your past you would see it in the present. It is really easy if you do not think about it too hard.

[–] usa-mike 12 years ago

you're absolutly right.

in fact, the first "reality" or "universe" we saw at the beginning of the film is infact, the second attempt that Doug will try save the girl (and the boat i guess).

So there is 3 universes in the movie : one we didn't see, the first at the begin of the movie and the third where all is end and finish good !

That is why the film is named DEJA VU !

Because, never in the whole movie, there is another scene to justifiy this movie's name. Only this very first one (when both phone 're ringing)

[–] Forever_Knight 12 years ago

It was supposed to be him in the bag but an error was made.
Even if he had his cell phone it could not possibly work because it would have been zapped by the EM field as explained in the movie.
Remember all the power in the city was pumped into the time machine.
Not even the electronics in a human body survives, so a cell phone has no chance at all.