Why was Susan dreaming of Karen? SPOLIERS!
If dr. Woodleigh is the Killer, and Susan was his last victim, and Karen is now dr. Woodleigh's hell - then why was Susan dreaming of Karen?
Please help! Thanks!
All Is One
This is my biggest question. It makes no sense.
shareI think the scriptwriter/director got the idea from Eastern (e.g., Asian) cultures and religions, in which there is often the belief that if you commit a horrible crime like murder, you would suffer in hell exactly what you did to the victim. The two alternative realities with Susan and Karen represented two different versions of hell that the psycho doctor had to go through as punishment for his crimes. In the case of Susan (the blonde), one might assume that she was living a relatively normal life similar to that of the psycho doctor’s final victim. Her life was happy except for some psychological issues, and she was also having nightmares in which she was threatened by a stalker/murderer. The dark-haired Karen’s reality corresponded more with the more obvious and traditional versions of hell, where the character was repeatedly beaten, tortured, raped and finally murdered – all as punishment for those horrible crimes that same character had committed in real life.
In the film, Susan/Karen often fell asleep and became the other character. Similarly in other scenes, they “woke up” to become the other character. I think that is simply a cinematic device to enable the switching scenes between the two characters (or the two alternative realities). I mean you can’t have one character turn into another while she is still awake, can you? On the other hand, by alternating between the two characters (or the same character in alternative realities), the film keeps the viewer wondering which world is real and which is just imagined. I am not defending the film but that is I think what the scriptwriter had in mind.
Godd explanation, thank you! ;)
All Is One
I still don't really like this film, but your explanation is as good as as any. So cheers !
I was wondering who Karen was myself.
Elvira mistress of the dark is the coolest woman ever.
DCI Gene Hunt (UK) coolest man ever.
Its all the Psychiatrist in hell. Noone is dreaming about anyone. Just hell.
This is truly an underrated excellent film that requires multiple viewings to fully grasp. Most people watch it once , say its a disjointed mess, then flame it when its not. There isn't one plot hole in this film. I have seen it about 15-20 times with various friends. Took me about 5 times before I saw everything for what bit was. I understood it before then, but it took 5 viewings to see and understand every single clue given.
But if the psychiatrist is in hell, how can he still be a living doctor in real life (dream or no dream)?
Just sayin'...
He's not a living doctor in real life. That's not real life. It's all hell. Note the big ol' horned statue on the desk.
He IS Karen. Karen's life is dark and miserable and she's tormented by voices and people who are clearly not quite human. When Karen sleeps, she's tormented by happy, bright dreams of someone else's life--Susan's happy, bright life.
And when he wakes as Susan, nightmares (Karen's life) hang over her head, and her bright, happy life is tormented by panic, fear, the dashed hopes of a family, etc., and eventually, the creeping horrors of her nightmares start seeping in...
The cartoonish qualities of Karen's life, the news broadcasts in Susan's 'real' world, both big southern-accented BFFs, suggest that maybe many of the details we see of 'Susan' have little to nothing to do with his real victim--that the nightmares, the hynotherapist, the fertility treatments, etc., are all created as part of his suffering, while the real Susan was just a random woman who happened to be home at the wrong time.