Is the dying animal the character played by Ben Kinglsey(who now has reached old age), Penelope Cruz(who has breast cancer and might die from it), or Dennis Hopper who actually dies in the movie?
shareNot sure, that was the name of the book on which it was based. Will check back after I finish it.
shareIt could be applied to either since they are both adolescents inside but I think the fact that Ben Kingsley plays such an anguished character - he feels like a formerly alpha male that is too old to win at king of the hill anymore and is unable to let go of his male ego self image. He's figuratively a lion that can't run fast enough to catch and win his prey and realizes he will eventually have to lie down to die.
His own highly developed intellect works against him by bringing his self awareness into high relief. Plus he sees his own son having his own affairs just the way he has done for 30 years and has nothing to show for them.
Actually Ben Kingsley remains in good health and could continue his philandering, however he doesn't want to. On the one hand his friend has died and good part of his pleasure in getting women was boasting about it to his friend (like two teenagers). He didn't need to get a close friendship with any of the women because the Dennis Hopper character gave him the friendship he needed. In fact when Dennis Hopper was dying he gave Ben Kingsley a kiss on his mouth although otherwise in the movie there was no gay relationship between them.
When Penelope Cruz came back into his life with breast cancer he needed her badly although the ending was not clear and she might die before him. He actually in his old age was ready to settle down. Maybe Ben Kingsley to some extent represented Philip Roth as he has had marital problems and been divorced several times.
In the book it is absolutely referring to Kepesh. I find it hard to judge the movie as I'm a huge fan of the book and my gut reaction is that the director didn't understand the novel at all. And I don't mean this in the "the book is always better than the movie" kind of way. Truly, the ending of the film is an absolute betrayal of the novel's entire thesis.
shareI think I'd like to read the book now becaue the film really moved me nd if the book is better then it will be one of the best books i've ever read.
shareThe title is from Sailing to Byzantium by WB Yeats (as is No Country for Old Men)
http://www.artofeurope.com/yeats/yea6.htm
At times Yeats gave up on sex to enhance his artistic powers, the opposite of David Kepesh character. I'd say the title is about the end of physical desire as you grow old.
Thanks for the link to Yeats, interesting stuff.
"I'd say the title is about the end of physical desire as you grow old"
I don't completely agree with this. Kepesh is definitely still full of physical desire, amplified by sexual possessiveness and jealousy. The title obviously refers mainly to the Kepesh character, but works for Consuela and Hopper's character as well. Hopper's character may exemplify an "end of physical desire", but not after he's had his stroke and he passionately kisses both his wife and his dear friend- i think this points to remnants of physical desire in a quote on quote 'dying animal'.
In Kepesh's case, however, the 'dying animal' thesis points out that he still has a strong libido, an animal instinct for sex and desire, but the body he is in is growing old and dying, preventing him from fulfilling these desires and engaging women as he was once able to as a young man. note when he says that he cannot blame a younger man for 'discovering' Consuela, for he would have been that man himself at a younger age.
I see, though a clearer example of having desire and not being physically capable of fulfilling it is Nathan Zuckerman in Exit Ghost where a prostatectomy has left him impotent. Kepesh will probably die in bed, with a happy grin on his face. Though I doubt if there's another novel in his character where we could find out.
shareI will have to look for exit ghost. I suggest you read anything by Philip Roth, the 'dying animal' seems to be a recurring theme for him. I would specifically point you towards The Human Stain. (never saw the film with hopkins and kidman, but loved the book).
shareIt's been a while since I read the book, but I remember that I started with that interpretation, and I ended with the feeling that the title referred to her. I need to read it again to figure out why --- seeing the movie motivated me, too.
share"Beautiful women are invisible; we're so dazzled by the outside that we never make it inside."
I think the above phrase has much to do with Kingsleys character. In that all his life he never got to journey to the inside so to speak. But in his latter years of his life, he finally was able to and with this young lady (Cruz) he did finally get to appreciate all of her and it wouldnt matter if she was left with one breast less, for he was no longer only enamoured by the outside. And perhaps this appreciation only comes with age and alas when one is already a "Dying Animal".
The answer is "all of the above." From the moment we are born, we are heading for the grave. It only becomes obvious as we grow older and more self-aware. When the Patricia Clarkson character talks about getting older, the way men look at her changing every day, and the pathos of all the first dates of the women on the dating websites - "having the same conversation" on each date - that was as poignant and tragic as the younger woman dealing with cancer and the professor realizing he is on the downslope of life.
shareI agree with the last post, "The Dying Animal", in my opinion, refers to humans in general. The movie has a wide focus and the recurrent theme is getting old, getting sick, in other words the process of dying, and how we deal with it. Perhaps rather than calling someone specific a dying animal, the author wants to show that one of the things that sets us apart from animals is the way we anguish over the dying process. Instead of just living our life like animals do, we worry about it ending constantly. The irony is that this worry brings us downward even more ! We worry how we'll look so we don't go to a party and miss out. We worry how we'll seem and we don't call our loved one to let them know we're sick.
shareThe dying animal is man.
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actually, i think it's quite the opposite - Kepesh was revelling against monogamy, being true to his "animal instincts" - when this 'creature' dies, he finally becomes a 'man' - committing to a true relationship.
Lauren Prosnan : Hollywood is God's way of saying America matters.
Didn't read the book or any of the posts but saw the film. We are all the dying animal.
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