the guy at the police station who's obsessed with the Orinoco. When the new police officer comes in and says something like "10 days ago", to which Juliette doesn't reply, I didn't really pick up on what happened. Did he simply go away?
shareHe shot himself in the mouth.
Though I missed why.
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I wear the cheese, the cheese does not wear me.
The officer had committed suicide by shooting himself through the mouth with a pistol.
They never tell us why he killed himself. I think one of the main themes of the movie was the importance of family and children and togetherness. The movie had several scenes of families and children just being together and the resulting happiness it brought. For example, when they took the trip to the countryside, or when the young couple has a baby, or when the sister visits the doctor and we see the picture of his family and they even discuss it.
The policeman talked to Juliette about how his wife and child were estranged from him and lived far away. he said it was complicated and he didn't have a chance to see them often, if at all. He spoke of his loneliness and desire to be with them. I think his suicide in this movie was symbolic of the despair that people feel when they are separated from their children and not part of their families. Juliette was without her son and was in one kind of prison (including a literal one). The police officer decided life wasn't worth living apart from his family.
While I like and agree with your explanation, his suicide was very abrupt and not as well integrated into the story as I'd have liked. One moment he's decided to go to the Orinoco (or so he says, and it may be a ruse); and then he's dead. I wonder how it fits into the book?
shareThe Orinoco was a metaphor for suicide or release from his heartache. He said to Juliette in reference to the Orinoco, "I'm going to do it, nothing is holding me back."
shareYeah, that's what I thought- and the fact that Orinoco served as a metaphor for suicide and Juliette, not knowing this, told him "what's holding you back?" and then he decided to go.... I thought she might've felt just a tad responsible.
"We can't stop here, this is bat country!"- Hunter S. Thompson
I <3 Rob Brydon
death is abrupt
shareI too felt the suicide of the cop serves no realistic purpose, but creating unnecessary tragedy atop Juliette.
The cop could still have alternative choice of life, such as meeting other woman and having kid(s), instead he gave Juliette more agonies over her fate, from the first time mentioning of her name Fontaine (fountain, river, ocean...) to the river, every time her name was mentioned, she would likely to remember the tragedy of his sudden unexpected end of life.
I love the 'Orinocco as metaphor' explanation, but I read as a jolt for her that other people could be going through *beep* as well. She'd been in a bit of a bubble up till them....
shareI was kinda rooting for those two, they made a good match.. The other fellow, Michael just didnt fit wit her at all.
share