MovieChat Forums > Afterschool (2008) Discussion > SPOILERS - Final Shot and Themes

SPOILERS - Final Shot and Themes

posted 13 years ago by thepoyote
10 replies | jump to latest

While I'll admit that discussion of the pacing is valid, I am surpised that there is little/no discussion of the other elements of this picture. The parallels between the porn-filming person we never see who is controlling the young girl, with the lead trying to control the twin and virgin friend in the same choking manner, and then the lead himself becoming in the final scene the person controlled by an unknown other pointing the camera at the lead's back. His twitching and slow burn turn were mesmerizing. Who was controlling him? His peers, selling tainted drugs? The school administrators handing out meds to the long line of students every morning? Drugs and addiciton were used to control.

I was also amazed by the school therapist who routinely joked about having sex with his counselees, and also had no problem sharing what one whould think was confidential information with anyone (tells Headmaster what lead is watching online).

My wife walked into this movie midway (Netflix) and asked what was going on, and in describing who the lead was I realized he was a fairly average teenager confused about a lot of things, but that he had no one (ok, he choose no one) other than the internet to figure out life, and it was severely *beep* him up.

Was also amazed by the Headmaster whose solution to every problem was to expel someone. Combined with the lead's mother who didn't have time for his problems, this was a great set up for alienation.

Anyway, notwithstanding the pacing, I was really impressed with this film, and would like so hear what others thought of the above (and more). That final scene with the invisible controlling hand was powerful.

p.s. I never thought he actually killed the twin, as she likley died as quickly as her sister from the rat poison. Her twin did hit her head on the rail, so it is possible that both could have been saved, but asphyxiation would have been pretty easy to detect by the coroner. He did wonder whether he was a "bad person," and he was totally socially inept, but most teenagers are, in the absence of a compassionate hand to help them (I loved the "Respect yourself" banner in the rec room while his mother told him to *beep* off. that banner was REALLY helpful).

[–] cdjunkee-1 13 years ago

There was alot of symbolism in the movie. a prevalent theme was "Staying strong." as in not showing emotion. also the company line about "Never Forget" is just so cliche' and phony. if your not in a sport you must be a pansy. how disgusting everyone looked when chowing down their meals in the lunchroom.

I actually thought Rob's version of the Memorial video while raw was more real. the new edited version was in my opinion... grotesque. why would anyone put a Lullabye song in a memorial video?? the dialogue in that video seemed off.

I also thought it was strange the Coroner hadn't found evidence of Asphyxiation. I thought for sure Rob would have been in jail at the end of the movie. being confronted by the twin's Mother & Father. but perhaps he was only imagining doing that. the final shot was chilling as he broke the 3rd wall staring at us the Audience. who are just as addicted and numbed by technology as he is.

~I love the rhythm it is my methoood!~

[–] edgegrip17th 11 years ago

I totally agree with your statement regarding to how the new edited version of the twin's memorial video was grotesque, Rob's version is so much better in a sense that the video is morbidly real with no contrived emotions, the last segment of the film where it depicts their unfortunate place of death is unnerving.

[–] Revolutionow 12 years ago

Those are all valuable observations, but for me the most interesting concept addressed in the film is the idea of truth and reality. The protagonist seems to be craving some reality in a society that has for decades been raised on television. Now the internet is the prevailing source of information and images for youth and what effect does that have on this kid and others. When he edits the dedication video for the twins all of the material he includes represents a much more accurate reality than the re-edited video that the headmaster presents to the students. The school counselor tells him he'll find nothing real in porn, but the porn that he seems to be most interested in has a palpable sense of reality to it (however disgusting and degrading).

I see the film as meditation on how the media we are bombarding with as we grow up and socialize affects us and shapes our personalities, especially with regards to our perceptions of reality and desire (or lack of desire) for truth.

ce n'est pas une image juste, c'est juste une image

[–] mrjoanofarc 12 years ago

Just finished the movie and needed an opinion on that last scene... And I think you're spot-on!

The truth in the porn... however degrading it was, the unseen man was being "REAL"-- at least, he convinced Rob. It's as if he shut off all other "reality" instead to just appreciate/stand in stupor of this "scary" reality.

Rob was dealing with the tragedy in his own way. It might be his maturity level, but, in spite of the school's efforts giving plenty of opportunities of catharsis (for the students)... he remains numb. None of it speaks to him.

It seems as if his interpretation of reality is flawed. In two extremely intimate moments where two individuals are as "real" as they're ever going to be (the virgin girl and the dying twin)... Rob mimics/reverts to the "reality" of that porn video. It's as if it's become his instinct-- a mental reaction/formation bubbling up in response to an intimate situation. He's lost and this is where "reality" most closely sits with him, and he's mad and frustrated about that disconnect. But he hasn't cared to investigate it.

For me, the most frustrating part of the movie was that indifference/inaction. To put it in reference to a school banner: the ability to "respect yourself." The school can do its part in trying to help students cope, but you really have to open up (like Rob didn't)... otherwise you wallow.

Allow yourself to be malleable... I guess Rob was embarrassed that he connected with such a taboo "reality moment"... So, he just never wanted to go there and deal with it.

[–] xgohawks 12 years ago

I disagree with you guys. The theme of the film was reality versus how reality is portrayed on film. This is most evident in the contrast between Robert's memorial video and the re-edited version.

Robert's video brought a real depiction of the tragedy and how it affected those around the twins. It didn't pander or romanticize their death, but it showed how the students and faculty actually reacted to the overdose and how their individual personalities affected their response.

The ending reinforces this theme by changing the context of Rob's involvement in their death. The film leads us to believe that Robert sees the world as it actually is. It allows us to sympathize with the character due to his obvious disillusion with the reality.

His memorial video contains no music and makes no attempt to romanticize their death. The replacement video does the exact opposite, it contains everything one would expect from a high school memorial video, complete with out of context music and one-liners from students and faculty.

The film punctuates this theme by compromising our sympathy for the lead character by revealing how he handled the overdose. There is no music for the entirety of the film, until the credits roll, which uses the same song as the 'fake' memorial video.

Robert turns to reveal a low quality depiction of his own experience, a tool which previously is used to accentuate the reality of what Rob films. The film turns the camera on itself and forces the viewer to accept that the portrayal of Rob was too romantic and didn't accurately portray Rob's real self.

Absolutely brilliant.

[–] julierryan711 12 years ago

unbelievable. you nailed it right on the head. This movie WAS truly remarkable and brilliant. It would be my dream to write something as complex and symbolic as this story.

[–] prettyh-1 11 years ago

xgohawks wrote:

"Robert turns to reveal a low quality depiction of his own experience, a tool which previously is used to accentuate the reality of what Rob films. The film turns the camera on itself and forces the viewer to accept that the portrayal of Rob was too romantic and didn't accurately portray Rob's real self."

Yes, that was very much what I got from it, too. That and breaking the fourth wall to, in a way, call US out as voyeurs not altogether unlike Rob, because we'd just watched all of this. Exceptional work by the writer-editor-director; that was Haneke-level 4th wall stuff he pulled off, brilliantly so.

[–] prettyh-1 11 years ago

I was really impressed, too, by countless things in the film. I loved the way the director always kept the frame and focus just off enough to mimic the amateur videos with which Rob was obsessed. The pacing truly achieved a sense of dread or impending doom in the viewer.

Another thread questioned whose secondary footage we were seeing of the twins' death; I'll paste my response here as well, since it dovetails with a lot of the themes everyone is touching on.

__
I thought it [the grainy overview shot of the twins' death] was a security tape or something, too, until the film's last scene.

When we see Rob turn around as though he's being watched, and we realize he's imagining that his life is just one big viral video, it makes me think there was no second recording. What we were seeing was actually just Rob's vision of how it would look on YouTube, like everything else. Which is also why he filmed himself almost choking Amy (the Cherry Dee thing), why he didn't help the twins (and smothered one), and why he had the fight with Dave in the hallway (just like the one they kept watching of the girls fighting in the dorm). It was all to live up to the videos he'd seen before.

OR... It's possible that another student (even a teacher?) could've been recording it on a cell phone and doing nothing, which fits with the speeches and confessions from the teachers about how they all knew about the twins and the drugs, nobody did anything, it was everyone's fault, etc.

But the other two examples - the Amy and Dave bits - make me think it was the director's intention to have us see it the first way, as voyeurs, looking at life through Rob's imaginary ever-present camera.

Just my interpretation, but that final scene kind of cemented it for me. Does that make sense?
__

I find the additional mentions here of the school drugging the kids compelling, too - that adds even more to the idea that everyone, including/especially staff, were complicit in those deaths. Then Rob knew his roommate was their dealer, accused him of murder during their fight, but just like everyone else, he denied knowing anything when the time came to 'fess up.

I literally just finished watching the movie, so clearly it's left me with a lot to mull over!

[–] TheMonkofDestiny 10 years ago

What we were seeing was actually just Rob's vision of how it would look on YouTube, like everything else.

This falls in line with the ending shot, but keep in mind that the alternate angle view of the death scene (not the shot from the front) was indeed from a real video, as he was watching it with Dave in their room.

[–] 11 years ago

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