MovieChat Forums > Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles (2011) Discussion > WHO IS THE BIRDMAN

WHO IS THE BIRDMAN

posted 12 years ago by unsorted-169-79012
14 replies | jump to latest

**Warning: the following post contains many, many spoilers.**

The film includes multiple references to birds and pigeons throughout the film, as a way of linking the personality and behavior traits that Justin shares with the Toynbee tiler (Sevy).

JUSTIN--Description
At 00:16-00:17, Justin tenderly holds an injured bird, who got "hit by a car or a bike or something." Wondering if it will ever be able to use its legs again, Justin gives it "balancing exercises" and helps it practice standing on her own.

At 00:17-00:18, Justin's brother Marc says he and his grandfather "raised pigeons" in a barn, half of which was also their home. He and Justin "got a baby pigeon" and "used to feed that pigeon popcorn". He says they built a pigeon coop which housed "the biggest amalgamation of different pigeons you could possibly imagine".

At 00:43, Justin talks about his "day-to-day life in school", saying that kids would beat him up "and then they'd be like *effing* PIGEON MAN'!"

At 00:44, Justin's friend Kevin describes Justin as having "always been an outsider," "out of step with the world"; then "HE'S A STRANGE BIRD."

We now see a black and white photo of a teenaged Justin wearing a helmet with the words "BIRDMAN" written on it.

View screenshot here: http://imgur.com/mXVBP

SEVY--Description
At 00:18-00:20, Justin discovers a fresh tile in the middle of the night; he shouted around the area but "nobody ever answers me and there's nobody to hear me except a sleeping PIGEON up there somewhere or something."

At 00:24, Justin visits the address of a South Philadelphia home and speaks to Frannie, who describes the current resident. "The fellow living there now, they call, 'Sevy THE BIRDMAN'" because he's got "all BIRDS IN HIS HOUSE."

At 00:32, more neighbors describe Severino Verna as a quiet man who keeps to himself: "Sevy goes nowhere. He just worries about his birds."

At 01:02, the origin of Sevy's nickname is revealed when a neighbor explains that they "called him the Birdman 'cause he would take the birds. Like, if there was a broken--A BIRD ON THE STREET WITH A BROKEN WING or whatever, he'll take it back and he'll nurse it and this and that."

At this point we in the audience cannot help but recall the earlier scene of Justin providing similar aid to an injured bird found on his street.

DISCUSSION
I presume that the director Jon Foy chose to include these references as a way to emphasis the common personality and behavior traits between Justin and the Toynbee tiler (Sevy).

However, there's one piece of evidence that, in my mind, seems to go beyond a simple matter of coincidence and really is unbelievable. This photograph of Justin, from his teenage years, wearing a helmet with the word "BIRDMAN" apparently written across the front.

Without the photo, Justin's story of being called 'BIRD'--or 'PIGEON MAN' at school could be written off as a mis-remembered detail. Maybe he was called "BIRDMAN" once or twice... But the black and white photo from Justin's teenage years (at a Halloween party?) seems to confirms that "BIRDMAN" really may have been Justin's nickname! And so the revelation that Sevy was referred to by neighbors as the 'BIRDMAN' is mind-blowing, right?

So, this photo: http://imgur.com/mXVBP

REFERENCES
* Subtitle File: http://indostream.tv/files/subtitle/132817839604478.srt
* Video Screengrab (from around 00:44): http://imgur.com/mXVBP

[–] KMWhitehouse 12 years ago

You might want to let folks who have not seen the film know at the outset that your commentary -- which is quite interesting -- contains many spoilers.

[–] evikeaz 11 years ago

Why would anyone click on this topic if they didn't want to know? I'm constantly amazed that people go on this board before they see a movie. Why? You've got the rating, a review and sometimes faqs.

[–] KMWhitehouse 12 years ago

@unsorted:

Thanks for adding the spoiler warning. Much of the fun in seeing the movie the first time is not knowing where it's going the lead.

[–] unsorted-169-79012 12 years ago

No problem. I'm embarrassed I forgot to add a spoiler warning. Thanks for pointing it out. I hope I didn't ruin the movie for anyone!

[–] babybloodsucker 12 years ago

i think it is really appealing to justin as well that he and sevy have like, uncommon common interests, you know...i mean, why would he keep going on investigating about the tiles for like about a decade if it didnt hugely struck him that it means something deeply personally too? I dont know if that makes sense...but, he probably thinks like, 'WOW this person (who is like my hero) and me are very much alike, we even have accidental same nicknames' or something.

(some imagination) but can it be, like, sevy and justin are like related, or something? like probably sevy worked for his pigeon barn, like a pigeon carer, or he lives nearby? I mean, he got this great hunch that this man is him on the bus, too, right?

[–] cards-428-650968 12 years ago

Spoilers follow:

Wow, I am surprised that no one else has commented on the content of this post! I definitely noticed some of the things you mentioned but did not put everything together like you did. (great job!). When they mentioned that Sevy wanted to take care of injured birds, I thought that Justin would use that as an “in” with him. In other words, take him the injured bird and ask for his help. I really thought that was the purpose of showing that scene of Justin and the birds. Not sure why then they decided to have all these scenes about the pigeons. And when the other two guys were discussing it, it all seemed very somber – as if something really bad happened. It didn’t seem as though they were recalling a happy account of childhood. So was there something really wrong & why did they have to go into detail about Justin’s falling out with his art teacher and subsequent truancies and behavioral issues?

It is way too much of a coincidence that the two guys involved are nicknamed BIRDMAN. Though I’m not sure what the explanation could be. Some thoughts:

1. the whole thing is fake (not the actual tiles, just the documentary), they have no clue who made them.
2. they found someone who is a recluse in that town and who had the nickname BIRDMAN and just said he was the tiler. (they said there were tile fragments in the area, but didn’t show the relationship between the area where the tiles were & the house). Also the comparisons of neighbor’s descriptions to the journalist were not very convincing – saying he’s a quiet person is not the same as someone with a soft-low voice.
3. they photo-shopped the name BIRDMAN onto the photo.
4. the tiler is related to Justin in some way (they mentioned the grandfather but not the dad that I can recall)
5. the tiler is Justin, and this was part of his rebellion against his art teacher (not sure his age though) and he knows that he himself places the tiles
6. the tiler is Justin and he doesn’t know its him – part of his delusion is to create someone else who is doing this. He was a troubled kid, who was artistic and had a falling out with his mentor. He is the right age, gender, and background for a psychotic break (just speculating)
[Justin could have watched 2001 and read that book and been affected by it]

*age of the tiles is estimated by anecdotal accounts – not sure if there was anything concrete establishing when these were first placed. This may or may not discount Justin as the tile layer.

I also thought several things were off about the Larry King call-in. I am sure there are tapes of the Larry King show. Why not just listen to them instead of trying to ask the Inquirer journalist to remember his voice from eons ago? It seems like they are purposefully thwarting their own efforts.

Another person on this forum mentioned this, but I had the same thought. Why not just stake-out his place from afar and take a photo or video tape. Obviously he goes out? It’s not any more intrusive than broadcasting his home address in a movie. At least to show there really is such a person and they aren’t just blowing smoke (use 1 person’s name, another person’s address, another’s nickname, another’s description, etc.)

If it is fake, I think they really put that BIRDMAN photo as an Easter-egg to yank our chains. They are probably laughing at us for believing any of it! lol

[–] BronYRaur-1 12 years ago

I honestly think it's a group of people or at least more than one following their "leader" who is probably located in Philly who all follow the same "cause". These half-assed attempts to reach that recluse don't bode well for Justin's intentions in following this and keeping the messages alive all these years. What better way to promote your cause than make a movie about it with some phantom "recluse" as it's leader ala Keyser Söze from The Usual Suspects. This speaks to the likelihood that, assuming the movie is legit and not just a mockumentary based on a curious occurance, Justin is on some level a close acquaintance, friend, and/or participant to the cause looking to promote his "message" by making a movie about hunting down a recluse that doesn't exist who is being blamed for a creative expansive form of vandalism.

[–] clozepin 12 years ago

Sevy is Justin BUT from the future. He knew he would be at the convenience store that night at 4am. Same nick name. Never lets anyone see him.

[–] unsorted-169-79012 12 years ago

AHha! I think that's the really answer I wanted to hear from someone all along!

It explains everything... like why present-day-Justin couldn't confront himself/future-Justin a.k.a. "Servy Verna" at the end of the documentary, when he glimpses him on the bus (the universe would explode!).

[–] slentz-187-416508 12 years ago

Either that or something fight club-esk, split personalities and separate consciousness. But on that note, though justin shares similar hobbies ie- art & birds and has a bassy voice as described by the enquirer he's just to young. So maybe he's endlessly resurrecting on jupiter in different moments in time.

[–] mayjachance 12 years ago

Woah. Sevy IS Justin, after he was resurrected on Jupiter.

[–] Chalumeau2 11 years ago

+1 This makes the most thematic sense, impossible and mind bending as it is. He keeps resurrecting and laying the tiles for his younger self to find, like he is in a loop.

[–] BurtMurray 11 years ago

Yes it is a mind blowing coincidence. I believe this to be one of the reasons Justin Duerr became increasing interested in the tiler Sevy. I think when Justin found this out he likely interpreted it as a sign he was on his correct path in life. Justin knew he and Sevy were both misunderstood ostracized people in society.
I saw a line across one of the other two investigators necks but not Justin's although it seemed Justin had very sensitive skin that appeared burned quite often.

The Birdman is the both Sevy and Justin.

[–] CarlCarlson 8 years ago

Coincidence. Robert Stroud aka "The Birdman of Alcatraz" was also into birds.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Stroud

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