the end - Excision (2012) Discussion

[–] Shay_La 12 years ago

I agree, I was pretty confused about the ending, I wasn't sure if Gracie died, or what Pauline was even thinking..

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Pauline had good intentions but was clearly insane. Grace obviously died during the transplant.

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There's nothing really confusing about it. Gracie had blood pouring out of her mouth and was still and pale...she and the neighbor died. Pauline broke down because she realized her surgery failed. She seemed to have some realization about what she'd done.

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[–] shuxy_n 12 years ago

You weren't sure if Gracie died? She had her lungs removed..... need I say more?

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[–] Carrigon 12 years ago

I saw that ending coming. But I didn't think she knew she was killing her sister. I think she really had mental illness and thought she was saving her. This was someone who should have been having treatment and been hospitalized. It just seemed no one really got how mentally ill she was. It's sad that people can be that far gone.

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[–] HikerBoy57 11 years ago

Agree with Carrigon. I'm pretty sure Pauline thought she was SAVING her sister. She did know she'd be killing the jump-roper, though.

The war is not meant to be won... it is meant to be continuous.

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[–] johnwills3 12 years ago

Thats all she wanted the whole film.
I thought the ending was great as its not spoon feeding you the outcome. If you pay attention though I think its abundantly clear the fate of her sister.

www.soundcloud.com/professorwobbleswerth

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[–] Shay_La 12 years ago

I thought it was a great movie, and pretty terrifying too. The ending was good but it really bothered me, I found it to be pretty depressing and extremely intense/crazy. I still liked it though!

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] willshad 12 years ago

It's pretty obvious to me that she thought she was saving her sister. She even says something like "You'll thank me some day" before she puts her to sleep.
And it is not obvious that the sister is dead at the end..it is left in the air, and really doesn't matter in the ultimate tragedy of the situation. She was going to die anyway. Even if she lived, then the main character would be locked up the rest of her life.

I loved the characters of this movie, but it seemed like the writer did not have many ideas of where to take the plot, and stretched out one idea into a 90 minute film. 90% of it seems like filler. The ending really should occurred 20 minutes in, and the rest of the film should have built upon that.

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] Nan00k 12 years ago

...it is not obvious that the sister is dead at the end..it is left in the air, and really doesn't matter in the ultimate tragedy of the situation. She was going to die anyway. Even if she lived...

Perhaps you missed the part where her LUNGS were REMOVED FROM HER BODY with no machines to keep her blood oxygenated or carrying said oxygen to her organs. Perhaps you never took biology, but let me make this clear: she was dead and it was very apparent.
In any case, I thought the very ending was harrowing and incredibly effective. One of my favorite recent horrors. Hope Richard Bates Jr. makes another film soon.
---
"It wants no straps" - Karl

http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000024/nest/158601447

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[–] HikerBoy57 11 years ago

Great post, Nan00k!

I'm not sure how someone could think Grace was alive at the end, unless they think we are in a fantasy/sci-fi/supernatural film world. EXCISION clearly was not. You don't have to be a scientist to know that removing someone's lungs with a kitchen knife WILL KILL THEM.

I could understand a bit of confusion IF they had shown Grace appearing to be alive (in Pauline's visions/fantasies, for example) in some way, but they didn't. Dead.

The war is not meant to be won... it is meant to be continuous.

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[–] willshad 12 years ago

I think the ending would have had a lot more impact if they had attempted to make it a surprise, rather than predictible. As it stands, you knew what would happen as soon as they said the sister needed surgery. WE should have been as surprised as the mother was.

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[–] teenangel1226 12 years ago

Yeah, it was really predictable. I really wish they didn't have her do that at the end.

"Live Today Like You'll Die Tomorrow"

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[–] drpayne-1 11 years ago

SPOILERS BELOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought the same thing about seeing the ending coming the whole time, but I think the director intentionally ended it with the obvious ending because the viewer (myself included) didn't think Pauline would ACTUALLY do it.

As for any confusion, her sister was in fact dead due to biological reality. And Pauline thought she would/could save her. It wasn't until her mother broke down wailing that the reality of what she had done sank into Pauline's delusion, that's why she went from creepily explaining the surgery to wailing as well.

Throughout the film we're lead to think Pauline is just "quirky", but there are the multiple references to Pauline's "possible borderline personality disorder" and her "delusions of surgery". Once agin, we the viewer are lead tot hink maybe everyone is being a little too harsh to Pauline.

Then after the popular girls trash her house she full on snaps. That's the first fight at school, and then she begins planning her surgery to save her terminal sister.

Great film. Reminded me of May in a lot of ways, but the last ten minutes of this were a very well done example of ramping up a sense of unease to a realization of horror.

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[–] joshualeigh2000 12 years ago

rofl @ the first 2 posters... what do you mean "is that all the writer could come up with to end this"... how else could it possibly have ended? how would you have ended it genius??????? silly kids.

and how is the ending in any way shape or form confusing???????

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] pndpuppy82 12 years ago

I went to see Excision last night at AFI Silver in Silver Spring, MD last night and the director Richard Bates was at the screening. (side note: a lot of the film crew are actually from the MD/DC/VA area, hence the Virginia license plates and also the reason why Richard came to the screening in the first place) He had a q&a after the film and one audience member asked if Grace was dead at the end of the film and she is.

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