The Ending

if you need someone to explain the ending, then this movie isn't for you.

Not sure if I'm right but to me it was very clear that they did in in fact die in the desert in the hole, and everything after was a final dream/hallucination, exactly for the reason that one of the characters pointed out in the ending, everything turned out too good too fast. it seems pretty unrealistic for a film that was very real from the beginning.

I took it to be a near-death hallucination/dream. The phone being dead even while it rang was a giveaway. Carter's hand and Mitchell's head being totally healed was another although some might suggest some time had passed for that to happen, in which case why would Mitchell still be using a broken phone after all that time? He would surely have bought another.

If you watch the ending again it has a dreamy, surreal feel about it. The way both of them had no injuries or scars, Mitchell being greeted in work with his Mohawk like some hero, Carter finally having a place to live and writing what seems to be a successful novel, him getting on great with Joanne and her with him. It was all of Mitchell's ideal outcomes come true at once. Too much of what he wanted to go right finally going right to be credible but leaving enough doubt for people to think otherwise and believe it was real. There is no cast-iron correct answer to what you asked though. One outcome is far more likely than the other but you take out of it what you want. If it still makes more sense to you that they lived and the ending was real-life then so be it.

I like the fact that the ending left me wondering (but not really wondering too much.)

Having lived in the desert, I was originally going to give the film a lower rating than I wound up giving it. Why? Because, we are always taught to never, ever leave your vehicle if you break down while traveling through the desert. And, no water? You can live for a while without food, but you will die very quickly without water. Especially after all of the physical (and mental) trauma those two went through, the lack of water would have made the situation dire. The loss of blood alone would have screwed up rational thinking. So a rescue of any type, with them wandering around, would have been a true miracle.

So, when Mitchell's broken phone started ringing, at first I thought, "Well why the heck didn't they call for help before? Wait, that isn't a satellite phone. Where are the cell towers?" And, immediately realized that no, maybe they are hallucinating, which is what I expected them to start doing on the second day (if you have ever had to work outside when it is 110 out, you will know what I mean.)

Therefore, I think they died. Whatever you want to believe the outcome was, this was a very good movie.

I'd like to pose another question: Did Carter actually die the first time, and Mitchell only hallucinated that he wasn't actually dead?

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planet-38.com
Getting You Satisfied
(One way or another)

I'm going to watch it tomorrow and can't wait but I think it is just wonderful that a film can provoke this kind of discussion and make you think about the direction of your own life. I love that it is character driven propelled by challenging conversation but it is also a survival film.

think 1408

The 7 second theory:

When you die, there are 7 seconds in which you are in a dream state. You're unconsciously conscious. However, while dreaming, we lose all perception of time. A day could be a minute, a second could be a year. So what if you've been dead for 3 seconds and all of your life up till now has been a dream... If you could grasp that concept, then you could enter a lucid dream state. A state in which you can control your environment. It would be as though you have entered the matrix...

That's exactly what I took from this movie. After Mitchell eats that carcass and drags it over to Carter at night, you see them laying in a ditch together, it's still dark. It cuts to black, and you see from Mitchell's point of view, Carter waking him up. That's when all good fortune starts happening to them.

Now when Mitchell starts realizing they're still in the desert, they show them laying in the same spot before Carter wakes Mitchell up, but it's daylight. To me I feel like that's Mitchell's last moments alive, and Carter is most likely dead already.

They die in the grave.

Mitchell's hallucinations began shortly after he kills Carter.

The fight happens in the morning. After Mitchell finds him dead, there are scenes showing the day going on and the heat that is still real to Mitchell. The death of his friend becomes so great he is shown sitting across the road from his friend body.

Next scene, the hallucinations began. This is when we find Mitchell talking to Carter's corpse. "Its gonna be ok buddy, its gonna be ok"
"You know I was thinking about it
Its really funny!" "we should of thought about it sooner" "we scared that old lady" (more on this later)

Carter awakens suddenly, while being drug to the grave and states that it's almost dark. This shows that he has been dead or unconscious (w/o a pulse lol) all day long. He is now awake and sees grave and gets angry. Notice he covers his face. This face covering is shown in a few other scenes, usually when there is hostility or something to be avoided not seen.

Few scenes later, Mitchell is laying in hole and carter comes up, face covered, still hostile. puts knife to Mitchells throat but doesnt say anything threatening. Instead he says, "hey Mitchell." Mitchell responds "I'm not well' Mitchell is talking to himself here. He begins to Rationalize how easy it would be to just cut his on throat. he says he would have to be out of his mind. Carter chimes in, and this is a big point. "That happened hours ago."

Next scene shows intensity of heat. Carter's face uncovered and the two are on speaking terms again. Scene shows Carter sipping on windshield cleaner which he couldn't stand. He is propped up against truck with hose in his mouth. Seems Staged. All the while Mitchell is in deep thought, he is widdling wood, then we find a repeat of doing things differently.

Mitchell says, "I would of done things differently, I woulda made changes."
"Wasn't that bad of an idea." Its just we, we didnt do it right.'

Carter states. "Well, next time we'll do it right"

The saying we should of thought about it and done it differently at first made me think he was analyzing his life. But when you look at the wording and the situation. You realize Mitchell is actually talking about the decision to cut his hair. After saying I would of done things differenly, he says it wasn't a bad idea we just didn't do it right. He is so far gone and analyzing the cutting of his hair, although being a good idea, bc it released the person he wanted to be, it ended up costing him a rescue, which lead to the fight and the death of Carter.

The hair cut has a lot of symbolism, especially the fact that it occured so early. I would love to hear the directors thoughts on it.

The town is fake. I believe the telephone wires are key here. The telephone wires lead them in, they find water and hope begins, next miracle his broke cell phone receives a call. No cell battery last four to five days. He relizes this at the end when the phone rings even though it is dead. Finally we see the ambulance coming in to save them. The ambulance is coming down a old dirt road. The telephone poles that lead them to this town are not there. I believe this proves Mitchell has hallucinated these scenes.

Mitchell's Wife:
Here is a lady who has had such an influence on Mitchell that he has changed who he was. But in an instant she is ok with uprooting their life, traveling world on whim, with a young child, and they are going to go until out of money. Just doesn't fit. Also you see the wife reading what is apparently Carter's novel about their ordeal. Which had to include the affair story bc it was a huge part of them opening back up. Yet she loves it??? His friend also states that his wife isnt what he thought and he likes her. This just doesn't fit Carter's character and I know all you married guys out there know like I do that this is total fantasy.

Finally, the best clue that this has all been a hallucination, is provided by the Mitchell's late night phone call to Carter.
It is 3:30 am, Mitchell calls Carter and ask "Are u asleep?" Carter responds no and ask what's up.
Mitchell states, he doesn't know, everything was going fine, then states,
"I feel weird." I believe he is feeling death creeping in.

Carter jokingly ask Mitchell if it has occurred to him that he may just need some sleep.

Mitchell doesn't answer Carter's question. Instead states that he thought he was past the point of believing people could really change,or at least past where he could.
He is beginning to fear he could still be in the desert.

Carter now ask's him a key question. He ask Mitchell if it is harder to believe that everything has changed and even with all the changes everthing is great and it all went smoothly? Or is it harder to believe your still lost in the desert dying in a grave?

Mitchell is know shown sitting alone in a dark corner. I believe this is symbolizes his fear that he may not be there. Next his son pulls him out and back to family. Which could symbolize he still has some hope its real.

Carter finally states he has just finished their book. With a relieved look, Mitchell says, "great tell me how it ends."
Carter responds, " Well that's the funny thing.....call is lost. Cell phone is dead. Just as it would be in real life after 4-5 days with no charge. But suddenly the phone rings again. How can this happen? The phone had died. It can't and Mitchell finally knows the reality of his situation. He looks back at it all. Just as the audience should when asked which situation was more believable. Are you a dreamer that wants to believe the miracle ending rescue? Or after stopping and thinking back on what you have just scene, do you realize, like Mitchell finally does, it has all been a hallucination.

Mitchell, after realizing he is still in the desert and is dying, has to decide how it is going to end. He ultimately decides to end it the way he wants. He is shown laying in bed next to his wife and son. He knows it isn't real, but he chooses this scenario over the true one. The tear running down his face shows that he knows the truth is he is about to die in the desert. His eyes close and the scene quickly cuts to black. He has died.

This was a great film in my opinion and I can't wait for more in-depth interviews and interpretations of this film.