MovieChat Forums > A Promise (2014) Discussion > A little confused on a couple of things....

A little confused on a couple of things..

posted 8 years ago by TheHotMess
5 replies | jump to latest

As the title says, I have a couple of questions and I was wondering if some of you could share some of your insights or thoughts on the questions.

1. When she said she couldn't be with him physically until he comes back from Mexico, was she thinking that her husband was going to die by then or was she just trying to test their love?

2. How exactly long were they separated? I thought it was 6 years but that picture of Otto and her saying he's now nineteen kind of threw me off. That would have made Otto thirteen before Friedrich left for Mexico, but Otto seemed younger than that.

[–] TheWalkingLost 8 years ago

I'm not sure about the first question. Perhaps it was a bit of both?

I was wondering about this, too. Let's see: the initial two years (1912-1914), then World War I lasted for four years (1914-1918), at the end of the film, when he returned, it appeared to be the beginning of the Nazi party (1920). So If Otto was nineteen at the end he would have had to have been eleven at the beginning of the film. Eleven in 1912, 13 at the end of the initial two years in 1914, 17 when World War I finally ended in 1918, and 19 two years later when Friedrich returned in 1920.

Hey, how about the fact that I fought an Avenger and didn't die?

[–] TheHotMess 8 years ago

Thanks for your response.

So based on your math he was gone for 8 years? Man, oh man, is that a long time to wait for someone. But, I guess if it's true love, 8 years isn't that long in eternity (if you believe in that)

I couldn't really decide on what she meant by waiting, but you make a good point on maybe it was both. She was religious, so we know she never wanted to be with him physically until she could. But, I think she was thinking to herself that if they both waited those two years and still felt the same way, that she was going to give in because she believed they were meant to be. I mean, she was so close to cracking already before he left.

[–] rps-2 8 years ago

Judging from her clothing and the fact that her son was now 19, I think the end of the film is in the early or mid twenties.
The architecture confuses me. I would have bet that the film was shot in Britain because the buildings certainly looked British rather than German. But it was shot in Belgium.

[–] k_street 8 years ago

As to the first question, I think she wanted to consider them essentially engaged to marry and consummate their love as soon as her husband passed away. Being older with serious heart issues, she could tell he didn't have many more years left, and might die during the initial two years. She clearly cared for her husband and he was kind to her, so despite the attraction she felt for Friedrich, she owed her husband as much faithfulness and support as she could muster. Betraying a dying man who gave her a child and just about anything else in life she might want (even a potential 2nd husband!) for a couple quickies with a man who might never return would be shameful. She's a lady, religious and well-practiced in social grace unlike the indiscreet neighbor girl. I don't think it was a test, she just really hoped his love for her was more than a fleeting crush. But man, that ending is dour and just not very satisfying!

[–] lamont-hard 8 years ago

They only got together because of the promise, gone was the emotions they had, his from wars hers from watching her dying husband pass. The question is will they be happy. She is wealthy and really don't need him to be a dad to her son. I thought he was a changed man also. So my guess is they will move on from each other. I think she will choose someone she decides to have maybe like her fiancee or even like her husband, and he will use his skills he learned to go after a woman whom doesn't have baggage after all this one brought him war torn grief and empty longings. That is why to ending was so anti climatic...they moved on.