MovieChat Forums > The Devil's Carnival (2012) Discussion > Thoughts and Questions

Thoughts and Questions

posted 12 years ago by iteachart
10 replies | jump to latest

Hey, guys! I found Devil's Carnival on Netflix the other day and after pondering it awhile, I have a few questions.

1) Tamara is sent to hell ... her sin? Repeatedly trusting people with bad intentions. Now granted, she could be in hell because her last lover talked her into crime or something like that ... but specifically with Lucifer reading the tale about the scorpion, the point was that she wouldn't stop trusting dangerous people who WOULD inevitably hurt her. Question? Is that even a sin? Trusting bad people? She had a lesson to learn, yes ... but what did she do that warranted being sent to hell?

2) Merrywood's sin was obviously greed ... no question there.

3) But John ... John was sent to hell for committing suicide. I'm a Catholic so yes, we are taught that suicide is a mortal sin. But the facinating interaction between Lucifer and John is about grief. Lucifer said John gave himself over to his grief ... and is finally released to Heaven when he learns his lesson and says, "I don't want to grieve anymore." Question? Is grief a sin? Is it only grief that is so encompassing that you can't function? Grief that causes you to commit suicide?

I was intrigued by God ... painting on a doll only to throw it in the "broken" bin when he didn't like his paint job ... and for John to appear later in that same "broken" bin. Which means, conversely, that God was throwing those dolls (souls?) to hell in the beginning ... for what? What was the purpose?

Anyway ... I really found Devil's Carnival interesting. Not as "fun" as Repo ... but really thought provoking. Sin and punishment. And more important than not sinning at all ... learning from your mistakes so you don't repeat those sins. I hope they're able to do a part two ... I'll be interested to see Heaven's side.

[–] reality_is_a_prison 12 years ago

I didn't understand the greed punishment, I guess I may just not know the whole pennies fable, is it because that is what they used to do to people that stole back in the day? Or because it is typical hell tourture? Maybe to strip the greedy and degrade them?

[–] iteachart 12 years ago

Well ... I'm not entirely sure. No way of knowing what was in their heads when they wrote it. But here's what I remember ...

She'd been "collecting" treasure as she walked through the carnival, looking for the giant diamond on the map. When she found it, there was basically a carnival game ... pitch a coin and win the diamond ... but for each time she missed, the shadow would take part of her, right?

She KNEW it was a bad deal. She even commented several times on how it would be impossible to win. And yet she couldn't stop herself from trying ... and with each coin she tossed they stripped her until she was naked ... and then they beat her. If I'm remembering it right?

Why strip her naked and beat her? I guess it's a typical torture you'd see in hell? Or to strip her of all the treasure she'd stolen? She was a thief ... but it seems like more than just thievery, her sin was in the greed ... that it was never enough. She had handfuls of treasure she'd collected as she walked through the carnival ... why throw everything away for the giant diamond?

I'll have to re-listen to the pennies fable. I bought the soundtrack on iTunes before I ever saw the movie itself ... maybe there's a clue in there about her punishment?

[–] eraserheadbluevelvet 12 years ago

They whipped her because she broke the "no littering" rule. The punishment was postponed until she was finished with the game.

[–] dawatcher 12 years ago

My impression was that Tamara's sin was her being into 'bad boys'....something of a curse for most women to begin with.

[–] ChipNoirD 11 years ago

1. You have it half right.

Its not just 'liking bad boys'
Its ignoring danger when its obvious. You might have heard the old proverb "Bitten once, shame on you, bitten twice, shame on me.". Despite every single warning sign, Tamara throws herself at the 'bad boy', and refuses to accept the truth of it, right to her dying moment. You notice that in the begining she had the opportunity to gun it out of there. There was a perfect chance to floor the gas peddle and never get shot. But she hesitated. I'm willing to bet her last thoughts were "Maybe we can work this out! I don't want to leave! As scary and horrible as it is, at least I'm comfortable with the misery!". She waited too long to do anything though, like her entire relationship, as so he shot her. She made the wrong choice, and 'damned' herself.

Damnation is more of a symbolic state of being in this film, not something biblical. Any time you do something that will never turn out good for you, you are 'damning' yourself. That seems to the be the method to this film's madness.

3. See my end explanation of number one. Suicide here is just a symptom of grief and dispaire, things that cannot be in heaven. How can you go to the realm of ultimate bliss and joy if you're riddle of grief and self hatred? Its like a ball and chain, keeping you from ascension.

4. God is painted as a dietic, unsympapthetic character. He doesn't take an active role in our lives, leaving us to damn ourselves. Its become hell's job to rehabilitate the damn, something that most mortals would assume would be done by the hand of god or never at all. Hence "Putting Heaven Out of Business.". Everyone will want to go to hell to save themselves.

[–] dawatcher 11 years ago

Ok kinda like purgatory except with an Aesop twist.

[–] CyberGhostface-1 11 years ago

Kind of, although it's a very recent development.

[–] kingstewy 11 years ago

I don't remember the exact Bible Verse, but Jesus clearly states you are to walk seperate from people who will do you harm. It doesn't mean you hate them, or wish them ill. You just walk separate!

[–] scrappy_1988 11 years ago

To an earlier question johns sin is giving in to grief.
Grief and His Due

When Jupiter was assigning the various gods their privileges, it so happened that Grief was not present with the rest: but when all had received their share, he too entered and claimed his due. Jupiter was at a loss to know what to do, for there was nothing left for him. However, at last he decided that to him should belong the tears that are shed for the dead. Thus it is the same with Grief as it is with the other gods. The more devoutly men render to him his due, the more lavish is he of that which he has to bestow. It is not well, therefore, to mourn long for the departed; else Grief, whose sole pleasure is in such mourning, will be quick to send fresh cause for tears.

[–] 11 years ago

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