MovieChat Forums > Split (2017) Discussion > Shyamalan Red Herring?

Shyamalan Red Herring?

posted 7 years ago by BelleStar82
7 replies | jump to latest

*SPOILERS*

Was Shyamalan intentionally trying to make it seem that Casey was the one with the personalities to trick the audience?

It seemed like it was heading down that road with the way certain scenes were shot (Casey's face shown in half, the divide between the Casey and the other girls when she wakes up, cutting between Casey and McAvoy's characters, Casey and the McAvoy's characters saying the same things/knowing about animals, Casey and the McAvoy characters shown repeatedly "coming into conciousness," the psychologist who mentioned that 2 alters can be present at the same time, the flashbacks where it was obvious that Casey was going to experience some sort of trauma, Casey repeatedly being mentioned as an outsider, etc.).
It seems like Shyamalan wanted the audience to think of that as a possible theory.

[–] Jenny005 7 years ago

I questioned this as well - I thought for the majority of the movie that she wasn't, but then right at the end as the police were raiding Kevin space and finding all his stuff, i thought this was Shymalana's way of showing that it was all in Casey's head - right before the movie ended i thought "oh, maybe he's showing that she ran away from home from her uncle, and somehow ended up living in this place?"

but I'm happy that wasn't the case - he crafted this movie so perfectly i thought. I loved the ending, and everything leading up to it

[–] mersk (8) 7 years ago

I completely read that as "the police were raiding Kevin Spacey".

[–] SerDarioTaranFulci 7 years ago

Truthfully, I think it was the original ending and he realized it's cliche as hell so he changed it. Fans have been asking for a sequel to Unbreakable and I think it was last minute.

There were too many scenes where this type of stuff happened and there were multiple times where he said "two girls" when discussing the captives with himself. He took her around the house, told her things he would never tell the others. In the very first scene she is the only one he doesn't spray! The only reason this would happen is if she is a personality. M. Night was clearly trying to be brilliant with his hints and realized this is how every DID movie ends.

McAvoy mentioned he was abused, then we only see her abuse stories. Come to find out she's the super-heroin and he is the villain and her powers are.... what exactly?? It had to have been the original ending.

[–] Nriks 7 years ago

Truthfully, I think it was the original ending

It wasn't. The original ending was always the Beast recognizing Casey as a fellow survivor. Her "split" from the other two girls is part of this. She's distant from the other characters because she's a victim of abuse, and the film is essentially about how victims of trauma and abuse can use their pain and suffering as a means of transfiguration.

This how the movie relates to Unbreakable and why the link is important, because both films are about how people survive impossible situations without becoming "broken" by them.

Also remember that Casey wasn't supposed to be in the car. She was getting an unscheduled ride home. The other two girls were the intended targets, not Casey, which is why she isn't acknowledged by the other personalities. It's possible that Kevin's reluctance to drug Casey is that he's hoping she'll get out of the car and run away. When she doesn't, he has to kidnap her as well.

Also the news report that the doctor watches specifies that the three girls have been kidnapped. Not two. So from the outside perspective, Casey is always linked to the three girls.

[–] vicky_lc2001 (1907) 7 years ago

Not true. The Beast/Kevin/other personalities were in the original Unbreakable script and he intended Unbreakable to be a trilogy even back then.

[–] CraigJamesReview (1466) 7 years ago

Yes, actually I don't think he intended for Kevin to be in the original Unbreakable but he did intend for Kevin to be a villain in an Unbreakable sequel. He just had a lot of material for Kevin and so decided it would be better to craft a whole origin story movie around him.

I'm trying to go for an engaging, funny youtube channel so, if you have the time, take a look. Hope you enjoy what you see. Thanks in advance. A review of the movie here-https://youtu.be/_2I1rJ2vSZM

[–] vicky_lc2001 (1907) 7 years ago

Actually Kevin was in the Unbreakable script for the first film that he took out and was planning on putting him in the second film.