MovieChat Forums > Coming Home (1978) Discussion > A Swim Or A Suicide?

A Swim Or A Suicide?

posted 20 years ago by bertschkid
42 replies | jump to latest

At the end of the movie, when Bob Hyde takes off his uniform and heads out into the surf; is he going to drown himself or just go swimming? I realize that the writers intentionally scripted the scene ambiguously so people can draw their own conclusions; but my girlfriend and I were arguing about it the other day.

I say he just wants to purge himself of the Marines and the war, even if for a short time, by stripping down, leaving everything behind (literally) and doing something he might've enjoyed before Vietnam. Although he seemed too uptight to go skinny dipping on a public beach in broad daylight; the scene demonstrates how Out Of Time he's become. But I also thought he began to get a handle on his conscience and reality at the end of the scene with Luke and Sally in their living room. Sidenote question: During that scene, Bob calls Luke a "jody" (jodee, jodie, joady, Joe D?) twice; what's the correct spelling and does the word have anything to do with being disabled?

My girlfriend says Bob abandoned his life when he took off the wedding ring Sally gave him before Vietnam and the surf was so powerful; he couldn't have been doing anything but trying to drown himself. Although he runs at the movie's beginning and seems to be in decent shape; a house on the beach and swimming was more Sally's thing than his. He can't live with himself any longer, gave up and just wants to end it all.

Any opinions?

[–] Brett5150 20 years ago

He gives up in the end!!!Theres no doubt about it and he certainly is'nt going for a swim. He wanted to come home a proud man and to his lovely waiting wife. That was'nt to be. He had instructions.....He had to go. She needed love so she took the best offer. They needed love, the both of them. Bob had no more to give, period. Thats why he takes the easy way out.

[–] gorinclan 20 years ago

A "jody" (sp?) is a guy that sleeps with a soldier's wife while that soldier is away at war.

[–] phmurphy 20 years ago

It is clearly a suicide....think about when he is arguing with Sally and Luke comes over.....Bruce dern says that he doesnt belong here and that he doesnt belong over in Vietnam, he doesnt have any reason to live...his wife has betrayed him and so has his love and devotion for the Marines....also when he receives his medal, it isnt a very admirable medal and i think he realizes it...In the song when he is walking out to the beach, it says, "Once i was a soldier....Once i was a lover"....he has nothing left but to just end it...also, if he were just going out for a swim, why would he deal with the whole uniform removal and take his ring off for just a swim..why not put on swim trunks....you make a really good observation about wanting to purge himself of the marines and war....i really do think that he was Out of Time and had nothing to live for anymore...his marriage would never be that healthy again and the war for him was over....hope this helps...this is my favorite movie.

[–] juangumu 20 years ago

I don´t think it is a suicide, i see it more like a purification, the water cleans him of all his sins, and he take his clothes out as a way to brake with his past, the army and the things he did on the war. He also takes off the ring because he brakes with his wife, but this doesn´t mean tha he is taking of his own life. I think it would be a suicide if he would go to the water with the whole uniform and the ring. He is just rediming himself.

[–] git011 20 years ago

I think that it is an intentionally ambiguous finale with absolutely no definite answer. I do agree, however, that the "tone" of the outro music implies a bereftness that lends to the suicide theory. The question means more when you think that Voight's character would have more to live for than Dern's. It's the ultimate gutcheck, i.e. are you a glass half full or empty person? And I think the ambiguous nature of the ending also asks that question of the audience.

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] seabreeze-1 20 years ago

I perceived him going into the ocean as ending his life.

[–] crzyjeb84 19 years ago

I think it's a suicide. I really think he had no reason 2 live. Look at the tagline he was a military guy and he had to go home. Really when you think about it I think he was more in love with the military than his wife. In the end he really has neither nothing to live for. So I would think that he committed suicide. Also if he was going for the swim why he take his ring off. That's the main thing that stuck out to me. Him taking off the ring and his military uniform in a way is him giving up both of his loves what else is there 2 live for. But one thing bothers me though if he was going to committ suicide why did he drown himself. I would think he would just blow his brains out. I don't we will ever know.

[–] bheyer 19 years ago

I just got finished watching "Coming Home." Bruce Dern's "Captain Hyde" character was DEFINITELY entering the surf to drown himself. The somber, ritualistic manner in which he disrobed (all his clothes were neatly hung on the lifeguard stand), and the fact he took off his wedding ring, last (earlier in the movie he told his wife that the ring would NEVER come off his finger), points to that fact.

I'm the bad guy? How'd that happen?
Michael Douglas ("D-FENS"), in "Falling Down"

[–] elgatolocorojo 19 years ago

The original author obviously missed the significance of Bob taking off his wedding ring. He wasn't going to need it any more where he was going...

"Yippee-ki-yay..." John McClane

[–] Nazar_Vojtovich 19 years ago

i was kinda puzzled by Bruce Dern's grin, when he frenetically tried to take the ring off. his expression seemed rather comical to me, which is totally out of place in the whole scene. the scene is clearly a suicide(reminded me of the similar scene with Sterling Hayden in The Long Goodbye. The character was in the existential dilemma, and suicide seemed like the only dignified way to go.

[–] donaldnegri 19 years ago

As a USMC Vietnam vet it's somewhat interesting to pick out the tiny flaws (call it trivia) - the two I immediately saw were the length of the Marines hair (no way would it have been that long at Pendleton at the time), and secondly, the rather improbable relationship between Dern and the sergeant. No way a Captain is that buddy-buddy with a noncom.

On the other hand, the scene with Sally at the Officer's Wives meeting is dead on.

Overall, things are pretty ok, though I still have some trouble with Dern's character being so gung-ho at the outset then his strange meltdown in Nam (first apparent in the r&r scene - and his disgust that his men cut off enemy ears.....I didn't serve with many Captains that would
be so traumatized by such a thing, even if they didn't approve of it. Which, by the way, underscores the fact that yes, some very very bad things did occur over there (sorry to prick the SwiftBoatVets politically partisan falsely naive claims to the contrary).

[–] tbcat 19 years ago

Oh yeah...that was a suicide, no doubt. It's all in taking off the wedding ring. You don't do that if you are just going for a swim.

I disagree with the comment that people wouldn't be traumatized by such a thing as cutting off body parts. (Thought he said "heads on poles" in the movie?) My brother served in Nam and was pretty messed up psychologically when he came back as well as most of his buddies.

[–] fanaticita 18 years ago

He suicided. He was very messed up psychologically and his wife's infidelity put him over the edge. He probably could have accepted her infidelity had he not been a basket case when he came back from Vietnam.

[–] bizarropaul 18 years ago

Definitely a suicide. Why else would Ashby place so much significance on an otherwise banal scene of someone going for a swim. I can see the argument that the so-called swim was laden with imagery -- like cleansing himself -- but the foreshadowing hints too much toward suicide. Ashby was a complete nut for Tim Buckley and listened to him obsessively while editing -- so just listen to the lyrics if you want to know the intention of the scene. That makes it clear he wanted to kill himself. It's just shocking that Ashby never earned that best-director Oscar. No one had a better run as director in the 70s than Ashby. No one. Not even Scorsese, Coppola or Friedkin. Every single one of Ashby's films in the 70s were classics.

[–] SCUM-Auxiliary 17 years ago

For what it is worth, he expressed revulsion at the decapitations, not the ear severing (which was performed by his close friend). Also, you did not know "many" captains that would be traumatized, but you knew at least one, I imagine. As this is an anti-war movie, the character would understandably be one of these types, even if rare. Were he to remain gung ho, it would undermine the message of the filmmakers.

[–] peterquincy 17 years ago

Def. suicide

[–] nancyrex1 18 years ago

I think a definite suicide. There is nothing left that Bob has any faith in at this point. He feels he was so misdirected by his own alliegence to his country and then he sees that Sally has figured out or realized the misguided mess that Viet Nam was and moved to another place. I don't think it's betrayal he's feeling but simply out of time and place. Just really nothing left to try to get back to. A really excellent film. One of my favorites. Jane Fonda and Jon Voight have never been better...Fonda was really fabulous in Klute though.

[–] dolfan0307 18 years ago

I can't believe this is even being talked about. He is obviously being "reborn" or purified/cleansed. That's why he stripped down naked (that's the way you're born...)

Also, am I crazy or do we not SEE HIM standing outside at the end when Luke is making his speech to the young soldiers and Sally is going to the store? I even remember her telling him that she's going to the store.

Check your facts people, he didn't kill himself cuz he was alive in the end. Think about the concept of a rebirth a little further and you can see that this is an obvious case. Not a suicide...at all. It saddens me that all but one person posting above me thinks this is a suicide. Just disgraceful...

Be a (your name)-ist
THE YOUR NAME RELIGION

[–] trevor-150 17 years ago

I don't think anything is "obvious". Whether that scene is a suicide or a rebirth is open to interpretation; it's not black-and-white.

And yes, you are crazy. The last time we see Bob Hyde is when he's swimming out to sea. He's not outside at the end when Luke is making his speech.

Go watch the film to check your own "obvious facts" before accusing others of being disgraceful.

[–] dolfan0307 17 years ago

Trevor, I can't seem to find your annoying little complaining when someone says the suicide option is "obvious" so it seems as though you're biased.

And I took you're suggestion and rewatched it. Bob is seen at the end, after the "BLATANT SUICIDE" in uniform, looking at the sun.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is...

Shush.

Be a (your name)-ist
THE YOUR NAME RELIGION

[–] overhere-4 16 years ago

Bob was a complicated character. Like he said to his wife "i don't belong here and they say i don't belong over there"

One of Bob's other statements was that he wanted to go out a hero, yet he was conflicted that he was getting a medal for an accidental injury.

Bob is not seen at the end. His last scene was when he swam out in the ocean. He was wearing his uniform when his wife suggested that he barbeque, he then walked to the beach, undressed and swam out to sea.

The last scene was the jane fonda character walking into the supermarket with her girlfriend. Appropriately, she went in through the out door.

[–] SCUM-Auxiliary 17 years ago

Were the outcome "obvious," why wouldn't the director accentuate this fact? We clearly see the Cap'n swimming (in a scene meant, I thought, to be concurrent with the Luke's address), so why not clearly see Bob watching Luke. I saw the film last night, on the big screen, and did NOT notice Bob after the swimming scene. Why would this be snuck in if it was so pivotal.

I think the ambiguity is the thing here. Whether or not he kills himself, he is "out." That is all that matters.

[–] ellyhigginbottom 17 years ago

Definitely a suicide. As for taking off his uniform and the wedding ring - this can also be seen as his final rejection of the two great disappointments - the army & his marriage.

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