What does this line mean?
"Somebody who should be dead is alive, or somebody who should be alive is already dead."
What's the exact meaning?
it doesn't make a whole lot of sense really, but this is the best i can make of it. it just seems like peter was testing the detective and giving him cryptic messages to see if he was able to solve the mystery. peter is pretty much insane, and being a novelist, he probably was planning all these events out in his head as if he subconsciously wanted the detective to be lead to his bloody trail at the end. so essentially he was crafting his own real life murder mystery.
"somebody who should be alive is already dead" he is obviously referring to the book critic who initially was the murderer. since these were his crimes to begin with, it would only makes sense that he would be alive since people are still being murdered. this line is followed up by "when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth". so he's giving the detective a clue that since all the evidence is pointing to the book critic as the murderer, now that he's dead the only real explanation for the continuing murders is that its an entirely different person.
"somebody who should be dead is alive" this is possibly foreshadowing later on in the film when peter seemingly kills himself, only to reveal that he had staged it. possibly this was all pre-determined by peter and he told this to the detective as a clue and thats why he decides to go back into the house at the last minute to investigate the scene only to find the body is missing.
it could be argued whether peter was trying to get away with it or wanted to be caught. but there are so many storyline discrepancies that its very difficult to validate any theories. but thats what i like about tenebre, other than the awesome soundtrack and artistic style. the initial murderer is very one dimensional and only kills based on moral objections, so thats why its such a *beep* in the end when ur like "wait a minute" theres so many more layers to this mystery. but i like how you really have to think about the plot and try to understand the method behind his madness. it really doesn't make a lot of sense, but thats also why its such a shock.
That's probably a spot-on interpretation. Good work!
I still think that Deep Red is his best, because every last scene in that film is enjoyable (even the romantic comedy ones). I never really liked Suspiria, besides the obviously astounding visuals.
That said, Tenebrae (I'm surprised to find out) has an ending that makes the entire film crucial. The way Peter Neal acted was a bit over the top, but this is to a feeble/comical level. When it's revealed that he's the killer, his behavior is pretty much the same, but the context turns him into an absolute nut. That shot at the end when it reveals him behind the detective is unbelievably chilling. Plus the ending with Daria screaming as a result of a sharp spike going into Peter Neal's stomatch going right to the credits was effective. The pounding title theme I feel is in the same vein as the Deep Red theme. The great POV shots through the outside apartment with that music playing was good stuff. But the rest of the music doesn't have as much of an effect.
Thank you very much for your point of view. I always get the feeling that movies like this one end up being deep and asking for interpretations BY CHANCE. Like plot holes that get bigger and bigger and end up disguising themselves as open views. But you really made the "Someone who should be dead..." line coherent and logical. Argento should be proud!
sharepeter is pretty much insane, and being a novelist, he probably was planning all these events out in his head as if he subconsciously wanted the detective to be lead to his bloody trail at the end. so essentially he was crafting his own real life murder mystery.
That's brilliant, and I don't think you're the first person who caught it; I've read other essays (I can't remember where) that suggest that Peter is in fact building a real life mystery. In fact, if you think about it, the two killers are mirror images; Berti has gotten Peter's novels confused with real life, and Peter has got his real life mixed up with his novels.
Remember what Peter shouts at the end. "The rest was like writing a book. A BOOK!"
Today I watched it again, and finally could answer my own question. Its fairly the same thing that dfgtyodlmsmfovllgtwdc replied, but with the exception of the second phrase. "Someone who should be dead is alive" is not a foreshadowing of the ending, but a hint over the fact that Peter was supossed to be the last victim of the murderer (the "big corrupter") as it stated in his last letter. Well, the night when Peter and the boy snuck into the murderer's house, Peter is supossedly hit with a rock on the head but strangely NOT KILLED. If he was indeed attacked by the murderer, it wouldn't make sense as to why he was left alive.
Conclusion: Someone who should be dead is alive. Peter should be dead, but he is inexplicably alive.
Of course the Det. couldn't get this hint as such because Peter lied to him as for the wound in the head.
The first part of the whole phrase it's as stated here in the other messages.