MovieChat Forums > The Meaning of Life (1983) Discussion > Meaning of the Fish

Meaning of the Fish

posted 14 years ago by wantapieceapizza
11 replies | jump to latest

I loved The Middle of the Film scene and like others on this board say, I'd love to see more of it as a film of its own.

Here's my interpretation of the surreal scene, even if there may be no interpretation: the audience is the fish! The fact that there's the talking fish scene right after this scene is one clue. More importantly, the surreality of that scene was created by the FISHeye lens of the camera and the fact that the audience was yelling out answers sort of breaks the fourth wall.

Any thoughts on this?

[–] jajceboy 14 years ago

I kinda got that impression too. Just like the fishes we are the spectators of the show, watching it from outside and maybe even commenting on it.

But then again, maybe it dont have a meaning at all, kinda like the movie has no meaning at all. Maybe its just a weird scene in an ever weirder movie, who knows?

[–] robertscott1949 10 years ago

Ah, people you have to understand Monty Python is pure satire for the most part. You can't start taking it to pieces and expect it to make sense.
We Australians like the British don't take ourselves too seriously, mind you this is the part of the Australian population that can trace their ancestry back to the UK. The other imports are different as their various cultures dictate.
There is little satire in American comedy, it being mostly slapstick in nature. To lampoon authority or religion in America doesn't seem to happen too often. In Britain I guess satire could be seen to start to mature with Gilbert & Sullivan operetta's in which the Law, government and Military were all subjected to satire. Monty Python has gone one better and included religion, almost all of which is so stupid that it just invites satire.

[–] AshMcCool 14 years ago

Well, its making fun of pretentious art performances/movies and their audience(which is sometime the same as Monty Phytons audience).

But you guys seriously disscusing the meaning of this make it all the more hilarious. "And it went, wherever I did go!"

[–] avortac 14 years ago

I think the fish was just a red herring.

[–] chefz2 13 years ago

It seems like the definition of the true meaning of life. You keep looking for something, but all you'll get is 'WTF???'

It'll take more than condiments to foil my brilliant plan!

[–] avortac 13 years ago

Exactly. They make us looking for a fish (herring, red), which isn't there, and isn't going to be there - EXCEPT that the very non-existence of the fish itself makes it a fish (red herring).

Sounds like my life indeed.

[–] TheVyas 13 years ago

I loved The Middle of the Film scene and like others on this board say, I'd love to see more of it as a film of its own.

Here's my interpretation of the surreal scene, even if there may be no interpretation: the audience is the fish! The fact that there's the talking fish scene right after this scene is one clue. More importantly, the surreality of that scene was created by the FISHeye lens of the camera and the fact that the audience was yelling out answers sort of breaks the fourth wall.

Any thoughts on this?

Yes, the fish is you. When he asked the audience to search for the fish, it was a metaphor. It simply means you (the audience) are searching for yourself. In another word, you are searching for [the meaning of the life] the meaning of your life!
There was in fact no fish in the "Search The Fish" scene. This also is a metaphor: some people want answers so badly that they tend to search for them in the wrong direction. The audience might start watching that particular scene very carefully hoping to find a fish. You simply had to look at yourself. The fish was/is/will be you!

Thank you.

BHEEKA Vyas - watches any movie but recommends only the best.

[–] alexandramatthew-951-528963 13 years ago

I think this scene is best left alone. It's got sort of a "Weird for The Sake of Weird" feel, and I love that.

"I showed it to my dad, he thought it was a very funny goof and a spoof."

[–] Lawdog1527 12 years ago

All I know is that the fish... went everywhere I did goooooooooooooo.

[–] jajceboy 12 years ago

After recent re-viewing I am starting to think that that scene has no meaning what so ever, which would go with the film's overall theme of not to have a meaning.
It was probably something thrown in just because it's Python.

[–] famassini 11 years ago

Sth more to affirm that WE are the fish: at the end of the credits, some lines start thanking all the fish that participated in the movie, and makes pretty clear that fish are man(kind)