MovieChat Forums > Der siebente Kontinent (1992) Discussion > Question about the brother..Spoiler incl...

Question about the brother..Spoiler included

posted 18 years ago by filmbuffinla74
2 replies | jump to latest

So in part 1 the brother, Alex, is having dinner with the family, SPOILER ALERT: did the family announce the suicide pact sometime during or before dinner off camera? I know they had the music playing during the meal, perhaps as a distraction, then the brother had an extreme nervous breakdown, sobbing and bursting into tears. I know they stated he was depressed in one of the letters the mother wrote to her inlaws, I wasn't sure if his breakdown at the dinner table had to do with his depression, or because of the family telling him of their plans. Any thoughts? After watching it, I realized the director gave a few clues of their demise in parts 1 and 2, before we reach part 3 where is is very obvious of the plan.

[–] Bitter_Almonds 18 years ago

I saw this twice and it both times it struck me as he just having a breakdown due to his own depression. As far as I can tell, the suicide pact was kept secret from everyone until the very end when they go ahead with it.

Do The Mussolini! Headkick!

[–] vixtadot 18 years ago

I always thought that because the brother breaks down while his sister is listing the ingredients of the meal, it probably sparked off a memory of his mother, whose death, after all, is what started his depression in the first place. Maybe Anne had added a little touch of something because she had learned it from her mother.

this point illustrates what has always impressed me about Haneke - so much is ambiguous in his films that different people can give different interpretations of what happens. As the man himself says - "I hope that if 100 people see one of my films, they will see 100 different films"

The original poster is not necessarily that wide of the mark.

Oh, and by the way nuwavghost - I love your comments, especially on the subject of christianity/atheism re: this film. Maximum respect to you.