MovieChat Forums > Dead Man (1996) Discussion > What is with his name?

What is with his name?

posted 9 years ago by s_a-k_y
2 replies | jump to latest

I don't know if this has brought up before and if so, I apologize in advance, but why is it that at the beginning of the movie the protagonist presents himself as Bill Blake and once he meets Nobody, his name suddenly becomes William? Is this some kind of symbolism i didn't get or is it just a goof ?

[–] bradjanet 9 years ago

William Blake was the great mystic, visionary poet and artist ... identifying the dead man's character with William Blake is a symbolic step in the increasingly mystical journey of the character.

But you ARE Blanche ... and I AM.

[–] Cuisine 9 years ago

Bill is oftentimes a nickname for William.