MovieChat Forums > Twelve Monkeys (1996) Discussion > To anyone confused about the voice.

To anyone confused about the voice.

posted 9 years ago by joelr-39258
12 replies | jump to latest

There is a very important detail in this movie. One that is deliberately hidden by the director but once found enhances the whole movie. It explains the voice that Coke keeps hearing and also explains the strange mannerisms and behaviours of the people from the future.
.....Everyone in the future is schizophrenic!

The film starts with a quote from a schizophrenic person and later we are told that only approximately 1% of humanity survived the virus. Well approximately 1% of the human population is schizophrenic! So the voice that Cole keeps hearing is his schizophrenia and the reason that everyone in the future acts weird is because they're completely nuts!

Hope this helped clear things up for anyone wondering about the voice.

[–] deaththekid90 9 years ago

That is a very interesting interpretation. I never thought of that. I just thought they assumed Cole was a schizo because he was from the future but nobody believed him.

[–] BQQ 9 years ago

Well it's Gilliam after all so it's certainly plausible.

"I don't want a bloody avatar!" -paraphrased from BQQ's annoyances with IMDb's stupidity

[–] Girls_Dont_Poop 9 years ago

So you're saying the 1% of the population that survived just happened to be the exact 1% of the population that is schizophrenic?

[–] BQQ 9 years ago

That's what he's getting at, yes. What, did you think it was 1% of the population that is gay?

"I don't want a bloody avatar!" -paraphrased from BQQ's annoyances with IMDb's stupidity

[–] joelr-39258 9 years ago

I'm saying the only people that the virus doesn't target are schizophrenic. Which I guess implies that schizophrenics are immune to the virus.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] cartesianthought 9 years ago

More plausible. The catastrophic events made the 1% of people who did survive traumatic.

[–] BigRich 8 years ago

The film starts with a quote from a schizophrenic person

This schizophrenic person is Cole, as proven when he's first sent back and ends up in jail and restraints. Right before Dr. Kathryn Railly was paged during a seminar, the caption stated, Baltimore April 1990, and shortly after he arrives in the institution, Cole is interviewed and he says the same information that was stated at the beginning of the movie.

Title Card: ...5 billion people will die from a deadly virus in 1997... /... The survivors will abandon the surface of he planet... /... Once again the animals will rule the world... / - Excerpts from interview with clinically diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, April 12, 1990 - Baltimore County Hospital.

So, is this a coincidence that the title card quotes a so called "schizophrenic person" or just perhaps it was Cole?

_
Every person that served can be called a veteran, but not every veteran can be called a Marine.

[–] Drooch 8 years ago

So time travel was invented by a bunch of schizoids?

[–] tutankhaten 8 years ago

Magnificent! This so elegantly explains the 'voice in the bathroom' scene I've always struggled with!

I am unworthy to stand in your shadow :)

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[–] einstein (2611) 5 years ago

worst explanation ever, 1% is schizo? nope, i will give you one reason that will destroy your theory. when the old homeless man approaches cole and dr. kathryn railly, they can BOTH hear and see him which means that the voice is external and not in cole's head. sorry bro, but i think your theory is 100% wrong