MovieChat Forums > Veronika Decides to Die (2015) Discussion > *spoiler* 'Love': the deux ex machina?

spoiler 'Love': the deux ex machina?

posted 14 years ago by ada-p
4 replies | jump to latest

I just finished watching the movie. First impressions? SMG was excellant. Thewlis was hard to grip because he was a good guy that you were suspicious was a bad guy. I thought it was Alan Rickman in makeup. And I don't see why they bothered having Erika Christendon there; her character just gave a monolouge about "crazy" being all relative.

But that isn't why I'm here. I don't understand what makes Veronica suddenly want to live. She was depressed. During the awesome opening monolouge in which she points out the rediculousness and pointlessness of our existence, I was so involved in the movie. I understood her. I could relate. But half way through, Veronica started wanting to live: "I want to buy a taco from my favourite taco stand. I want to walk into an Irish pub and order a Guiness; I've never done that before!"

Why?

I have clinical depression. I'm on the strongest SSRI's south of anti-psychotics, and I'm in cognitive counselling. I don't understand what made Veronica <i> want </i> to walk on the beach and feel sand between her toes. I live near a beach, but there is no uplifting feeling from walking on it. The world isn't brighter or more colourful. I don't want to return to university after walking along it. I don't feel giddy. And I know that this example is a little too specific, but I just can't understand why she suddenly feels sexual arousal, excitement from a beach, or desire to see the sunrise.

How does some pale, quiet and traumatised boy change Veronica's entire outlook on her life, just by standing there? Is the cure to depression just dopamine, oxytocin and other neaurochemicals produced from looking at a boy and thinking he is cute? How did Veronica get from point A (the logical point of view that we are like insects and most of us will never achieve anything spectacular) to B (excitement, the ability to feel fun, a desire for new experiences)? I feel like I've missed the point of the story, but for the life of me, I haven't the foggiest how Veronica suddenly began to experience all of the pleasant neurochemicals that produce joy and contentment. Was all that her life was missing, fixed by running into Edward?

[–] aj_sunset 14 years ago

I think the point was that when she thinks she's dying and only has limited time left, she begins to realise what she'll miss out on. I think when she decided to commit suicide she wasn't really forced to stay and look at the world the way she is when she's dying more slowly, if that makes any sense at all. It's like she's trapped in this one place for a short period of time, and then that's it. I think that in combination with getting intense attention from another person (Edward) is enough to make her feel something.

Have you read the book? It's much better at explaining it than I am...

[–] ada-p 14 years ago

Thankyou; I'll track down the book.

[–] timlin-4 12 years ago

Going crazy is a known occurrence middle-aged women without husbands. When she finds a young cute guy that who is literally crazy enough to get in a relationship with her she recovers temporarily. Really though, it can only be another turn in the downward spiral because it's too little too late.

[–] Pornstache 11 years ago

Hope my reply doesn't seem superfluous even it's years after your initial post and you won't probably get to read it.

I have just rewatched the film on blu-ray (didn't notice the first time around how beautifully shot it is, btw) and I also suffer from chronic depression.

I believe what gives Veronika the will to live again, among other things, is not that she has fallen in love with Edward per se, but that she COULD fall in love with him. In fact, after she played the piano and masturbated in front of him, she says something along the lines that she could fall in love with him right now. Not once in this film does either one of them utter the words: I love you. Rediscovering her passion for playing the piano has ignited her long forgotten and repressed dream of becoming a professional pianist (she sure has the talent for it!), which has brought her closer than ever to her true self, which explains the masturbastion scene: an allegory for her rediscovering and embracing her true self. The fact that she is giving pleasure to herself without the involvement of Edward although he is standing just in front of her, shows that it is a truly self-fulfilling act. Him standing there allowing her to have this moment, made her realize how much there is still to experience in life, including falling in love with someone (in this circumstance Edward).

Again what a beautiful and uplifting film; and what a stellar performance my Sarah Michelle Gellar, I have never seen her so authentic and truly vulnerable in a film before.