MovieChat Forums > All Is Lost (2013) Discussion > He died before he ever set the raft on f...

He died before he ever set the raft on fire...

posted 10 years ago by fatemusthide
12 replies | jump to latest

Our Man left the world to go out and make peace, with himself and with God - live or die. He had done something unforgivable to those he left behind. He goes through the motions during every challenge because he knows his fate is in God's hands.

Does he die in the water? NO, he dies before that when he goes to sleep after throwing the jar into the ocean. Watch as he struggles to throw the jar into the ocean, he knows it means the end. He awakens (after death) to an ocean that is perfectly calm, sees a small boat in the distance, sets his boat on fire (never mind using the two flares he saved after the last cargo ship went by)... The wet paper burns in a wet container like it has a gallon of gasoline on it. Makes sense, right? He sinks into the ocean with no struggle although no human body would ever let that be possible.

The burning raft above him represents all that he destroyed, the rescue boat is his last chance at salvation, he reaches out and grabs the hand of God.

[–] arlingtonoutsider 10 years ago

It was eerily calm. I like your theory.

I had the same feeling while watching Gravity (thought the protagonist is already dead), but didn't initially get that vibe with the ending in this one.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] kustom135 9 years ago

"This movie screams CRAP! every few minutes. "

No, that's you and your Tourette's.

[–] ubcool 10 years ago

Lol whatever

[–] new_navigator 10 years ago

No he was dead at the start and it was all a dream and he was woman who lives on the moon in a little teacup. Isnt it obvious?

[–] andyd-1 8 years ago

yes that's a witty observation, these boards are packed with people claiming characters died at various parts of the film, it's Hollywood's fault for making so many films where characters are dead or simply don't exist.

In this case though, the OP was reasonable in his theory.

I was waiting for someone to say he was killed when the container holed the boat, or at some other random point in the movie. Maybe when he bumped his head and the boat flooded, how did he not drown? Yeah he was dead then, that's why the ships missed him, he was a ghost, until the last boat who was God - yeah!

[–] FilmWatchingPerson 9 years ago

Will the body not sink if you breathe out? It certainly does in fresh water even if you still have quite a bit of air in your lungs (but not lungs full of air).

[–] tripper-09331 8 years ago

The director was quoted interpreting the ending as the hand of God reaching out for him. So in that case the sailor did die. However, the writer/director did say the audience could interpret it as a real person actually saving him.

The paper wasn't wet, he took it out of a plastic bag, it still would of burned. The fire got so large because it caught the raft which itself became an accelerate.

The only part that annoys me the most in this movie is even a novice sailor would of kept a life jacket with him.

"Common sense is not so common"

[–] iSeawolf 8 years ago

Not necessarily, when you are alone, deep ocean sailing, 1700 miles offshore, what would be the point of wearing a life jacket? If you fall overboard, that's it. Nobody is coming for you.... In older times sailors often tied themselves to the mast when the boat was sinking. Why struggle when your fate is sealed.....!

[–] tripper-09331 8 years ago

That would make sense if he just fell off the boat and drowned right away. However he made a slow and well thought out effort to survive. First prepping the raft then filling up a water container, loading the raft with supplies, grabbing that device that lets you navigate by the stars, etc. If he was going that all out I would expect one of those items to also be a life vest.

"Common sense is not so common"

[–] andyd-1 8 years ago

waking up on the raft was symbolic of purgatory, the fire was hell that he thought he deserved, the rescue was his assent to heaven