MovieChat Forums > The Lobster (2015) Discussion > My interpretation of the film

My interpretation of the film

posted 8 years ago by movie_nazi
8 replies | jump to latest

The film is a metaphor for how society looks upon relationships. In real life, society pushes everyone to be in a relationship. If you are currently not in a relationship then you are looked upon as strange and out of step. Perhaps there is something wrong with you. The film makes the exaggeration and takes it to the level where if you are not in a deep relationship then you really have no place in our society (thus the change you to an animal). The loners are the "weirdos" in society. The ones who do not choose to be in a relationship. However, society also looks down upon people who flirt, kiss, or fk outside of a dedicated relationship. In real life, they are called promiscuous, sluts, whores, etc. In the film they are severely punished.

The movie also touches upon on how people choose a mate. People (in real life) seem to be fixated on having something in common. Sometimes they are so desperate to be in a relationship mostly because they want to "fit in" to society that they may fixate on something they have in common no matter how trivial and certainly not something to build a complete relationship on. You see it a lot in life that people bond over something such as having the same taste for movies or music or simply enjoying the sex they have together and seem to build the relationship around it often ignoring the many other things they loathe about each other just to remain in the relationship because of the pressure of the outside world to be in one or be doomed to be looked upon as weird. This is where the absurd match-ups in the film come in. It is an exaggeration of what people do in real life.

The digging of the grave was also a metaphor for when people say if you don't get married or are in a relationship then who will take care of you when you die? Will you be found by your stink weeks later? I knew right away before even looking it up that this film had to be written by either a Spanish or Mediterranean background because they are SO pressured to get married. I also think people who never felt this pressure would not understand the movie and be fixated on the literal world and ask questions like how did the world end up like this, etc.

Anyways, I loved the film. From Latin background myself where if you are not married by the time you are 30 they start asking if you are in the closet.

The Lobster (2015) - 8 outta 10 stars

My Vote historycare an : http://www.imdb.com/user/ur1914996/ratings

[–] MoviemanCin 8 years ago

I have a much simpler interpretation: It was cruel, fascist crap.

Schrodinger's cat walks into a bar and doesn't.

[–] movie_nazi 8 years ago

It was cruel, fascist crap.

Fascist? Please elaborate. I did not notice any fascist undertones but I am also not afraid to admit when something may have gone over my head. Please explain the fascism in the film I missed.

My Vote history: http://www.imdb.com/user/ur1914996/ratings

[–] JustLove_ok 8 years ago

I really enjoyed reading your interpretation. I also enjoyed the movie. Just ignore the fascist comment guy. He's all over the boards trolling this film.

[–] movie_nazi 8 years ago

Thank you! I thought it was a wonderful film. But as with most symbolic pieces of art it usually goes over a great many people's heads. I just realized that the poster comment about it being fascist is exactly what I was referring to when people focus on the literal interpretation of what is occurring in the film.

The Lobster (2015) - 8 outta 10 stars

My Vote history: http://www.imdb.com/user/ur1914996/ratings

[–] pait_mojo 8 years ago

LOL, this is so true, I was born in a very traditional family so expect "get married" bombardments whenever there is a family gathering.

[–] radiasdasilva 8 years ago

Brilliant! Just brilliant!

[–] djconnel-1 8 years ago

I think this is a really good comment. It's a comment on society but if you're not part of the society it's difficult to relate. In San Francisco, where I live, people are far more liberal about such choices. I thus felt the film seemed over the top, a relic from the 1950's.

[–] movie_nazi 8 years ago

I think this is a really good comment. It's a comment on society but if you're not part of the society it's difficult to relate. In San Francisco, where I live, people are far more liberal about such choices. I thus felt the film seemed over the top, a relic from the 1950's.

LOL, absolutely! The more liberal the society you live in the more quaint the film appears. Most progressive thinking has looked beyond conservative values such as marriage and having children and has made it more acceptable for the person who simply just wants to be by himself. But make no mistake, that is the exception, not the rule. Many societies still pressure people into marriage and kids. Just look at far Asian societies for example. In Japan, if a young woman is 30 years old and not married she is considered a spinster.

My Vote history: http://www.imdb.com/user/ur1914996/ratings