MovieChat Forums > Midsommar (2019) Discussion > Motivations (SPOILERS)

Motivations (SPOILERS)

posted 4 years ago by Ace_Spade (9658)
11 replies | jump to latest

It's interesting to me that, at the end of the film, they make it clear that they brought sacrifices from outside the village (well, not that this wasn't pretty clear from the outset), and that they needed nine sacrifices from in and out of the community.

But, I'm thinking back on the film and several of the "sacrifices" seem to be motivated by other things. Connie and her fiancee seem to be killed because they're freaking out. Mark pees on that tree, and Josh is taking pictures of the sacred book.

Would they have died anyway? I assume the answer is, "Yes", but then why bother killing - for instance - Josh at that specific time?

[–] Tricklebrook (316) 4 years ago

Maybe because he could have sent someone the photos he took, so they killed him before he had a chance to do that?

[–] Ace_Spade (9658) 4 years ago

I more was speculating that they were already marked for death. They - the guests generally-speaking - were already targets for the village, so they didn't really need a "reason" to kill them; none of it was motivated by reason. Yet they still chose to eliminate them in small groups according to indiscretions, slights, or sins.

[–] Tricklebrook (316) 4 years ago

I more was speculating that they were already marked for death.

Oh, for sure. And I think they were doomed the minute they decided to go. I didn't see any evidence that they were trying to recruit anyone except Dani.

[–] Ace_Spade (9658) 4 years ago

That probably has to do with the fact that Dani was a last-minute, unplanned addition to the group. The sacrifices were already selected by the time she decided to come.

[–] jekporkins (1985) 3 years ago

Oh man, great point right there. She was unplanned!

[–] acidraindrop (3055) 3 years ago

There's always the theory that it's possible that the cult was manipulating her family, i.e. her sister this whole time. They obviously knew who Dani was.

Wasn't there an easter egg of a midsommar decoration in the family's house?

[–] sslssg (35178) 3 years ago

I've read the theories on that and I've also read where Ari Aster said no. I will look and see if I can find that interview.

[–] Seperatrix (1349) 4 years ago

For me it's a coin toss. If all of the newcomers wholeheartedly dove into the community and wanted to become members they may have accepted them. Probably not. But let's assume that happened. I'm guessing more volunteers (older members) would have come forward to offer themselves up for sacrifice in the Temple. Remember that even with the new offerings from outside the community and the two oldsters falling from the cliff they were still two short at the end.

One of the saddest aspects is that the leaders of the cult lied to their own members, promising those who offered themselves to be burned alive they would feel no pain. When at the very end, with no way to escape, they discovered otherwise.

But the mural told the fate of at least one of them (Christian) from the get go, so that does that. They were all doomed.

[–] Ace_Spade (9658) 4 years ago

You're probably right about the older members stepping up if more of the visitors had embraced the cult.

For me, the scene where the cultists realize that they will be in agony in those flames is one of the most sinister, necessary shots of the film, because it gives us the emptiness of the place. It is sad, yeah, that these guys are just realizing what their sacrifice truly means...

[–] Batty67 (358) 3 years ago

Agreed. They needed sacrifices but would have been happy to accept new members. But they've been doing this a LONG time, so they'd likely detect fakers pretty fast, and it would be a tough sell.

[–] Drooch (5333) 3 years ago

It’s a flaw in the writing that the characters were killed for various transgressions, yet we’re then told they were all to be killed anyway.

Have one, maybe two, murdered for disrespecting the cult, but not all of them. Or have some additional characters brought in who do get sacrificed.