So, if he had already been back there, why didn't he get over it and do it again?
Wouldn't someone find the tape under the bed during an investigation?
Elise doesn't go certifiably insane when she sees the love of her life disintegrate right before her eyes?
Because the time travel in the first place was a self fulfilling prophecy.... remember he was only able to travel back to Elise when he saw with his own eyes his own signature in the hotel guest book from 1912... therefore he knew he would eventually succeed in getting back to her and let his own faith in the process be the trigger that brought him back to her..... then when he was sucked back throught time when he saw the overlooked 1979 penny in his hand there was the other self fulfilling prophecy when he all of a sudden realized that Elise had led a spinsters life alone and never having children because she had spent her life wondering what had happened to the man she loved in that hotel room in 1912 (before finding peace when she pieced it all together when she discoverd him as a college student) .... he knew from his own knowledge of her lonely life that no matter how hard he tried the laws of time would never allow him to go back a second time... SELF FULFILLING PROPHECY....the knowledge that no matter how hard he would try he would fail sent him into irrecoverable depression....and Elise did not go certifiably insane but did spend the rest of her lonely life trying to piece together what happened before finally finding peace on the night she died after seeing young Richard for the last time.... these are realisations that viewers only come to on multiple viewings so perhaps a few rewatches are in order....!!!!!
shareI've seen it a million times, but never thought of that. Thanks!
shareExcellent explanation!!
shareWell said
shareNot sure if this counts as a plot hole, but why the hell did Elise have a maid staying with her in...her HOTEL room? Last I checked, hotels have their own maid service!
shareI don't think that's any kind of plot hole. And it doesn't really seem that odd to me that someone might travel with their own servant/maid.
shareBut what for? The rooms at The Grand Hotel are tiny and as I said, they have their own maid service. Not to mention: Where'd the maid miraculously disappear to later in the movie when Richard & Elise go back to her room? Suddenly the maid is no longer a concern. It's like they just used this mysterious maid character when it was convenient to the plot.
And another thing: How'd Elise still have access to room 117 for her and Richard to make love in after she'd already checked out??
I re-watched it this morning, and I presume you're talking about the blonde woman Maria. Elise refers to her as a "maid" when Richard comes to her room early in the morning, and says she is sleeping in the other room. Her room is a suite with multiple rooms, and we see into the other room at one point where Maria is working on a dress alteration. It seems like "maid" isn't really the best term for her, as she alters costumers for Elise, and maybe for the whole production. We see her backstage after the play. Arthur talks to Elise at one point about how he's going to have Maria make some change to one of her dresses. Why she's staying in Elise's room? I don't know. Maybe since Elise is the star, she wants Maria with her for frequent alterations or whatever else she does.
I presume Elise herself didn't check out when the production left, but the "maid" Maria went on without her. Elise either stayed behind, or came back and asked for her room back
I've never read the original novel, but Richard Matheson who wrote it also wrote the screenplay for the movie. I presume he did some research and maybe this was a common term for this kind of worker in 1912. In any case, I don't consider it a plot hole.
Ah, okay--nice observations re: Maria! I'd never noticed her in any other scenes. I too will have to watch it again now lol.
shareOne of the biggest plot holes is him humming that tune away to himself on the rowing boat and her going "Oh my, what is that lovely tune?".
Got to call b-llshit on that...