As someone who's depressed, I can't think of a better way to go than Ben's method. A happy person may be horrified by this movie, but I don't see it that way. You don't care about life so why not spend your final days in a super fun place like Las Vegas and blow all your money on booze and women? You have alcohol to numb any pain (physical or emotional) that you're going through. Seems better than hanging or shooting yourself.
shareHa! Slow death by alcohol poisoning is neither painless nor fun. It takes weeks for your organs to shut down, did you not see how sick he was in the movie? Vomiting all the time, shaking, probably feeling like total crap. It might start off "super fun," but I guarantee it does not end that way. Ask anyone who has ever been on a bender.
shareIt was only romantic when they cut away to reminiscences. The death scene itself with the agonies of DTs was disgusting. It signifies that to reject meaning as Ben does is to reject the higher possibilities of spirit in being human. Ben, thus, is close to Artaud. The comments about self-justifying depression and suicidal enactment are incredibly indulgent and not worthy of response.
shareI'm an alcoholic who specialized in binge drinking. Quit for days or weeks, then go on monumental benders. Lots of vomit and urine involved, and I still have a damaged stomach from it (hiatal hernia). Luckily because of a bad marriage, I kind of opened my eyes and sought help. DTs are bad news and my brain was damaged, but came back after about three months - it wasn't too late for me.
Believe me, it's about as romantic as Barney Gumbel from the Simpsons.
Jack Kerouac died an alcoholic's death. He had veins in his esophagus that burst, (esophogeal varisces) and vomited blood until he died. His liver was shot, it damages all parts of the body. Also a lot of alkies smoke, which isn't great for your cardiovascular system.
It's about the least glamorous way of death I can think of. Being a junkie is easier on the body, although the lifestyle is usually what does you in there.
Yes I understand the "romantic" side of it too.
Even though the actual death etc. is far from romantic.
My mother died of alcoholism. There is nothing 'romantic' about it. It is a painful, ugly, sickening way to go. When I was called to the hospital to 'pull the plug', I hadn't seen her in 5 months. Couldn't even recognize her. Thought I was in the wrong room.
shareIt looks like this in the movie, but...I used to drink a lot. And by "a lot" I mean every day for about 2 years with some heavy 1-week-heavy-drinking-marathons. I can tell you - it's fun at start but the more you go in, the more you feel like $hit. Now I drink now and then. Not so much, but oh boy was it bad at the end. I couldn't write with a pen properly, because my hands wouldn't let me.
shareYeah, I don't think this movie will resonate with people who have led perfect sunny lives, but rather it will resonate with those that have seen some *beep* be it addiction, severe depression, or some other great loss that left them standing on the edge of the abyss and seriously contemplating taking that step out into nothingness.
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