I haven't watched this movie yet, I will soon, though. But I'm curious about the title "Nil by mouth." English is not my native language, so, pardon me if the question sounds dumb. ;)
"I am free of all prejudices. I hate everyone equally."
The phrase is used in hospitals to describe a patient who is not to be fed food - hence 'nil' - nothing by mouth. Patients like this are usually placed on an intravenous drip that provides nutrients to the patient.
I've always wondered about the choice of title for this film - I saw it a good number of years ago when I was young (17) so I think a lot of the subtlety of the film was lost on me in the sometimes horrific violence of the film. My thought was that it related to the way the family relates to each other - there is very little real spoken communication, and certainly no-one expresses their fondness or love for each verbally.
Hope that helps, enjoy the film. It is a very powerful piece of cinema, but it is not a feel-good film so don't watch it if you're already depressed.
Thank you for clearing that up, I really had no idea. And as for the movie, I can't wait to see it, it's in my Netflix queue. ;)
"I am free of all prejudices. I hate everyone equally."
Ray tells a story about visiting his drunken father in hospital with his mum. He saw the sign "nil by mouth" and it always stuck in his head. I guess Gary Oldman took the title from dialogue in the film.
share[deleted]
Deferenz, I think you've nailed it - that's exactly what i was thinking..
shareNo food. They didn't eat a crumb during the whole thing. Just booze, etc., an' the screamin'. Wasn't half bored, I wos.
shareSaw this movie over the weekend, and my interpretation of the title has to do with Ray's father being unable to express any kind of love or kindness, verbal or otherwise.
With the hospital sign, "Nil by Mouth" plays double duty, in both
the literal and figurative sense.
Just my view on it.