MovieChat Forums > The Virgin Suicides (2000) Discussion > why is it called the virgin suicides?

why is it called the virgin suicides?

posted 17 years ago by ycntrl
31 replies | jump to latest

i havent read the book yet and i was wondering if it explains or if anybody knows why its called the virgin suicides? they arent all virgins are they? i mean (in the film anyway) lux has had sex with loads of guys. is there a purpose for this or am i just being pedantic?

also, kind of unrelated, but how do you actually go about sticking you head in the oven? like, is it the gas that kills you or are you meant to set your head on fire? just wondering haha

[–] Timos 16 years ago

The cards is the obvious reference, but it could also be interpreted as their emotional innocence in that they were smothered by their parents overbearing protection.

[–] I_Shall_Be_Released 16 years ago

It's a double-pun. They're portrayed as these sort of vestal virginal creatures, who, in the literal sense, commit suicide. And like Timos said, it doesn't mean literally virginal, but the innocense and fantasy surrounding their exsistance, as they are so young and undertand so little about life (I.E One of the boys' comments- "They were secretly women in disguise" is meant to be a huge contridiction of what we see). So essentially- the 'suicide' part of the title is a reference to their loss of innoncence by the end of the film (most notabley Lux) and their actual deaths. Great title.

[–] princessxx 16 years ago

I always thought it referred to Cecilia's suicide which seemed to trigger everything else...

Fan fic profile : http://www.fanfiction.net/~sezprincess

[–] emily-keough 16 years ago

i had two different interpretations of the title. one was that it was in reference to adolescent loss of innocence, and the fact that the girls' only childhood was delirium and lonliness. my second interpretation was that the term "virgin" is used as a synonym for 'child' or 'tragically young'.

[–] daysfan15yrs 14 years ago

They were virgins of life. That's the way I always viewed it.