MovieChat Forums > Darkness (2004) Discussion > An interpretation of the film and unansw...

An interpretation of the film and unanswered questions (spoilers)...

posted 17 years ago by Bladerunner
17 replies | jump to latest

***Spoilers, obviously***

I've watched this movie four times (one theater version, and three unrated DVD) and this is my broad interpretation of the film, particularly the ending.

Basically the house is a conduit for "The Darkness". The Darkness isn't demons, the darkness is it's own entity and it can manifest itself however it likes. I can manifest itself as one of your family members, a friend, or it can take on the form of a demon, anything.

Before the ritual is completed, the Darkness is confined to the house and it's powers are limited. It cannot manifest itself as loved ones or friends of yours. Also, it has no power *outside* of the house. However, after the ritual is completed, it's powers and the *domain* of those powers are exponentially increased, they are in fact, released upon the entire world.

After Regina (Anna Paquin) cuts her father's throat and he dies — completing the circle — the Darkness now has *vastly* increased powers that have no boundaries anymore (they can go outside the house now). The mother, Maria (Lena Olin) sees the Darkness take on the form of Regina and Paul (her children), they trick her into turning out the light and she dies. Regina and Paul break out a window and are tricked into thinking they are getting into Carlos' car (Regina's boyfriend), but really they are getting into a car with the Darkness.

The Darkness now can take on any form *in the light*. Remember, in the house, in the light, the mother is tricked into turning out the light by the Darkness taking on the form of her children and the Darkness pretends to be the mother to the children upstairs. One of the results of the ritual is that now the Darkness can take on the form of anyone (or thing) in the light. So, Regina and Paul get into the car with the Darkness and it drives them into a dark tunnel where (presumably) it kills them.

Regina and Paul DO leave the house, you can see the broken glass when the real Carlos shows up to the house. This is the POINT! The Darkness now is *unleashed* into the world. This is not a movie about a haunted house, this is a movie about a great, evil entity called the Darkness. This Darkness has now been loosed from it's boundaries (the house) into the world by the ritual now being completed.

Here is what the ritual has done:

1. The Darkness now is unleashed, it is no longer confined to the house. It now is loosed upon the entire *world*.

2. The Darkness can now take on the form of anyone, or anything, *in the light of day* to trick anyone into doing what it wants, which we assume is to get someone to turn out the lights or enter some dark area where it can kill or consume them. Every shadow in the world, day or night, is now it's domain as well.

3. Night is present, or is coming everywhere on the earth. So, within a 24 hour period, the Darkness will have the power to kill (or consume) almost anyone, or trick them into the dark to do so.

Here are the unanswered questions:

1. *WHY* would anyone unleash the Darkness? Albert (Giancarlo Giannini - Regina's grandfather) never tells her *why* he participated in the ritual. What does he *gain* from committing such a heinous act of killing his son? Did the Darkness pervert the seven parents into killing their children or where they promised power, money or some glory?

2. Who are the creepy old women in the photo? What is their purpose, are they the physical manifestation of the Darkness?

Here is the WORST mistake the film made:

The film never showed (adequately) the *new* power and scope of the Darkness. It didn't show that it's powers now are unleashed upon the entire world. It should have showed that it wasn't just about this *family*. The family was simply involved because the father is the last child to be sacrificed. This is an "end of the world" picture. The Darkness has now been unleashed upon the entire world and everyone in it is now susceptible to it's power. Sooner or later everyone in the world will be killed or consumed by the Darkness. Had the filmmakers made even just THAT part very clear, the film would have been much more well received (IMHO).

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

[–] November6 17 years ago

I agree with you, but I'd just like to point out that Maria was the mother and Anna Paquin's character was named Regina [or Reggie for short].

Also, I think [though I'm not entirely sure] that the Grandfather mentioned something about the origin of humans is pure darkness and evil, and that the ritual was supposed to take them back to that origin state.

[–] Pierre70 17 years ago

Good points here.

There is one problem though that noone seems to have mentioned - the architect. He is 'taken' by the darkness (in the tunnel at the railway station) BEFORE the ritual is complete - so the darkness appears to be able to manifest itself outside of the house before it comes into its full power.

Regarding the creepy women in the old photo - I wondered if they were three of the child-killers from forty years earlier. But shouldn't there be seven of them (including the grandfather?) Also, the picture looks older than the early 1960's - perhaps something similar had been attempted forty years before that, in the 1920's, or even earlier still? Except of course this house was constructed in the '60s.

There are plenty of unanswered questions, but on the whole I'm baffled by the extreme negative response this film gets here. Good old-fashioned trolling, perhaps?

[–] psdhart 17 years ago

One unanswered question is regarding the part where Regina picks up the picture of the 3 old ladies and we notice that there are only 2. We then see the 3rd on the ceiling crawling. But why? Was this the unleashing of evil?

[–] DisturbedPixie 16 years ago

I have no idea...
I need to watch this again...

If you are Anti-American: Admit you are doing it just to be cool. Does it feel good to hate?

[–] Zando777 11 years ago

People are also (and primarily) Anti-American because of envy. No one likes to be weaker and poorer than someone (or something) else. And they also resent being dependent on us.

[–] Bladerunner 17 years ago

I liked the movie, and that is why I was as angry as I was, because it could have been *so* much better. I wanted it to be the film it could have been, elucidated in my first post.

I think though, you make a good point, there are many, many people here that seem to exercise catharsis by venting in the forums.

Take one short look at the Expelled movie forum for a taste of what I mean.

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

[–] millere-2 15 years ago

The grandfather would have been too young. He is probably one of the living offspring of the 1920's Satanic cult.

[–] grudgefury 16 years ago

It's supposed to be obvious that everyone in the world is going to die.

It was obvious to me when I first saw it.

Why did the grandfather do it?
cause he's nuts
why are there people out there who worship satan?
or who kill just for pleasure
we won't know the full reason, but that makes it interesting
learn to use your imagination more, peeps

the old women are the demons of darkness, or the form it appears in
but it's far more interesting not to know

[–] butterfly_1500 16 years ago

Imagination can only go so far before the amount of unanswered questions are still left ringing in your ears. Why bother watching a movie then if we have to rely on our imaginations entirely just to make sense of it? The slow moving ground work of the first part of the film had us deserving answers only to be left wanting. Sometimes deleted scenes fill in a few of the smaller holes...and i've yet to see any...but i can't imagine any scene left on the cutting room floor that can piece together this film. Usually i can overlook one or two unanswered questions. but basically when the entire plot is holier than swiss cheese i feel duped. A lot of modern day horror films state it's left open for interpretation or you missed the subtle messages that answer your questions. And cover it all up as " psychological " I'd like to see someone quite clearly explain the 'Darkness' holes and just what brought them to that conclusion OTHER than their imaginings.

[–] grudgefury 16 years ago

Life is full of mysteries.
Sometimes, films are too.
Get used to the disappointment.

If you can't, you'll never accept a film given obligation to think.

[–] naniloa1234 15 years ago

The only mystery and unanswered question i have concerns the old picture and the three women/men/aliens in it. Why introduce such a symbolic element to a movie like the old picture and never quite explain who are these people in it and how they are connected to the Darkness?

As far as the Grandfather goes i don't see why he is such a mystery to everyone? He explained himself the reasons behind his actions. I don't believe he was just nuts. His actions were derived from his beliefs about our origins being in Darkness and he also mentioned that it was an experiment to him. Key word, experiment.

"Every great love story begins with a punch in the face" Dean/Jo shipper
T~O #411!

[–] Bladerunner 14 years ago

I heard his reasons, and rejected them as nonsense. No one murders their own son as an "experiment" or simply because they believe "our origins being in Darkness". The grandfather's motivation remains a mystery, frankly. Knowingly releasing a cataclysmic evil on the world by murdering your own son requires a bit more explanation than an "experiment" or "just 'cause, those are our origins". Key word, mystery.

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

[–] Bou 14 years ago

Of what I've read here, you, Bladerunner, come closest to my biggest objection to the film. Granted, I'm at a disadvantage in that I've seen it just once, last night, and at the point where Regina is with her grandfather, in the copy I saw, all the darn dialogue became inaudible. I never heard what he said to her--just read it here. But I gathered that she had to kill her dad so that he would be killed by someone who loved him. Okay, that explains *his* demise. But what of the others? I mean, the people who began the ritual. How could a bunch of people whose intent was to bring hell on earth have loved anyone, even their own offspring?

[–] Bladerunner 14 years ago

You pretty much nailed the contradiction. Sadly, too often in horror the intent isn't story, but politics, effects or "scares". If more horror directors would study Psycho they'd learn a thing or two. Classics like The Changeling (NOT Angelina Jolie) illustrate why story is of paramount importance. James' The Turn of the Screw provided (if none other did, and some did) the quintessential formula for story in a horror context. I doubt the director or writer of this film read it.

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

[–] Sburt4-1 14 years ago

should had been the innocence of the child. instead of love!That would have been better. The witch women seemed more like the evil that a person would sacrifice a child to, symbolic evil perhaps????

[–] Zando777 11 years ago

Grudgefury -- how about instead of "getting used" to mediocre films that aren't coherent, we instead demand better filmmaking?

Just a thought. (Are you okay with assuming an obligation to think? Because that wouldn't have helped in this film.)

[–] JaneBingley 14 years ago

Its - it's.
Really annoying.