What Birdman is really about
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ส.ค. 2022
- Quick thoughts analyzing Birdman & explaining its ending because I rewatched it and wanted to say stuff about it
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birdman just gets better with every view. it still intrigues me everytime i rewatch it, and this interpretation just made it even better
yes, I want to re-watch again now too lol
How could you possibly rewatch this it’s kind of a fever dream
I love your video essays - they're my favorite series on your channel. I'd love to see more.
The level to which you analyse and think about the deeper meaning is truly stunning. Would love to see more of these they are amazing and your understanding of film is staggering. Still holding out for August predictions :)
The last time best picture lined up with my favorite movie of the year.
It gets better (and funnier) everytime I see it!
This is a random vid but the retrospective for 2014 is coming very soon and then August predictions
Ok, but I love your film analysis videos the most. It's like you are letting us peer into your brain and I'm thankful you let us, thank you for sharing your thoughts.
I hope that you will talk about the Interstellar snub! I can't believe that this masterpiece of filmmaking and acting only got ONE Oscar!!!
The Kissing Booth got robbed!
Cole, Plz plz plzzzzzz do more vids like these. Your thoughts are really amazing and i always love to hear what u have to say about films n their meaning.
Extremely thoughtful interpretation. Thank you for this. What a memorable and affecting film. Brilliantly paced as well; it (literally) keeps moving forward. I’ll have to re-watch it sometime.
Just stumbled upon this video and I love this interpretation honestly! I think it harks really well, tragically, to the poem “Late Fragment” by Carver that is at the beginning of the film. The poem stating “And did you get what you wanted from this life, even so? I did. And what did you want? To call myself beloved, to feel myself beloved on the earth” something that speaks so deeply to Riggan’s character. In the end, his need to feel beloved (and confusing that with admiration) is what led to such a tragic end.
I legit think this is one of the best videos i've seen on TH-cam...funny how a video about not judging yourself based on how others see you is a video more people need to see.....as of writing this, this vid has 2,863 views, it deserves 2. 863, 000, 000.....imo lol
This is easily in my favourite TOP 3 Oscar BP winning films from the last decade 😊
I think it's my favorite
Really liked your analysis of this.
Thank you. Just watched the movie and I needed this for my brain.
I agree with you that the themes of love/admiration CONFUSION explain the last scene of the film. But I disagree that he killed himself during the play. I'll put it through a Zizekian lens that the most tragic thing that can happen to someone with a deep desire is for that desire to be completely and fully fulfilled.
To me, the character's entire life, as portrayed throughout the film, had been completely overtaken by the pursuit of this DESIRE to "feel" the "love" OF ADMIRATION.
Towards the end, your conclusion shoots itself in the foot. The main character of the film receives the LOVE he needed BUT DID NOT WANT from his daughter, as you say, "for no reason." But of course, it's only for no reason IF we agree that this love has to BE EARNED in the way that the main character sees it. The tragedy of the main character surviving his suicide is that he in fact receives the LOVE he needed but is no longer there(in his mind) to receive it. He has accepted the identity of the one who LIVES AND CAN ONLY LIVE FOR ADMIRATION.
BUT NOTICE that the admiration he wants IS IN FACT GIVEN in the last act of the film. His desire is unequivocally fulfilled. His performance is a triumph, and the critic loves it. And when he feels fulfilled he FEELS there is nothing to live for anymore. He believes he has in fact lived all that there is to live. So he jumps off.
Where does that place his daughter looking "up" at him? I think this is tied to the title of the film. Birdman OR(THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE). Throughout the film, we are shown AGAIN AND AGAIN that SHE IS NOT LIKE HER FATHER. She desires closeness and connection, even if from the "incorrect" people. She wants family and guidance because she accepts the world of theater and showbusiness for what it is. She is shown to be naïve and immature, rebellious and "green." She fundamentally rejects the idea, her father's DESIRE, to PLEASE OTHERS(AND TO KNOW HE HAS PLEASED OTHERS). She would rather have herself than to IDENTIFY AND ACCEPT all that her father KNOWS. It is with this IGNORANCE that she ultimately chooses(or perhaps tragically it's her only option) to look through in the very last shot of the film. In her IGNORANCE she finds HOPE/PEACE that her father is finally FREE(the whole bird thing).
Also the daughter "suddenly caring about social media" in the last scene is actually very much in line with her character. Her father nearly died(I don't think she WANTS TO ACCEPT her father tried to kill himself) and so she's trying to relate to him to appease his ego so that she may have a comforting moment of relief that he is still there. Physically at least.
That's all I got for now but thank you for posting this. I had struggled to tie in the title of the film with her character especially because her father is such a tragic character. I don't think I got everything "correct" here but your INCORRECT(lol) perspective has helped me finally tie in that Zizekian view I had suspected the first few times I watched the film. For some time I thought the virtue of ignorance was ignorance/bliss itself but that seemed very bleak for the director. That doesn't mesh well with his filmography. So to finally bring it back to the daughter figure I think I am finally onto something. God, now I want to rematch it again.
If I follow my logic here then ignorance is not simply a sort of "not knowing" for the director, but also a kind of opposition(an honorable one). and this would mesh well with the director's previous projects. Amores Perros for example. The way in which at the end of that film the last character and the one that ultimately survives(in a way) all the destruction and decay all around him. And that character also chooses a sort of "ignorance."
But thanks again, very interesting perspective.
WTF
@@MuhammadAhmad-oj6mf you got a question or just trying to be funny?
@@esmeguerrero161 You need to understand the theory first in order to ask a question 😂
@@MuhammadAhmad-oj6mf So, you don't understand the theory, got it! Well, let me know if you want anything explained. There are no dumb questions.
Great analysis! I love this movie
What a great unexpected surprise! Here are a few of my interpretations:
The film is definitely making a statement about suicide (the opening shots referencing the phoenix which book ends the final shot of Emma looking up and even the second or third shot being of the jellyfish which we know references the first time Riggan attempted suicide.)
Due to the film’s relationship with stars, it also digs into our obsessions with unexpected celebrity deaths.
The question it poses: Is posthumous admiration worth a damn? Look at the opening quote which seems to imply it’s all subjective.
Thank you for bringing up the opening quote. I too agree that this film has something to say about suicide and celebrity status. The quote is directly asking what one wants which ties to the main character's wants throughout the film. The way in which his persistent desire is what blinds him to possible "salvation." As to whether it is subjective, I think the director has a distinct side he lands on. I'd say it is the daughter's lasting type of ignorance that reflects this. Very interesting stuff.
I love the analysis. And I think you are spot on.
Do more of this
I’m a 20 year old woman but I relate to birdman so hard and have always wanted to be a really good actress the whole movie hit close to home and the interpretation of this movie from this Chanel is amazing
Great evaluation !
I’m still not over Boyhood being treated like that that year. That film was everything to me. But I can’t even be mad at Birdman, what an awesome film. Better than many BP winners.
Now your 💭 cleared my head of thinking about watching this film.
Director Alejandro González Iñárritu is the best director. You are my teacher. I hope your channel develops.
How the hell? I literally just finished watching it like two hours ago
I think you are correct
i was just rewatching this film and i was curious to see what the discourse was about it online so i was baffled to see there are tons of people out there who legit think he has super powers...
Great take! Felt spot on. The last shot of Emma stone seeing Reegan soar is the movie telling us the whole last scene was a fantasy. Fun fact: In the original script ending Regan dies definitively and it cuts to Johnny Depp in his trailer, arguing with a poster of Jack Sparrow. Innaritu has said how embarrassed of this ending he was, and who knows how permanent it was meant to be, but it just shows that reegan was always meant to be dead in the end.
That's very interesting that it's her perspective that you interpret as confirming the fantasy. The main character was very much in constant ignorance of his daughter. He constantly dismisses her and her needs, why would his fantasy have her present him with admiration that he clearly and tragically never wanted?
Also, where did you read/watch about the possible ending, I would love to see it as well. Thanks.
Birdman is the film I rewatched the most, there is something about that just makes each watch different m.
The collection of stories that contains the short story Michael Keaton's character is adapting into the play is great, Raymond Carver had a special talent.
I already loved this movie but this deep dive on it makes me love it even more!!!
Thats a great point of view. Please review Bardo. I thinl its destined to become a cult movie. Loved it.
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First! Always happy to see more content from y'all!
Great video
Great analysis and wish I'd thought of it. Just watched and the epilogue just didn't feel right and you explain it very well.
It's an amazing movie.
As someone who, over the course of 20 years, molded his entire identity around his career , I can relate to this.
This movie and parasite are my favorite BP of last decade
Favorite movie of 2014 and it’s the last time my favorite movie of the year won Best Picture
You can't wait to watch Blonde
Love this film. It has so much reward in multiple re-watches.
Since we're reviving the film: I hate when people say the film is pretentious, specially when justifying as a somewhat "too critical of the cultural industry for something from to the point it's just hypocritical".
As if the jellyfish on the shore, the Times Square entertainers and cosplays on the theater stage (this one working within two realms) and one could consider the suicide as physical or in terms of killing the ego, giving up being erudite and either conforming or having birdman as all that is left of him / his legacy
Not seen the film yet but the trailer has always been one of my favorites. I always felt it was commenting on "fame" or more specifically superstardom and the metaphorical "stage-death" all superstars must go through. Bittersweet. I must watch this movie it does look good.
it's much more than a blockbuster critique
what a pretentious title, good video ntl ( I think he still kills himself at the end of the movie "sometimes god punishes us by making our dreams come true" I think he faces himself with that premise at the end) makes me think about the Radiohead lyric:
I want to
I want to be someone else or I'll explode
Floatin' upon this surface for the birds
The birds
Hi, I don't think the interpretación of the fantasy is true because in the film we are told that Riggan had attemped to kill himself 3 times in the past, and in the 4 time he finally jumps and dies, that its how the movie ends but whats important its the fact that when he finally gets reconiction, its not what he really wanted, I mean he had shoot himself on stage, and Unfortunately for him he just blew his nose off and that's why he still alive and no because he did it to amuse himself, in these scenes the ex wife and the coworker played the ambiguity of the movie, in one side the ex wife is unconvinced of why Riggan did what he did, and on the other side he its just sure that was what Riggan wanted
Without hyper analyzing the movie I feel it is a reminder to keep your ego in check. Ego is the enemy.
After he shoots himself is the first time we get cuts in the shot. Not sure what to do with that lol but it seems like the director wanted to indicate a massive change from the rest of the film.
Definitely agree that Riggan killed himself. The whole ending scene is his afterlife/not real
So can he actually levitate ?
I don’t think so.. there were little clues placed after his levitations that to me presented that he couldn’t, like when he was in his mental breakdown throwing everything in his dressing room, it showed him Star Wars forcing everything around but when his assistant came in the room he was using his psychical hands to throw things around. Also the flying sequence he was flying around the city like Superman and he landed at the theater you can notice people walking around and not reacting to someone flying down to the ground, no head turns or anything and immediately after that when riggan walked in the theater the cab driver rushed in saying he didn’t pay him, so he wasn’t flying he drove a cab there. Little stuff like that I caught indicated that he couldn’t do all those things, it was in his head. That’s what I got from it anyway. And I totally agree with the video about the ending, one of the best films in cinema in my opinion, hope that helped 🙂
my dumbass thought this was a super hero movie when it released but then i watched it and i was like wait this is a movie abbout a dude that used to play in superhero movies
Thats exactly what i told my friends after watching the movie for third time and they disagreed.now i have a good proof😃🤗
tho I think this movie is great, I still believe that boyhood should have won best picture
I know right, Boyhood was not a movie tho, it was an experience.
You really took something darker in this. But your points are valid
Emma Stone is so pretty in this movie 😍😍😍
Dude thank you. I hate how much the meaning of this has been so misinterpreted over the year. Almost as bad as fight club lol
He made some good points. When I first saw the ending, I thought he did kill himself by jumping out of the window and his daughter was so upset about this that she had a little bit of a mental breakdown and imagined him flying away in a happy ending.
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Only director and writers know...
I think you're right. I always wondered why he brought a real gun ( and loaded) on the stage.
Wow dude, what a sad tale.
Emma Stone is hot af in this movie.
C'mon! why does every ambiguos ending has to be explained with "it was all a dream"
Well yes and no. Riggan kill himself the day after he got drunk, he jump off a building.
Birdman was his " IT "
Sam was his "Super ego"
He lost his "ego" after the bar scene with the critic. (That character is super important).
With no "ego" and not listening to his "super ego" the only thing he got left was the " IT "
which he got full control of Riggan.
no he didn't jump in the same wat he didn't fly to the top of the building
he used stairs with a time skip
like when night turns into day without editing with a cut
then he went down the stairs, used a taxi and didn't pay at the end of the ride
The critic didn't destroy his ego
He doesn't respect her , her opinion or her job
He just cares about the power she has in the industry
If anything the critic made him understand that what others thought of him means nothing
This movie is nothing infront of utthama villain movie 😊
It's about delusional narcissists writing about delusional narcissists and trying to make it mysterious.
SOO many movies get misinterpreted: Birdman, Titane, Men and ESPECIALLY The Shape of Water. Very excited for your 2015 retrospective
Well, I think we can forgive those(including myself) that are confused about that film. it was fantastic and exhilarating to watch but *phew* boy lol.
HoW cOuLD hE HaVe tHaT iMaGInATiOn iF hE dIEd ¿?
Would enjoy this movie more if Emma Stone's character had been Naked the whole time
Yeah, Riggan most likely killed himself on stage.
But it’s also fun to imagine that he could somehow survive that and for once turn his life around from that attempt. Because we can do that for ourselves before we might resort to suicide.
Yeah u can also interpret that he didn't kill himself or birdman, but shut that part of him, his need for attention was finally sedated as he finally got praise for something he values. During the movie he says his life was miserable when he was a blockbuster star. In the ending Birdman is silent in the toilet, he accepted and morfed with him and with that he achieved peace and could finally fly free. I still think the death theory works way better but it has it's own faults, Riggan was reconnecting with his old wife, opened his heart with his daughter and she cared about him and his popularity/hapiness/sucess as she said that if he only didn't do birdman 3, probably a cheap cash grab as Riggan said he hated the poster, and continued his path on hollywood he could have gotten a better career overall, she also says that views and followers are power, not him, he never cared about internet fame.
We can also interpret that he didn't kill himself or birdman, but shut that part of him, his need for attention was finally sedated as he finally got praise for something he values. During the movie he says his life was miserable when he was a blockbuster star. In the ending Birdman is silent in the toilet, he accepted and morfed with him and with that he achieved peace and could finally fly free. I still think the death theory works way better but it has it's own faults, Riggan was reconnecting with his old wife, opened his heart with his daughter and she cared about him and his popularity/hapiness/sucess as she said that if he only didn't do birdman 3, probably a cheap cash grab as Riggan said he hated the poster, and continued his path on hollywood he could have gotten a better career overall, she also says that views and followers are power, not him, he never cared about internet fame.
birdman is really great
This movie SOKS BOLSAK
your little brain isn't capable of appreciating more than Spider-man dopamine comes home, is it?
@@bardockshinyprojecting much ? 😅😅😅😅😅😅 Loser
Anyone else not even realize it was a one take film until after they watched it
Naw…he jumped out the window.
that's the most stupid interpretation you could have come with
*Shows end of the movie* - Obviously spoilers are ahead.🤣
Remember, this is a fantasy based movie. IMO, Riggans shooting himself on stage released his alter ego Birdman, which Birdman embraced the new found control of Riggans body and simply felt free of the oppression and flew away out the window....
dont really agree
I watched it with a world famous cardiologist and 2 other scientists
We all thought it was crap. Your analysis helps some but I won’t watch it again. I thought it was Michael Keatons way of showing what’s happened to him since playing Batman. I like Michael but I didn’t like this film.
It does show that actors don’t deserve any type of political platform because they don’t even know who they are themselves much less know enough to tell you as an American what to do. It shows that most serious actors are seriously confused about life in general
They maybe good artists but you should never listen to an actor for any advice that would make you act one way or the other.
Look at the View. Probably the least intelligent panel ever put together in one room yet it’s still on the air
You are viewing politics in a movie that couldn't care less about that. A famous cardiologist, you, and 2 scientists, is that suposed to prove you have sufficient intelligence to watch this movie? They could be the best in their area of expertise and still know shit about art. Why are you viewing actors as someone you should look up to? They don't need to have their lifes figured out, surprise, they just have to *act*. The internet and interview persona isn't the actor, it's just the animal fed by the millions the producers shove down their throats, a marketing tool
Emma Stone should've been Naked the whole movie
I think your inerpretation is logical ans the best. He died that's why there's a cut in the editing just after he shot himself on stage. This "happy ending" can't be true, his daughter looking and smiling, there's no logical explanation other that it's not real.
I liked in the ending when Birdman was on the toilet he tells Riggin Bye Bye, and fuck you…
The ending is really the dumbest part of this movie cause how can he fantasize when he’s dead