'The Whale' ending is explained as Brendan Fraser breaks down that heartbreaking final scene between Charlie and Ellie. It's easy to get caught up in the emotions of Darren Aronofsky's searing drama The Whale, which stars Brendan Fraser as Charlie, a reclusive, 600-pound literature professor struggling in his final days to reconnect with his abandoned teenage daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink). The film's conclusion, on the other hand, maybe more difficult for some viewers to understand, so we asked Fraser and screenwriter Samuel D. Hunter to explain what the final scene means for Charlie's journey.
After Charlie spends the majority of the film defending Ellie's sporadic outbursts and prickly, wounded demeanor — particularly to his longtime caregiver and friend, Liz — the film gradually builds to a pivotal moment for the father-daughter pair (Hong Chau). Charlie believes that Ellie, like most people, is born with an innate capacity for empathy, and cites one of her blunt, years-old school essays criticizing the classic novel Moby Dick. He sees it as a symbol of her purity, honesty, and boundless passion. Throughout the majority of the film, Ellie remains skeptical of Charlie.
That scene, Fraser says, is key to understanding the film's conclusion, which brings Ellie and Charlie together for a genuine connection, as she reads the essay aloud. Again, Charlie attempts to rise up and walk toward her. That's where things get fantastical, as Fraser calls the final sequence an act of "contrition" for Charlie, in which he's "liberated" after finally breaking through her defensive armor, reaffirming to Ellie that he sees her for the person she is — and always was.
"It's important because it's a Herculean effort that he makes to even get to his feet," Fraser says. "For him to finally break through to her, humble himself before her, and let her know that he made a mistake and is sorry for it. While his life has not physically ended at that moment, I think that he knows he doesn't need to live any longer, which is why he takes off his breather, he's got her reading the essay, and he does take to his feet like three Olympic dead-lifters, takes his baby steps to his baby, and in that beautiful two-shot, a great white light appears, and they look skyward. Depending on your belief system, spiritually or otherwise, we see that Charlie — with a touch of magic realism — finally does fly."
Screenwriter Hunter calls the run-up a "hero journey where he gets the elixir."
"He's struggling this entire film to put a mirror up to his daughter to say, 'This is who you are,' and in those final moments, that mirror is this essay," Hunter explains. "When she looks at it, she can't deny turning it in and getting a D, but then, here's her father, all these years later, being like, 'This is the best essay I've ever read.' At long last, he's the only person who sees her, and she knows it."
Fraser and Hunter (who also wrote the film's screenplay) shed some light on the ambiguous ending of The Whale. For many viewers, the scene may seem tragic and to others, the religious undertones may evade their understanding. Hence, Fraser and Hunter discuss how they interpreted the ending and how it was a hero's ending for Charlie, one in which he found liberation. Check out their statements below:
Fraser: It's important because it's a Herculean effort that he makes to even get to his feet. For him to finally break through to her, humble himself before her, and let her know that he made a mistake and is sorry for it. While his life has not physically ended in that moment, I think that he knows he doesn't need to live any longer, which is why he takes off his breather, he's got her reading the essay, and he does take to his feet like three Olympic dead-lifters, takes his baby steps to his baby, and in that beautiful two-shot, a great white light appears, and they look skyward. Depending on your belief system, spiritually or otherwise, we see that Charlie — with a touch of magic realism — finally does fly.
Fraser and Hunter's explanation of the ending will be welcomed by some, as The Whale's final scene is a bit difficult to understand on paper. Before the ending can fully be explained, Fraser reveals that viewers needed to understand an earlier scene in the film. That particular Whale scene was one in which Ellie and Charlie first begin spending time together after Charlie agrees to help her write an essay for school. Ellie, still hurt at being abandoned by her father, tries to hurt him back by challenging him to walk. Unfortunately, at that point in The Whale, he can't stand or walk, and is therefore unable to prove himself to her.
However, Fraser and Hunter point out that the underlying theme is redemption and liberation. In the end, Charlie is willing to accept his death because he has accomplished the one goal that he had, which was to prove to his daughter that she is seen and understood. It is also an extremely touching portrayal of the relationship between a parent and a child. Even though Charlie failed Ellie in many ways, he proved that his parental instinct and love for his daughter never faded as he was able to see the value and the piece of his daughter within a years-old 8th grade essay. According to Fraser and Hunter, The Whale's ending isn't ambiguous or tragic but hopeful for all the parents out there seeking redemption.
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1. The Whale’s Final Scene
Source: IMDb
After Charlie spends the majority of the film defending Ellie's sporadic outbursts and prickly, wounded demeanor — particularly to his longtime caregiver and friend, Liz — the film gradually builds to a pivotal moment for the father-daughter pair (Hong Chau). Charlie believes that Ellie, like most people, is born with an innate capacity for empathy, and cites one of her blunt, years-old school essays criticizing the classic novel Moby Dick. He sees it as a symbol of her purity, honesty, and boundless passion. Throughout the majority of the film, Ellie remains skeptical of Charlie.
Source: Variety
That scene, Fraser says, is key to understanding the film's conclusion, which brings Ellie and Charlie together for a genuine connection, as she reads the essay aloud. Again, Charlie attempts to rise up and walk toward her. That's where things get fantastical, as Fraser calls the final sequence an act of "contrition" for Charlie, in which he's "liberated" after finally breaking through her defensive armor, reaffirming to Ellie that he sees her for the person she is — and always was.
"It's important because it's a Herculean effort that he makes to even get to his feet," Fraser says. "For him to finally break through to her, humble himself before her, and let her know that he made a mistake and is sorry for it. While his life has not physically ended at that moment, I think that he knows he doesn't need to live any longer, which is why he takes off his breather, he's got her reading the essay, and he does take to his feet like three Olympic dead-lifters, takes his baby steps to his baby, and in that beautiful two-shot, a great white light appears, and they look skyward. Depending on your belief system, spiritually or otherwise, we see that Charlie — with a touch of magic realism — finally does fly."
Screenwriter Hunter calls the run-up a "hero journey where he gets the elixir."
"He's struggling this entire film to put a mirror up to his daughter to say, 'This is who you are,' and in those final moments, that mirror is this essay," Hunter explains. "When she looks at it, she can't deny turning it in and getting a D, but then, here's her father, all these years later, being like, 'This is the best essay I've ever read.' At long last, he's the only person who sees her, and she knows it."
2. The Whale’s Final Scene fully explained
Source: Movie Nation
Fraser and Hunter (who also wrote the film's screenplay) shed some light on the ambiguous ending of The Whale. For many viewers, the scene may seem tragic and to others, the religious undertones may evade their understanding. Hence, Fraser and Hunter discuss how they interpreted the ending and how it was a hero's ending for Charlie, one in which he found liberation. Check out their statements below:
Fraser: It's important because it's a Herculean effort that he makes to even get to his feet. For him to finally break through to her, humble himself before her, and let her know that he made a mistake and is sorry for it. While his life has not physically ended in that moment, I think that he knows he doesn't need to live any longer, which is why he takes off his breather, he's got her reading the essay, and he does take to his feet like three Olympic dead-lifters, takes his baby steps to his baby, and in that beautiful two-shot, a great white light appears, and they look skyward. Depending on your belief system, spiritually or otherwise, we see that Charlie — with a touch of magic realism — finally does fly.
Source: Screenrant
Fraser and Hunter's explanation of the ending will be welcomed by some, as The Whale's final scene is a bit difficult to understand on paper. Before the ending can fully be explained, Fraser reveals that viewers needed to understand an earlier scene in the film. That particular Whale scene was one in which Ellie and Charlie first begin spending time together after Charlie agrees to help her write an essay for school. Ellie, still hurt at being abandoned by her father, tries to hurt him back by challenging him to walk. Unfortunately, at that point in The Whale, he can't stand or walk, and is therefore unable to prove himself to her.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
However, Fraser and Hunter point out that the underlying theme is redemption and liberation. In the end, Charlie is willing to accept his death because he has accomplished the one goal that he had, which was to prove to his daughter that she is seen and understood. It is also an extremely touching portrayal of the relationship between a parent and a child. Even though Charlie failed Ellie in many ways, he proved that his parental instinct and love for his daughter never faded as he was able to see the value and the piece of his daughter within a years-old 8th grade essay. According to Fraser and Hunter, The Whale's ending isn't ambiguous or tragic but hopeful for all the parents out there seeking redemption.
Aubtu.biz is a website that provides you with sport updates and Entertainment news to brighten your day. Don’t hesitate to visit our site to know more about updated entertainment news.