The Whale: Hope or Obsessive Delusion?

Darren Aronofsky is no stranger to ripping my heart out, tossing it of a 40-story building, and then running over it with a tour bus being driven by Godzilla. In The Whale, he repeats this process once again, to my infinite masochistic glee, but here at least, the final message we are left with is one of hope and forgiveness. However, not all of the themes that Aronofsky and the film’s screenwriter, Samuel D Hunter, tackle in this movie are positive (duh).
In this video essay, I’ll be diving into this Brendan Fraser-led masterpiece and suggesting a grimmer, bleaker, more soul-crushing interpretation of the movie’s events, particularly in regards to its conclusion, and offering an alternate take that analyzes and interprets the films’ many themes and messages in a far less hopeful light than what Aronofsky and Hunter intended. Emotional trauma incoming.

#TheWhale #BrendanFraser #videoessay

Chapters:
00:00 Darren Aronofsky & Emotional Trauma
01:16 The Whale’s Main Themes
07:56 An Alternate Interpretation
10:06 Final Thoughts
10:36 Thank You

Sources:
All footage of the movie from its trailers and the Oscars’ Scene at the Academy:
   • SCENE AT THE ACADEMY: The Whale  
Excerpts from Samuel D. Hunter's "The Whale" (the play):
   • Excerpts from Samuel D. Hunter's "The...  
Darren Aronofsky Reveals How He Cast Brendan Fraser for The Whale (Extended) | The Tonight Show
   • Darren Aronofsky Reveals How He Cast ...  
Sadie Sink & Darren Aronofsky Break Down 'The Whale' Scene | Vanity Fair
   • Sadie Sink & Darren Aronofsky Break D...  
Inside The Making Of "Mother!" (HBO)
   • Inside The Making Of "Mother!" (HBO)  
Black Swan: Director Darren Aronofsky Takes You Behind the Scenes
   • Black Swan: Director Darren Aronofsky...  
Moby Dick (1956) Original Trailer [FHD]
   • Moby Dick (1956) Original Trailer [FHD]  

In a town in Idaho, Charlie, a reclusive and unhealthy English teacher, hides out in his flat and eats his way to death. He is desperate to reconnect with his teenage daughter for a last chance at redemption.
The Whale is a 2022 American psychological drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky and written by Samuel D. Hunter, based on his 2012 play of the same name. It stars Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins, and Samantha Morton. In the film, a reclusive English teacher with morbid obesity tries to restore his relationship with his teenage daughter.

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