Many films have hidden meanings or Easter eggs, and you’ve probably missed more than a couple. We revisit a few as a reminder to always watch with eyes wide open
Are you a deep thinking film analyst or are you the kind of moviegoer who lets subtler things fly over your head?
We relook at some of these movie moments.
1. Titanic and the Floating Door
It’s a widely-held opinion that Rose, the wrinkled old woman who left her lover Jack to drown, is the real villain of this tragic story.
After the Titanic sinks, Rose manages to drift atop a wooden door. Jack apparently can’t fit on board, so he sinks to the depths of the ocean. But lady, that door clearly looks big enough for the both of you!
But what if the door isn’t actually as large as it appears?
Fans have pointed out that because Rose is crippled by survivor’s guilt after leaving Jack to the waves, she recalls events differently, possibly blaming herself for everything.
And that includes remembering the door as being larger than it really was – large enough for her to have saved Jack as well.
2. Inception and the Spinning Top
I know this whole movie is one big confusing conundrum, so let’s get to the basics: Cobb invades people’s dreams, so he needs a personal item (a “totem”) to tell him if he’s still dreaming.
Many viewers think that Cobb’s totem is a top, as he often seems to use it. If the top falls, he’s back in reality; if it keeps spinning, he keeps dreaming.
In the ending, the camera shows the top spinning, then cuts to black. So the biggest question that everyone has is whether our hero is still in a dream or not.
But we don’t even need to crack our heads over this – since the top isn’t actually Cobb’s totem. Many people forget what he says: the top was his dead wife’s totem.
So what does Cobb use? Fans speculate that it’s actually his wedding ring. If he’s dreaming, he’s wearing it; and when he’s awake, the ring is gone.
So, go back and watch the ending again, and see for yourself once and for all if he’s still dreaming or not.
3. Harry Potter and the Real Horcruxes
If you don’t know what a Horcrux is, I’ll enlighten you. Horcruxes are personal objects that preserve portions of someone’s soul, created through a crazy magic ritual that involves murder. Through this process, the person becomes immortal.
In the series, Voldemort (the bald bad guy) places parts of his soul in a variety of things, which the characters go on a seven movie-long scavenger hunt for.
Renowned writer Stephen King, however, reckons the seven Harry Potter books are also Horcruxes.
He once said that the series’ author, JK Rowling, “put a part of her soul in every book and now her books will live forever.”
It’s an aww-inspiring thought, but wait. That means Rowling would’ve had to kill seven people for those seven extra Horcruxes. You might want to go through the series to see who died so that she could live forever.
4. Frozen and Hans
It’s the favourite Disney animation of most people who’ve watched it, and I’m here to make it even better.
You know Hans: The prince who sweeps Anna off her feet and who genuinely cares for the starved and freezing citizens of Arendelle, but who suddenly turns around and becomes a hardened villain.
But do you really know Hans?
According to one of Frozen’s writers, Jennifer Lee, Hans is modelled after a mirror – the same mirror that appears in the original Snow Queen tale.
Hans actually reflects the emotions of those with whom he interacts. So when he meets the smitten Anna, he falls in love with her; when he sees the residents of Arendelle caring for one another, he returns kindness to them. And his betrayal of Anna is a reflection of how she feels in her dying moments – hurt and betrayed by her own sister, Elsa.
The loveable Olaf seals the deal with his exclamation, “Who is this Hans?!”
Nobody really knows, because Hans is simply a reflection of everyone else.
By Pamela Chow
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