The Machinist : An explanation of the movie (my take)

An explanation of the movie (my take)

The main theme here obviously is guilt and conscience. After the accident with the boy he fell into a shock that deeply traumatized his psyche (explaining the hallucinations, delusions, flashbacks, insomnia, loss of appetite and paranoia). The duality in the film represents his inner struggle between flight and turning over. Initially he chose to escape (the airport), but his conscience is punishing him for that. Finally he comes to terms and confronts Ivan (his guilty conscious who did the hit and run and still drives the same car and wears the same clothes) and tries to kill him. Of course it's to no avail. The only way he can rest his soul is through confession, and that's what we saw at the end. The last scene with him driving serves the sole purpose to reveal the initial shock and horror and the emerging of his problem. He did wreck the car shortly after, but survived and reported it to the police himself.

The Route 666 ride simply tells his story. The car crash, hand incident, mother on a child's grave, whorehouse and the actual accident with the boy. Of course he doesn't take the "right" (turning himself in) and goes to his personal hell. The car they're riding in is red too.

Ivan is the personification of his guilty conscious and that's why he can never catch up and settle with him. He tells him the boy is dead, because Trevor certainly tried to convince himself the accident wasn't fatal. Moreover 1:30 was the time of the accident. All details around it reoccur constantly through flashbacks.

I have to disagree with the theory that he's already dead the whole time. I don't think that's one of those movies, where the main hero is dead but he doesn't know it (Sixth sense). Occam's razor rules this theory out.

Someone pointed out the many Dostoyevsky references and there's no doubt this film was highly influenced by Crime and Punishment and by the author in it's psychological depth. If I am to sum it up in one sentence it would be: A man coming to terms with his guilt after a manslaughter.

Re: An explanation of the movie (my take)

I agree, wholeheartedly.

Re: An explanation of the movie (my take)

Nicely interpreted-- right on target.

Re: An explanation of the movie (my take)

Nice post! You have a great thoery, but I don't think he's dead the whole movie. He had only problem with his mind, and the duality in the movie was fighting with his mind. And at the end he finally told the police about the accident.

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Re: An explanation of the movie (my take)

Agreed, that's what I've written above, I think you misread.
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