It's not about revenge, it's about meaning and life

Rating: 9/10 (27 August 2005)

There are movies that aim to entertain, and there are movies that attempt to say something. This movie aimed to do both, and succeeded admirably. Sure, upon reflection, various parts of the plot don't seem to follow from one another, and so many things in the movie are implausible. But does one want a movie that is as smooth and plausible as yesterday afternoon? Like it or not, human life is tortured and zigzags without warning. What matters is making sense of it afterwards in a way of one's choosing.
This movie is not really about revenge. It is about the human need for knowing things not just about oneself, but about other people. The protagonist could never have lived with himself without knowing why certain things happened to him. Our lives make no sense when the intentions of others are ignored.
Most touching in the movie was the woman's sacrifice for the protagonist and his for her. They were entirely dedicated to each other, and showed that one being willing to do anything to make another happy alone induces happiness.
Thus, the movie invites the viewer to contemplate his need not only for narrative meaning in his life, but also for the intersubjective quality of that meaning.