The Machinist Movie Ending... Explained

[@leonardodluca5803]

I noticed that the only color that are saturated in the entire movie are green, yellow and red. Traffic lights.

[@arisu9085]

Blue is saturated as well throughout the entire film

[@charliereczek9690]

@@arisu9085 ah yes, the 4th traffic light color

[@illeatyou3541]

@@arisu9085 in some countries they use blue instead of green

[@samgomez9942]

Not in the same way tho right? I mean, all the colors had a grayish or brownish tint to them, including the blues. There were no bright blues like the red and greens on the traffic lights

[@justjerm1823]

@@arisu9085 blue is probably because of the kid

[@syeddtaha]

the whole trevor telling nicholas to turn right on route 66 and then in the end trevor finally turning right towards downtown to go to the police station to confess makes so much sense now holy shit. that's why he used to go to the airport to drink coffee he wanted to go and admit to what he has done but like nicholas he used to turn left towards the airport suppressing what he had done. this movie is a work of art

[@greggers5988]

omg

[@tombillings01]

And again in the sewers, instead of letting himself be caught down the right tunnel, he chooses the left. Fantastic film.

[@drewdennis15]

Another detail that I saw was the word “Escape” on the walls of the airport. Every time he went to the airport he was trying to escape the painful memory and leave town.

[@boomborgoyari5781]

He jumped on the car to fake hit and run. but he was subconsciously punishing himself for what he did. imo.

[@Hoffmanpack]

I thought that he was at the airport to To skip town anytime he needed to beacuse he killed someone.

[@joshmciver4847]

still find it incredible that Christian Bale did this movie directly before Batman Begins... and gained TOO MUCH weight for the role, and had to lose a few pounds. Crazy stuff.

[@ChickenCustomer]

Nigga wanted to eat again

[@BenDover-nl3nw]

Trust me, i eat icd cream every night and its not that tough

[@timothy790110]

@@BenDover-nl3nwwhen Jared leto gained weight for the role of Chapman hed put pints of ben jerrys in the microwave and mixed that with olive oil and drank it.

[@Annuska1995]

And later he did American hustle where he gained a lot of weight. The guy is a chameleon.

[@artempalash]

I really tired of these comments about weight loss.

[@AlexKatzenstein]

I don't think he was dead. He was just hallucinating due to insomnia and starvation. His guilt made him see all these images. And when he finally remembered what happened and turned himself in he was freed from the guilt and could sleep again. Guilt can do horrific things to you and this film shows it extremely well.

[@obamaprism204]

This was what i was thinking as well after connecting the dots

[@st0a]

I'd say the hallucinations are also from the insomnia. It's proven that lack of sleep can induce delusional thoughts and even hallucinations, in some extreme cases.

[@Zurbgazorb]

I have a theory that he might be unalive at the ending and just hallucinating that he finally turned himself to the police. (remember the scene when he was driving through a tunnel and been cut out to show end credits) I think that supports my idea of him being unalive :) in addition the end credit is all white

[@lucasbarton1354]

@@Zurbgazorbbut if you track back to when he first filed a hit and run on Ivan’s car (his own car) the officer told Trevor that the car he filed as a hit and run was his own car, and was reported totaled awhile back. I’m thinking he wrecked his car after hitting the kid. Maybe in an attempt to un alive, because they don’t really hint towards him being dead, besides that final ending scene, but it is still very vague.

[@ShoorfLonelyLokly]

This movie is more accurate about how this type of trauma works than most other films. I speak from my own experience. I was never so far gone as he did, but I was there. In short, my dad died because me or my mother didn't call for ER. My mom was angry at him and thought he was just drunk, but I "knew" the way he slept wasn't right. I didn't call, I was 14, though. Dad didn't wake up next day, had a stroke and died 8 days later on Saturday morning. This haunts me to this day, I remember clearly the day when mom, almost crying, woke me up and just said, "wake up son, dad died". Took me whole day to grasp it fully. Never cried back then. Within weeks I went full shut in: never left my room for next half a year, except to take a dump, was pissing in bottles even. Mom tried her best, but because dad was gone she had a lot of shit on her hands to deal with. Compared to what Reznik did this looks like a simple accident, but in a way its worse, because, arguably, its easier to outlive the trauma of killing someone you didn't know rather than one of the closest relatives. I also know for a fact, that "therapy" always pushes a point of "you're not guilty" and/or forgiving. Didn't work for me. Only accepting the fact that I could've saved him, but didn't, chose not to, which makes me a second hand killer, brings me peace. Yeah I view life rather differently compared to other people because of that, but at least I can sleep well most of the time and no pills needed.

[@Souleman561]

Ivan is literally the repressed guilt that he is carrying around , instead of remembering the events as they happened, he formed this Ivan character to place all the bads things that happens onto him, i.e. accident at the machine shop Bale blames Ivan even tho he was the one distracted, just like bale was distracted with his cigarette when he hit the kid.

[@zakzak8050]

Probably the buyer of the Red Pontiac too that he sold

[@Arto343434]

Gross incompetence this video is attempting to analyze this movie and the guy who made it (talking slow af to increase time for ad revenue, it sounds slower than normal even played at 1.25 playback speed) doesn’t even reference that Reznik was seen reading The Idiot, but was Fyodor Dostoevsky, and in the Route 666 ride there was a sign that said Crime and Punishment, also a title of a book by the same author, and a huge theme in this movie, even it it was an accident or negligence, punishment should follow crime.

[@maruwan-dono]

thanks, i was really wondering who is Ivan , was he some friend, I understood everything except what Ivan was.

[@Souleman561]

@maruwan-dono this is why I like cinema as a vision metaphor is so hard to pin down its meaning, but with good directors and writers, there are more then enough vision as well as spoken words clues that can allow this metaphor to be seen. It's very interesting in film as instead of it being expla8ned verbally we merely have to infer from the visual which is far harder to do

[@comeatmebro8120]

Also I think he saw himself as Ivan, when he looked at the picture of himself holding a fish, he only saw Ivan. Basically Ivan is this otherworldly looking guy almost like he’s some sort of monster. To me, this insinuates that he sees himself as a monster for what he did

[@LowEndPCGamer100]

movies like this make me afraid that my whole life is just a shutter island kind of thing and im actually in a hospital curled up just imagining everything. these are the real horror movies.

[@SteakfulDead]

Fr

[@Look73689]

You ok bro 😆

[@boomborgoyari5781]

psychosocial thriller movies are the real horror movies.. im more scared when i watch shutter island than conjuring

[@Look73689]

@@boomborgoyari5781 suggest some more psychological thriller movies bro

[@Thankpan7223]

@@Look73689 Get Out, 12 Monkeys, 10 Cloverfield Lane, American Psycho

[@WhyUGotStretchPants]

I believe the ending was light unlike the rest of the movie because Trevor stopped running and made peace with what he's done which allowed him to finally sleep. Also, did anyone else think that him running those red lights to catch up to Ivan was symbolic of how he ran the red light when he hit Nicholas?

[@boomborgoyari5781]

it shows how careless he is.. also when he tried to light cigarette he almost created am accident (the second time).

[@amazingjackJF]

You figure that out all by yourself? Wow what an intellectual lmao

[@Josh_J91]

​@@amazingjackJF😂😂😂😂😂

[@MK-hm5gg]

whenever u see reznik doze off and wake back up again, hes not actually waking up again thats where the dreams start to happen. he thinks its reality which is why he claims to have never slept in months. Take when he fell asleep in the car. he wakes up and notices ivan beside him

[@tayscotth3459]

Sooo true smart

[@artempalash]

thanks

[@prabhanjannavarathna6466]

Brilliant interpretation!!

[@Immolator772]

He's in Limbo, a part of hell where everything repeats.

[@observeoutofthebox7806]

@@Immolator772 its not hell, hell is not real, but neither are his hallucinations, a phenomenon which is very real and present among insomniacs. he is living in real life but between hallucinations and reality.

[@Guccimanegut]

My favorite part about this movie is how many small details there are that are so satisfying like in one scene he washed his hands with a soap called “pure lye” almost as if he washes away his guilt by lying to himself all this time and how in the final scene where he turns himself in he’s wearing a shirt that says justice brothers and has a car on it

[@ljokamojalijepa2011]

Oscar worthy performance. No doubt.

[@cmahima]

OMG! Yes! But he wasn't nominated, Leonardo DiCaprio was nominated that year for Aviator, come on! Bale nearly died to portray this incredible role.

[@miladh8749]

@@cmahima Both D Suckers like you two :D

[@thedude761]

Yes for sure

[@IROC400]

When Stevie asked about the accident, he said it was his fault, he wasn't paying attention and the lights changed. The same conditions that caused Nicholas's death.

[@i_am_thebatman]

I find it interesting how he is constantly making references to the accident himself without knowing . He pushes himself to walk in front of a car to get hit by it. When he’s with Stevie explaining what happened he says “The Light changed on me, I wasn’t looking, it was my fault “

[@zachscottmusician]

I am The Batman and there’s also the bit just before route 666 where a bumper car looks like it runs Nicholas over, plus the child being run over on route 666

[@bradojacko8247]

There are numerous other double entendres in this movie. The dialogue was good. It frustrates me when I watch him ruin things with jennifer jason leigh, though. The one bright spot in his life and in this entire movie. And the music seems pretty obtrusive when it tries to hit everything in the scene like a Hitchcock imitation. But, I do like this film quite a bit.

[@wileamdeproy7111]

Aaron Eckhart

[@timothy790110]

@@bradojacko8247 look up what double entendre means

[@bradojacko8247]

@@timothy790110 when a thing is written or said with two intended meanings. Thats exactly what I am saying, loosely speaking. Doesnt have to be sexual, if that's your issue. If you prefer the word subtext, that's fine, too. The film is riddled with subtextual clues.

[@posoclo]

Lots of good symbolism. He washes his hands with “pure lye”! Also when he gets himself hit by the car it is being driven by a woman with a kid (reverse to what happened in his accident). When Resnik sees Ivan in the Car, Ivan says “It’s Miller time” as in Miller = the guy with the accident.

[@rickyeska1]

Woah that's a good eye

[@Xcmx01]

Just finished watching ..... Was not disappointed

[@viktoriaf.1191]

Me too. It was really good

[@vojeen0]

Same here

[@KashifKhan-iw2ns]

Before seeing this movie I thought Christian bale's acting in batman and dark knight was best but this shows the real capabilities of him. Truly a masterpiece.

[@Itsallgoodman2000]

If you haven't already, I'd recommend a movie called "Hostiles"... the movie itself it's kinda meh but Bale really shows top tier acting.

[@rondoman78]

Check out Harsh Times and American Psycho and Rescue Dawn.

[@gogogoup]

ivan's just damn creepy

[@MexicanWolverine]

Not to me more so menacing

[@calvinripley9093]

Who exactly is Ivan? Is he someone from Trevor's past?

[@rileysmith5925]

@@calvinripley9093 it’s Trevor’s guilt following him, not an actual person

[@KenKaniff-dw4jw]

​@calvinripley9093 it's literally Trevor.

[@darj617]

Bale is unintentionally funny in this movie, the way he looks and acts. It's beautifully contrasted with the haunting scene when his character finally breaks down the hallucination and says " I know who you are, I know who you are", my god it is devastating.

[@itachiuchiha5035]

I agree. The eyes 👀 man and the door with stevey lol

[@JonathanWorden-u3h]

​@itachiuchiha5035 when kept looking through the door 👁👁😆😆

[@nox5870]

This movie was really, really well made. I love the music especially for this movie. 8/10 for me, also very re-watchable. Highly Underrated.

[@mrgeraldbaez]

I also came to the same interpretation after the first watch, although I missed a few things, like the fast flashback Trevor had while on the Route 66 ride. Also, I somehow ignored the extremely white color of the prison cell at the end, so I’m glad you pointed that out! That signified the end of his hell. I would add that the reason Ivan wouldn’t die (after Trevor tried killing him) was because he represents Trevor’s guilt, like you said. Meaning, his conscience will always remain with him, although in a heightened sense until he accepts what he’s done. Although creepy, Ivan wasn’t that bad a guy. Ivan, Trevor’s guilt, led Trevor to salvation. He really wanted Trevor to turn himself in, it seems like. He even asked Trevor “who are you,” which forces Trevor to relive the past near the end of the film. Anyway, I loved this film and now realize the value of English class, which has taught me all I know about interpretation.

[@Atlastheyote222]

This really is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. It’s gotta be a modern classic. And watching this I realise how many hints and giveaways there were that what we were seeing was out of order. The scar vanishing from Trevor’s cheek, all the strange things Trevor says to Maria, the fishing bumper sticker, etc.

[@patanstee2315]

He even drives by a sign near the end called 'Cowboy Motors' lol

[@lovesupreme6154]

It's the alternate take of Fight Club.

[@mateussv8120]

Love Supreme Nah, the plot is totally different... also, the plot twist in Fight Club is surprising af. In the mechinist you know the guy has really lost his mind but you just don’t know why

[@RandallWhiskey]

@Ren no it wasnt before fight club

[@keziibeats]

This is much better than fight club

[@keziibeats]

@Dantes230 yess

[@яобщественныйдеятель]

Exactly man

[@deviousj5868]

If you look at the Amusement Park scene it pretty much tells everything what happened. It had the most hints. Also there was alot of scenes with forks in the road. Many if which he always takes the left until the end when he goes right.

[@horsemanpit8812]

Very thought provoking film and equally interesting theories in this video. Thanks Luke.

[@MatthiasAI]

soundtrack and tone on point! I felt uneasy the whole video and I think that really worked for getting the message through.

[@mikaela4983]

This movie is "need to watch 2 times". First time it was good, but after couple of years, yesterday I watch it on TV, and realise that this movie is masterpiece, beatifull

[@MexicanWolverine]

I think that Trevor is dead but he killed himself(specifically by hanging) from the guilt, the reason why I believe this is because there are some signs of this such as the hang man game, Trevor saying he could kill himself after the seizure with Nicholas happens, the hanging man in the ride, and Stevie saying that these hit run people should be hanged. Lemme know if you agree with this

[@MexicanWolverine]

@Ray Baker thank you

[@glitterspray]

I don’t agree myself, but your explanation makes a lot of sense. That’s what’s so great about this film. It allows for many valid interpretations.

[@karinmartinez5742]

Agree!

[@tdot613]

I agree for sure

[@lucasr9485]

I think the signs of hanging are actually what Trevor keeps seeing but ends up avoiding by facing his sin and turning himself in

[@chickenkurry6451]

That car accident cgi was oof

[@ivancorredera4241]

Yeah the cgi was pretty bad

[@ivancorredera4241]

gabru no I wasn’t.

[@luiscirca2002]

Lol if you look closely after he falls over, his left forearm sinks through the concrete.

[@quietdemon8138]

Ivan Corredera the bald dude who follows Christian around is called Ivan from the movie that’s what Gabru was talking about

[@wi4101]

Yeah. Honestly would've been okay if the screen cut to black when the car was just about to hit Trevor.

[@ThatMissQuin]

I adore this film.

[@davidkuinov]

I've seen this movie countless times, it's in my top five movies. i never considered a hell and heaven idea though, it fits perfectly with a fade out to white at the end as a symbol of light at the end of the literal and metaphysical tunnel. ps liked the credits at the end good job luke ryan

[@sandras2624]

i just watched the movie for the second time, first time was about twelve years ago. i understand it so much better today. i'm amazed. did anyone else think about this: when trevor ran from the police and jumped down in the sewers under the subway, he reached a crossing, and then took the tunnel to the left (same as the road to hell at the tivoli). in the tunnel to the right (which i guess is a representation of the road to salvation), you could see a shadow on the wall, which to me looked like a person carrying a body over his shoulder. did anyone else think about this scene? i thought that was so intriguing and brilliantly done, and i am guessing that he took the road to hell cuz he was still too scared to meet the fact that he had killed the child. so, i am guessing that the shadow on the wall represented himself, carrying the body of the boy. any thoughts?

[@sandras2624]

​@Austin Kyne cool. yeah who knows :)

[@mrgeraldbaez]

Great catch! I think you’re spot on!

[@AsianTheDomination]

I thought it was a cop and the decision was for him to escape to hell or turn himself in for salvation

[@amaranadir3015]

I think the shadow on the wall represents ivan carrying nicholas's body to confront trevor with it but he refused to take that route and went left, another reason why i think it's ivan is because he was limping (as ivan said in the bar scene he struggles a bit with walking since he replaced his fingers with his toes).

[@undyingsoul3949]

Sure. That scene is hard to overlook when there are two paths to choose from again. You can't even watch this movie just once in order to understand everything. You need to watch it at least twice.

[@MrRyang2001]

Ivan almost seems to be his conscience, tormenting Trevor throughout the film and finally letting him alone once Trevor comes clean.

[@NostalgiaBrit]

I think it wasn't Hell in a biblical sense, all fire & brimstone etc., but instead was his own self imposed hell. I found it interesting that in his car later on he has a Route 66 keychain hanging from his rear view mirror, and the ghost train was Route 666. It was also interesting that the tunnel we see him driving along, at the end (showing just after the accident), bends to the right, with a white light at the end of it, just like the "Road To Salvation" in the ghost train, bending to the right with a light at the end (which he obviously doesn't go down when the train/car moves left on the "Highway To Hell." Just my thoughts.

[@musthavechannel5262]

Thanks for not coming up with "it was all in his head" trope...

[@zachscottmusician]

MustHaveChannel to be fair most of the film is a delusion. Maria, Nicholas, Ivan, none of them are real and all his interactions with them are pure delusion

[@louistown7835]

Zachary Scott Nicholas and Maria are real just not there with him. He sees them out of the guilt by killing him

[@undyingsoul3949]

@@louistown7835 We actually don't even know their real names.

[@undyingsoul3949]

@@s.kanninchen105 Their meeting for sure. We don´t even know the real names of the woman and the kid. We don´t even know if it´s her son. We don´t even know all that much or anything about their personalities, as you´re absolutely right: Trevor just imagined their meetings.

[@musthavechannel5262]

@@s.kanninchen105 True he made up some stuff but it wasnt ALL in his head. He was a machinist, he actually lived a year through trauma, the factory was real, the prostitute, cafe etc... Contrasting to "dead man" or "jacob's ladder" where EVERYTHING is surreal

[@stuff_n_thanngs7552]

There is a crazy amount of symbolism, foreshadowing in this film. Great writing and Bale has incredible talent.

[@FatherSean]

This movie makes me feel guilty about all the times Ive looked at my phone while driving. Ive also zoned out and ran a red a couple times. Im immensely lucky that nothing has happened to me or anyone else yet. Im really no better than reznik.

[@tutansession1160]

If you pay close attention to the movie,Behind trevor, there's a signboard where it says " Crime and Punishment " at 40:44 this is a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky about a man who suffered existential conflict due to the crime he did from a woman. the only difference is Trevor repressed his crime towards the unconscious and it revealed itself through ugly ways. The novel character(Rodion) repressed it too and even tried to compensate his crime by helping others. this is a great foreshadowing and advance explanation, that the movie and novel have similarities.

[@theincredibledancock]

You're absolutely right. Underrated comment. There are several nods to Dostoevsky throughout the movie. He's even literally reading "The Idiot" early in the movie. I wish this video mentioned the clear ties to Crime and Punishment...

[@brightblackgrouse6236]

@@theincredibledancock the idiot also has characters named ivan,nicholas and marie

[@DyamandTheGem]

@@brightblackgrouse6236 wowww I’m mind blown

[@Thecockroachinmyhead]

Yeah at some point he is also reading the idiot, by the same author. I thought it was weird it wasn't crime and punishment, glad you pointed this out.

[@benjaminwhite8019]

So I just finished watching it, with subtitles, and couldn’t help but notice Reznik backwards is Kinzer which fits perfectly in with hangman game. Maybe Kinzer is trevors real last name? Idk it’s just a thought I had when I figured out the license plate was backwards too.

[@dannydamico7312]

🤯bruh

[@Fs-Cee]

Didn’t catch this

[@stevefromyellowstone7911]

The name is an anagram for Trent reznor. The guy from nine inch nails . He did the music for this movie so they sorta named the character after him

[@gavinorazapata8184]

Just watched this movie for the first time and I don’t think he was dead, just in and out of sleep/hallucinations. When he’s disoriented in the bathroom and knocks down the soap dispenser, the cut back to the wall where it fell showed it hanging back again. And while talking to Maria at the airport, the time clocks in the background tick forward and backward, indicating time is standing still (in a dream).. and finally when he meets the real waitress, the clocks tick forward normally, indicating that he’s fully awake. Loved the movie, and will definitely watch it again as I’m sure there are other details I may have missed.

[@cmahima]

Why wasn't Bale nominated for this incredible role he portrayed?!?

[@grey8498]

Is there really any need to explain an ending that obvious? There is no ambiguity whatsoever. Sure it was inspired by several Dostoyevsky novels. Ivan is a manifestation of Trevor up to the hit and run accident embodying his sense of fashion, driving his red firebird and ultimately being the killer. He also seems to be carrying body weight lost by Trevor. Route 66(6), “Maria” and “Nicholas” are also pretty straightforward. I think Ivan’s hand means nothing just like Trevor’s name (a play on Trent Reznor). Overall great direction by Anderson, great leading role by Bale, good script and score. The movie is ultra-low budget ($5 million) yet unforgettable

[@dannydetonator]

The art of psychology, a rare intelligent-ppl (seems on demise in USA) script. Really if necessary to explain, this isn't aimed at you.

[@johnoshea284]

A movie studying guilt and redemption

[@Azozeo]

Grey, Just curious why does Trevor’s name have to be a play on Trent Reznors name?

[@PhantomFilmAustralia]

Azozeo The screenwriter is a huge Nine Inch Nails fan. He wanted Trent Reznor to score the film. The name of the character he created is a nod to Reznor.

[@Azozeo]

PhantomFilmAustralia , okay Cool I didn’t know that.

[@EdenFoxx7]

My friend recommended this movie to me a while ago, loved it. Not only is Christian Bale one of my top five favourite actors but this story was incredible. I have to admit it did remind me of 'shutter island' in the sense that the main character was constantly trying to repress the memory of his crime. Excellent movie.

[@SimakSantana]

I think movies like this are designed to be able to look at it in a real life situation or a limbo/purgatory situation. At the end of the movie Trevor could have survived the car wreak and then live a year of guilt and then eventually go to jail and admitting what he did with most of the movie just happening in his head. Or he could've killed himself in a crash and end up in purgatory where he had to confront his guilt. Either way is probably acceptable to the writer and he leaves it to the viewer to decide if it's a religious thing or purely a mental thing for trevor.

[@乂-x9i]

totally 💯💯

[@better_call_sagar]

That highway to hell scene with the kid still scares me to this day

[@hazzembelkaab651]

There's also the scene where he goes back to maria's home, she said "whats home if someone cant relax in it". It could refer to how Trevor cant get any sleep/relaxation in his own appartement because of the guilt and the trauma thats consuming him after the accident. He knows deep down he's done some wrong and should be punished for it, hence 'Crime and Punishment' in the 666 ride which is a reference to Fydor Dosteoevsky's book. Ivan represents the guilt thats haunting him and somehow guiding him towards salvation : accepting the fact he's done some wrong and should be punished for it. He acknowledges he will never relax or sleep living with the guilt so he recognizes that home is where the guilt ends, where he can relax. Thats why he finally sleeps in the cell and thats why he finally recuperates his emotions at the end of the tunnel, the tunnel representing a dark passage in his life ( the trauma, the insomnia, the guilt) but that's just my opinion.

[@ponypower8]

I agree with your latter theory. Finally accepts his fate, admits his guilt, turns himself in, gets peace of mind and finally overcomes insomnia which is a result of his guilty conscience.

[@kamrang2]

Fantastic analysis - I'd argue better than the movie which drones on for quite a long time between the important plot points you've laid out (honestly the movie could have been an Oscar-worthy short). In any case I think you're spot on - the metaphor of hell is used as a parallel to highlight the hellish life he's created for himself, to which he ultimately finds salvation, but it doesn't have to be taken so literally as to imply that Trevor is actually dead.

[@meatyb4967]

Ivan's hand was all messed up too ,he said they used 2 of his toes to repair his hand. Is that just a reference to Miller who loses his hand?

[@measl]

*One of my favorite films of the 2000's!*

[@vaughneudy3003]

Ivan being heavyset is a direct juxtaposition of trevor being emaciated

[@ghostlybugged186]

It’s also interesting that in the beginning of the film he’s telling Maria that he “Hasn’t slept in a year” a year being the time after the hit and run

[@trentonbright8976]

Which was also mothers day…

[@PaletteandPixels]

it’s been a while since this vid was made. I can’t imagine anyone will see this. but i’ve been obsessed with this movie recently. i’ve been watching it back to back. if you think about the movie in a cycle, I think the thing that breaks that idea is that in the start of the movie- trevor has a lighter again. if he got a lighter at the end of the movie I think it’d be a perfect cycle.

[@dazio2487]

Film really similar to "Crime and punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Durimg the ride scene we can even see a 'crime and punishment" sing.

[@Hysify]

One thing I pick up on that a lot of people don't mention is the constrast in Trevor's vehicles pre and post accident. The red fast car represting danger and red ofcourse the colour of hell(hence his sin) This contrasts with his white pickup truck-ofcourse white being symbolic of heaven and the pickup vehicle suggesting the baggage Trevor has to carry on his road to redemption-the weight on his shoulders so to speak. So when Trevor "Chases Ivan in the red car) its symbolic of Trevor trying to atone his sins and right his wrongs. I could go on and on but this is just one of several mad things about this film. I love how people look at this film from the outside thinking it's slow and dull with an isolated plot, but the last 10 minutes make the entire thing absolutely brilliant!!! This is literally a perfect movie, 10/10, not a lot comes close!!!!

[@rowing-away]

the “turn left for hell, right for salvation” motif also shows up when he’s running away from the police in the sewer. there’s a fork & he takes the left path

[@niyasahammed1026]

'I d rather be fishing..' that's a great advice from the directors part

[@drasticgamerstv1025]

Wt do u mean?

[@artkrasniqi3065]

@@drasticgamerstv1025 he means the reference on bottom left at 3:15

[@godzillapunisher9912]

Yes it is

[@mariocerdacornejo8530]

I like the theory. He seems to be constantly punishing himself or sort of struggling with himself to accept that he only did not kill the boy but hit-n-ran. That's perhaps the reason why Ivan often appears driving the car and running away from Trevor. However Ivan's role is confusing, is he a representation of evil and the horrible life Trevor could live or it was his righteousness telling him to turn himself in?

[@owenyoung9915]

I’ve always thought it was an embodiment of guilt reminding him of what he’s done. Actually kind of scary. That “I know what you did, you know what you did” smile on his face. Creepy as all hell.

[@angelica23luna90]

I think Ivan's purpose was just tormenting him about the hit and run. It wasn't to influence what Trevor would do about it once be remembered it. It was up to Trevor whether to confess or not

[@aircortez4238]

The first time ivan gets introduced in the movie, I immediately got chills. He just had that sinister look from the moment he introduced himself.

[@mirvatsuhail2812]

it's weird the he had complete insight at the end, usually people like this end up with hanging themselves or become aware of their illness by others

[@zachscottmusician]

Mirvat Suhail that’s the path to salvation, becoming lucid and accepting responsibility for his actions. I genuinely thought it was gonna end with him hanging himself (the game of hangman on the post it note, the hanged man with the guilty sign on route 666 etc) but it got the happy ending haha

[@mersauff223]

Why wouldn’t he stop anyways? I mean, such a dick move and he’s gonna get more jailtime. Also what kind of mother keeps her child so far away from her, the driver is guilty, but a parent should be aware of this possibility and if a car doesn’t stop the mother should’ve atleast pushed her boy.

[@kiddketathereal]

My theory: Trevor's memory of the tunnel with a bright light at the end is actually the moment before he kills himself by driving off the cliff, because he is afraid of being confronted with the crime he commit. After dying, he finds himself in the Limbo, or hell (whatever you want to think, either of them are possible in my opinion). He has to suffer and live the whole story through again, to pay for his sin. After accepting his sin and his fate, he is finally sent to heaven. Edit: Ivan is a second personality of Trevor. When he is too shy or scared of whatever for whatever reason, Ivan is the brave and strong man who always confronts himself with the truth. No "Five states of dying" or something, but I think this could be near the original meaning, with clues all over the film (such as the "Road 666" or when he said he had been in the theme park before).

[@sasquatch-7416]

Well put. Agree. Just watched it. Good stuff.

[@Sashyalove]

You could be right because the jail was white maybe to symbolise heaven since he has given himself in .. Setting himself free from bondage... Free to finally sleep?as illustrated in the video

[@milesagnew9838]

I agree. The car wreckage seen in rout 666 could be a symbol of his suicide (driving off a cliff after the tunnel). The bleach he uses to wash his hands could a metaphor for cleaning the "blood on his hands". Along with this, when he cleans his bathroom floor with a toothbrush and bleach, this could symbolise cleaning the blood left by Ivan (after his throat was slit). The director might show this due to the fact no matter how hard Trevor tries to hide his actions, he'll always have to face up to it (Ivan at the end). Carrying the message "you cant hide from your problems".

[@SimakSantana]

I hate thinking the jail was heaven. It's more like purgatory part 2 where he has to stay for a while before heaven is an option.

[@thegem597]

@@SimakSantana According to me... Trevor as a man who is made up of two men....one being his self protective self who protects him even if it is he himself who is at fault and the other being his his conciousness who tells him to do the right thing. Before the accident both these personalities were balanced which was signified by a healthy Trevor....but after the accident a war started within himself. A war always has casualties on both sides irrespective of who wins ..in this case the casuality being Trevor himself as a whole and the temporary winner being his self protective side...his death is signified by the white light. As he suppressed the incident he tried to forget the thing that he was already dead inside. The righteous side of him started avenging his defeat by sort of cold war in which he psychologically created hell for him. When in the ride he chose hell it was ivan who did that. Ivan literally started eating on his other self's soul creating a imbalance in Trevor himself which is signified by ivan being a really fat person ..while he himself i.e his self protective self being excessively thin. Ivan's flashing the light o him signifies that he is reminding Trevor that he is already dead subsequently reminding him of how he killed the boy. According to me hell is not a place where the soul goes to suffer... it's a situation where the dead is unwilling to accept the reality of him being dead and when it accept the truth it frees itself of it's shackles and is reborn. When Trevor goes to the white cell ..he accepts the reality that he is dead ...that he killed his conciousness which was wrong...the white represents death and his wish to sleep signifies his acceptance of his situation..thus returning balance to both his sides...which is signified by his falling asleep. When he wakes up he will be reborn just like the soul. So I kinda disagree with the cell being heaven.

[@yegask1748]

Even in underground(in metro station) when he gets to choose between highway to hell and the road of salvation he chooses the highway to hell cause he sees a figure, probably Ivan, in the road of salvation. since he cannot accept the truth he goes to hell again

[@ISEEKSPACE]

This was such a hard movie to watch. It wasn't until the very end that I was able to really appreciate it, but it took me 6 tries over 4 days to see it finally finish. Daunting, but brilliant film!!!

[@Meghnaaad]

beautiful movie, you need to watch it atleast twice to really admire the beauty.

[@Professorkenneth]

This film is a masterpiece👍🏻 really brilliant story and acting on everyone's part, Bale is uncanny

[@roxyagogo0810]

Since Session 9, I've been obsessed with Brad Anderson's movies. Looking forward to many more to come!❤

[@lalletate7204]

this movie blowed my mind , i cant wrap my head around the idea of him dead , i was taken aback when i started to see that is a possibility , he died and he is seeing the hell .

[@prabhanjannavarathna6466]

Thanks for this video bro. Really helped me in writing my dissertation on the psychoanalysis of The Machinist.

[@bahribahri8136]

Brando, Olivier, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman, Anthony Hopkins, Jeremy Irons, Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Christian Bale.

[@jrjubach]

So the fish was in the freezer for over a year? He had been living with this guilt for a year, and it appears his fishing trip with Reynolds was before the accident.

[@indicatoker420]

The reason flashbacks start from the ride when the kid has a seizure, is because seizures do cause deja vu, especially the temporal lobe type, which Dostoevsky and myself have. This movie is derived from nearly all of Dostoevskys novels which is so obvious. He said to turn right on the ride, but it went left. Them 2 direction signs from the ride come up in his flashbacks and he gets deja vu when he sees road signs that are like the one on the ride. I wish I could speak to Bale about this. Trust me the seizure is a huge metaphor.

[@underthebigbrightyellowsun]

john higgins please tell me what dostoevsky's book i should read..

[@Thecockroachinmyhead]

@@underthebigbrightyellowsun I'd recommend notes from the underground, it's my favourite. But crime and punishment, the idiot and the player (I don't know if that's the title in English) are the most famous.

[@steezimus]

When he stops in the intersection it's the same one where he hit Nicholas, thats why it immediately cuts to the airport and he sees Maria

[@BIGD-gj1vb]

This whole movie plays tribute to The Twilight Zone. Even down to the musical score. Love it.

[@philbateman1989]

He is 100% not dead, just guilt-ridden and losing his mind from sleep deprivation.

[@bryanminasian9115]

I love this series. I hope you get around to doing one on Donnie Darko

[@RazorwireReviews]

Thanks! I plan to eventually for sure

[@keithmohan752]

@@RazorwireReviews do it

[@legamaxx2752]

God i fucking hate that movie

[@nemonemo7537]

He also wears a justuce brothers t-shirt with a batmobile car on it. Ivan was his "brother" version of him and finally justice found its place. And batmobile explains he will be Batman ona year later???(I definitely made this up)

[@johnm3907]

Never mentioned ivans mangled hand....

[@jachymnovotny5029]

Exactly!!! Please can someone tell me what does it mean?

[@drasticgamerstv1025]

@@jachymnovotny5029 it is also Trevor's guilt for cutting his friend's arm

[@PhantomFilmAustralia]

It's a manifestation of a fear of losing his own hand. It stems from the Bible Matthew 18:8 "And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire." This also explains why a toe was grafted on to Ivan's hand. Ivan is a manifestation of Trevor. Ivan has the toe on his hand to avoid being crippled or being thrown into the eternal fire. With that said, over a year-long self-exile into limbo, Trevor is running from both his salvation and his demons.

[@TheKraizeh]

@@PhantomFilmAustralia nerd

[@PhantomFilmAustralia]

@@TheKraizeh Thank you.

[@worldline7147]

The Machinist is an incredibly great film.

[@elphaba4674]

Water, an apple, and a cup of coffee... good God...😶

[@ravennaidoo8418]

Bales performance, genius Script top notch. Directors vision genius. Casting brilliant. A masterful crafting of a pure artistic expression in cinema.

[@KoiNoYokan37]

Nah the movie wasn't that good, amazing performance from Bale though.

[@vitalzzz7209]

Ok I don’t see anyone talking about the ending scene. In the middle of the movie when Trevor was chasing Ivan down the tunnel, his car broke down right next to an area with no fence. I think this means that he died from running off the cliff and now he’s in this form of hell.

[@yportne6410]

When he was in the sewers running away from the police, the sewer split into a left, dark tunnel, and right, bright one. He went left to avoid to cops, who were in the right tunnel. The way the tunnel split in two was identical to the "Route 666" ride. There was no flashback to tell us this is what it symbolizes, it just was. I love that bit of visual story telling. There are many other such examples in the movie and I love it. It's easy to catch, but it's still hard to call it blunt, since there is no explanation is given.

[@stevebartz4885]

I think the whole thing between killing the kid and driving into the light was his internal battle of whether to own up to what happened or not. He hallucinated the life he would live with the guilt weighing down on him and it was too much to bear....so he turned himself in. Probably why he looks normal at the end...it was soon after the accident.

[@MaskedTakenouchi]

In the end of the movie trevor turning himself in and he finally able to sleep or may I say rest in peace, I kinda like the hell theory, it really suit with the movie

[@FirstLast-yc9lq]

Kinda makes you think, all that mental and physical abuse he put himself through due to guilt - what more could prison do? The prison of the mind is often more just and punishable than real iron bars can ever be.

[@dawnenglish7952]

Someone compared it to Lynch and Hitchcock... And man they weren't lying... I loved it... Every minute of it.

[@camilochauveau2354]

He doesn't mention the clock In all the movie the clock is stuck at 1:30 am

[@the_vishalparihar]

what an explanation man! Both theories seem true equally but I would go with the first one, because 1. Actually, in the whole movie (except his flashback) he might living in hell and could have died one year ago. 2. The first point gets strong by two major facts. First, no one can ever wake up one year long. Secondly, after that fatal road accident, Trevor was able to run out of the hands of the cops, which looks impossible. 3. in the end scene we see Trevor coming out of dark tunnel to bright light which might suggest that after admitting his crime he was free from his hell-like life(or dream) that he can sleep. We can say it is the tale of a morally good man who stuck into hell by his deeds. I am so thankful for your video that I can properly understand what was going in the movie.

[@robogreek3157]

HE WAS IN PURGATORY.....the hangman on the fridge was his hint.....he escaped the scene of the crime but couldnt escape his own mind. Ivan was GOD not the devil, trying to force him to remember by wearing his clothes and driving his car. And as soon as he confessed is sin, and accepted it....he was allowed to cross over to heaven. Ignorance is never bliss, we all make mistakes and whether we escape those sins in the moment, we ultimately half to face those consequences when we meet our maker. I Loved that film.....but YES Trevor was DEAD, ...HE HUNG HIMSELF after he cut off his coworkers arm, that and the accident was too much for him to take in.His power went out because there was nobody there to pay his bills.

[@cyclopsmastermind4183]

I like to think that Trevor hiding the body at the start if the movie is a set up for the whole movie. A man trying to "Bury" his past.

[@rajneeshmilarepa6090]

There is a lot of inspiration from the writing of Fyodor Dostoevsky in the movie: In an early scene Trevor is trying to fall asleep by reading Dostoevsky's "The Idiot"; during the Route 666 ride there is a sign that reads "Crime and Punishment", and in many ways Trevor's struggle is similar to the psychological trials that Dostoyevsky's main character Roskolnikov undergoes in "Crime & Punishment" until he finally finds his own salvation through self-honesty. I never noticed any of those things when I first saw this film years ago...

[@JackEacher]

11:26 "Crime and Punishment" also implies that he has committed a crime and shall be punished for it. It is also a title of Dostoevsky's novel which he was reading at the beginning of the movie.

[@MikusSzop]

Wasn’t he reading “the idiot”?

[@mjmellan]

I heard it was 1 apple & 1 tin of tuna a day!

[@Immolator772]

I always thought Ivan was a demon, he does act like such and the fact he's created by Reznik's guilt just confirms it.

[@chrism2769]

Love this amazing film. I've probably watched it close to 20 times since it's release! Personally, I always thought he took on severe depression after the accident, hence the insomnia and not eating. I think the "forgetting the accident" was a side affect of the insomnia and non eating. Seriously great film showing what server trauma can do to the brain.

[@DeathAndCatmix]

Interesting thing with Ivan’s introduction. The left side of the screen is an incoming storm. But the right side still has a clear sky. (The same fork in the road trope playing out)

[@joselyhsiang5835]

Just finished watching this movie Wow ‼️ what a performance he went all out on this one😳😱👍

[@mikebowers5228]

I loved the hint of a Theremin machine at times in the soundtrack...perfect !

[@_sayandas]

I'm pretty sure Trevor is Maria's ex actually. We see pictures of fish on every wall of Maria's kitchen. This can't be a co-incidence. Trevor loved fishing and he is the one who put those up. This is his apartment!! They broke up somehow and accidentally he killed his own son. Deeply traumatized and afraid of being accused, he never stops. Ivan is just Trevor's inner conscience offering salvation to his son's killer, which is, himself !

[@dzanc]

Somehow I got distracted during the final flashbacks to the hit and run, now it makes sense

[@mikeandike2021]

One good detail is when he's chasing ivan in his truck and tailing his car Trevor says the cars license plate backwards switching the letters and numbers backwards but keeps them in the same spot later when his truck breaks down it shows his trucks license plate and it's Ivan's license plate but backwards

[@Lahpaulll03]

If you look at the scene where reznik gets hit by the car, when hes on the ground the camera focuses on a bumper on the left saying “i’d rather be fishing” foreshadowing the fact that reznik is ivan. Also towards the beginning of the movie, when reznik walks towards miller and his machine he’s operating, the buttons reznik accidentally bumps into are focused on by the camera aswell foreshadowing the events to come.