Thus, creating a protagonist that shares characteristics with him lets Susan know, even if she’s not consciously aware of it, that this is a story based on real life events, or in this case, emotions.Īppropriately, the fact that Laura Hastings represents Susan isn’t manifested on the superficial level of hair color alone Edward goes deeper and subtler. Even if it’s not obvious from the beginning, Edward writes a story about himself. Accordingly, his story includes Laura (Isla Fisher) and India Hastings (Ellie Bamber) both of which have red hair, like Susan, and Tony Hastings (Jake Gyllenhaal) who is cast by Susan as Edward. Nocturnal Animals (2016) – source: IMDbĮdward’s next step is to strategically construct characters that will function as stand-ins for the family he could have had with Susan, if she hadn’t gone through with an abortion. Edward has successfully seduced her into reading the novel, and there is no going back. Susan lingering in the dedication page and running her fingers over her name is indicative of her entrapment. In this case, it can even be perceived as an act of forgiveness an olive branch, if you will. Dedicating a book or any form of art to anyone is a confession of love and appreciation. His last and strongest idea is the dedication those two words, ‘for Susan,’ set his master plan in motion. Edward has to give her one final push in order to tip the scales. Susan’s curiosity has undoubtedly been aroused at this point, but there’s also a lot of confusion. The use of diction here has a passive aggressive undertone, but it also emulates a sense of nostalgia. until Wednesday on business and it would be good to see you after so long. I wanted you to be the first to read it, so I’m sending along a proof. In the end, you left me with the inspiration that I needed to write from the heart. “ It’s different from the kind of things I was writing when we were together. He then leaves a note in the package using carefully selected key words to intrigue her: He names the book Nocturnal Animals, for instance, knowing that she’ll remember he used to call her that due to her insomnia. This will allow him to manipulate her into believing that he still loves her only then will he be able to crash her in the end.Įdward’s first precautions work as bait to lure Susan and ensure that she won’t ignore his novel. Hence, Edward purposefully leaves breadcrumbs for Susan throughout his novel so as to trigger specific memories that will lead her into a specific emotional space. It should be noted here that Susan reading his novel is the most vital part of his plan if she doesn’t experience his narrative, every other part will be rendered pointless. Nocturnal Animals (2016) – source: IMDbĪs if it were perfectly timed, Edward Sheffield’s (Jake Gyllenhaal) manuscript arrives to awaken her from a slumber an awakening orchestrated by Edward to direct Susan in a specific emotional state so as to execute his revenge plot. The visual message is clear: Susan feels as dead as the woman behind her. With everyone else gone, Susan sits beside the art she displayed. Everything is ‘junk’ and her acquaintances revel in it as if it were something profound. Inside the gallery’s artificial white world, she can no longer find meaning in life. It’s evident that Susan is struggling with something. What about those days that breathing ceases to be a natural occurrence? What about that day that someone left, dead or alive, or that day that you panicked and walked away? That day that you were vulnerable in some way or another, and you felt you were the center of attention all alone.Īfter the opening credits of Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals come to an end, there’s only one thing we can hear: Susan Morrow (Amy Adams) taking deep breaths as the hours pass during an opening night at her gallery. Do you ever forget how to breathe? Most days it’s easy you breathe in and you breathe out, and you repeat that same mundane act, every day, nonstop.
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