The film “Words”, released on screens in 2012, was the debut, that is, the first for a pair of directors (Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal), who worked on it in collaboration. They decided to show it to the world at the Sundes Film Festival, in the same year it was also released. However, the critics were not impressed with the films, which cannot be said about the audience, for many it sunk into the soul and seemed extremely sensual, lively, penetrating, relevant. Other moviegoers, on the other hand, say they expected more from a movie with such a cast, but the movie didn’t live up to their expectations. One way or another, the film caused discussions at one time, and is still in demand among certain categories of film lovers.
The composition of the film is not direct, one plot is woven into another, it turns out, as it were, a “plot within a plot”. First, we see a famous prose writer on stage, who reads his work to the audience, fans of creativity. And the plot of the books is this – a young man writes extremely unsuccessfully, but he likes to do it, and he still hopes to find his muse, catch inspiration, and still write something grandiose and ingenious. One day he buys an old briefcase, which contains a manuscript, the author is not indicated, but the text itself is quite valuable in terms of artistry. The protagonist’s wife accidentally reads the text, decides what her husband wrote, she is delighted and almost demands publication.
It is interesting to note that the manuscript found in the briefcase tells of an unsuccessful marriage. A young man publishes a book under his own name, receives fame, money, and admiration with his wife’s love. Seems like life is good. But after a few years, an elderly man comes to him and declares that he is the author of that very manuscript. Contrary to expectations, the true author will not read either the money or his name on the book. He understands that the deed is already done.
This completes the reading. The prose writer, who was reading his work, meets a young girl at this evening, and together they leave for his home in the evening. There he tells the continuation of the book – the imaginary author after this visit can no longer live in peace. He demands editors to remove his name from the cover, swears with his wife. It becomes clear that they did not have the warmest relationship with his wife and, perhaps, she was with him because of his money and fame. The hero of the book has no time to change anything, as the old man dies. It begins to seem to the girl that the story is autobiographical and directly relates to the person she is visiting. It seems to her necessary to communicate with him honestly, she wants to be closer to him, but he pushes her away.
At the end, the viewer learns that the reader of the book himself has problems in relations with his wife. Thus, all three stories are connected with some pangs of conscience, with family problems. The main characters cannot understand what they want from life – a calm, albeit dishonest life, or to tell the truth, to show themselves real, but at the same time be lonely.
What is the meaning of the film “Words” everyone will answer for themselves. Maybe someone sees in it the problem of modern literature and creativity in general; someone will notice the difficulties in communication between a man and a woman, which they sometimes carry through years of marriage and cannot dare to solve; someone will focus on the pangs of conscience that really eat the main characters. These torments are no longer just emotional instability, they also affect the physical condition of a person. And maybe the meaning of the ending of the film “Words” is to show the visibility of the consequences of dishonest acts of people in relation to others.
There is another feature – the old man, who was the true author of history. He condemned the deceiver, but did not demand anything for himself in return, maybe there is some sense in this? True creativity does not expect money and recognition, it wants to please people and be close to them, understandably. And if this young man was able to become famous and make good money on that book, then the story, indeed, was good and even needed by people.
Plenty of plot lines, no less reflections. In addition, the genre of the film is melodrama, apparently, because of this it turned out to be so sensual, capable of evoking in the audience an impulse to think.
Write in the comments your guess what the film “Words” is about and what you find the meaning of it.
The meaning of the film Words
The meaning of the film “Words” (2012) is that you can not steal someone else’s happiness. By publishing the old man’s novel under his own name, Rory not only deceived his wife, publisher and readers, he deceived himself. Passionately wanting recognition, he wanted to prove to everyone, including himself, that he was a good writer and could write a brilliant novel. But, having started his career with a forgery, he thereby forever deprived himself of the opportunity to find out what he really is worth. Would his novels have been published if the stolen work had not been such a success? This question constantly torments him and does not allow him to enjoy the newfound glory.
You can fool others, but not yourself. The recognition and success he has received does not please him, he believes that he did not deserve them. The opportunity to somehow correct the mistake disappeared with the death of the old man. He did not accept money for the sale of his novel and did not allow himself to be helped. Once this novel was everything for him, a part of his life, words that came from the very depths of his heart. Writing this story helped him get over the death of his daughter and separation from his wife, but the loss of the manuscript was the reason why he broke up with his beloved. As the old man himself said, this happened because he loved words more than a woman. So Rory, by publishing the novel under his own name, not only appropriated the work of the old man, he appropriated part of his life, his tragedy. This old man could not forgive the young man. He did not go public with the story, but left Rory to the judgment of his own conscience.
The worst thing is that Dory’s beloved wife did not want to stay with the man who deceived her. He didn’t want to lie to her, but he couldn’t tell the truth right away when he saw tears of admiration in her eyes when she read the old man’s novel. He wanted her to also admire his book and, afraid to disappoint her, he hid the truth. But it cost him dearly. After confessing to what she had done, Dory could not live with him. The deceit deeply hurt her feelings and forever undermined her trust in her husband. This story showed her Rory in a new light, as someone she had never known before. Dory decides she can’t be with her husband and leaves him.
Daniella realizes that Hammond’s new novel is based on the events of his own youth, and that he bears the weight of guilt for a mistake he made in the past. She admires his talent, but the writer himself is tormented by the fact that he deprived himself of the opportunity to break through to fame on his own. The journalist is young and beautiful, but Clay does not want to be with her. He still loves his wife Dori, whom he lost due to deceit. He recalls how happy he was with her, felt her support and care. He is still waiting for her forgiveness and wants to be there. But there is less and less hope for this.
Why does an elderly famous writer decide to publish this book at the risk that the truth may be revealed to readers? Is he even reading the first chapters of his new novel?
Perhaps this is the last attempt to return his wife, to prove to her how much he repents of lying. Or is it a kind of agreement with conscience: this is how the writer wants to atone for his guilt, to relieve himself of the burden of responsibility for a mistake that cannot be corrected. The once appropriated words of someone else’s novel turned his life upside down, and now he finds new words designed to put everything in its place. Hammond’s last novel, which is discussed in the film, is words about words that have become more important for the characters than the story itself.
The film “Words” has a non-trivial plot, deep meaning and touches on the themes of trust, lies, punishment and forgiveness. Therefore, the film can definitely be recommended for viewing both for a pleasant pastime and as food for thought.
Characteristics of heroes
The heroes of the man are in constant search and reflection, in striving forward. But who prevented a young journalist, after losing his work, from sitting down again and trying to restore his memories in his memory? So no, he was completely lost in his experiences. Further. Didn’t the unfortunate writer understand, releasing someone else’s work under his own name, that he was doing evil? He was unable to control his desires.
The characters are very different in character and temperament, which is catchy:
- A calm and confident elderly novelist played by Dennis Quaid who is in control of himself and his feelings. His philosophy is simple: if you make a mistake, you should not sprinkle ashes on your head, with whom it does not happen! Live on. And it is better if this happens in a large comfortable house. By the way, only his home is shown in all its glory: two-story apartments in the center of New York will impress many. It can be assumed from his judgments that he thought well before doing something, unlike his “colleagues in the shop.” He is not burdened by family ties, but we have not received an answer to the question of why he wears the ring.
- Danielle, played by Olivia Wilde, clearly wants to seduce this monster of the writer’s front, but even when heated by wine, he stops halfway through without explaining why. Perhaps, like an old seasoned wolf, he sensed the danger coming from this beautiful and tastefully dressed young woman. Further events are shrouded in darkness.
- Unlike the purposeful graduate student, the rest of the female images are simple and understandable in nature. Putting love and family relationships at the forefront, they faithfully serve their husbands, trying to support them in any undertakings in writing. How touchingly the heroine, played by an African-American actress, takes care of her husband. This is Dora Jensen, whose real name is Zoe Soldana. She is full of ambitious plans, ready to move into a spacious new apartment, when her husband confesses to plagiarism. And she also faces a choice: live in a lie, but in comfort, or forgive and still part with the person who committed the mean act, thereby betraying their pure relationship.
We see the end of the relationship between the heroes of the third row: the casual acquaintance of a soldier and a waitress in a Parisian cafe became a landmark: they got married and began to live together. The tests began immediately after the birth of the girl, because she turned out to be sick, cried a lot and did not allow her to concentrate on the literary field. Celia, played by Nora Arnezeder, was a very good mother and was so attached to the child that she could not bear her death: she went to her mother. For a while, her husband thought that everything was getting better, but he receives another blow of fate. He will not be able to recover: his brainchild, a novel that was born over many days and nights, disappeared.
The scriptwriters placed the future best-selling author in the dirtiest place in Paris that could be found – underground sewer systems with an unbearable stench and explained his joyful state at the same time as a young age. By the way, English actor Benjamin Barnes did a good job with this role.
Reminiscences
The idea of stealing someone else’s life attracted not only American directors. In 2015, the French film “The Ideal Man” was released, in which the main character finds the memoirs of an Algerian soldier and, having appropriated them, seeks recognition. Despite the fact that the author of the manuscript has already died, the retribution for the deceit is inevitable. After all, one little lie gives birth to another and turns into a snowball. It comes down to murder.
Conclusion
After reviewing the “Words”, you remain in thought. We never learned the name of a man who perfectly described his life, embodied it in a novel, but saw him in a bookstore under a false name.
The drama deserves attention already by the fact that it raises the burning questions of our existence. Observing the lives of other people allows us to know ourselves more deeply, to evaluate our actions and the actions of others.
The picture is relevant to those who like to reflect on life and are trying to find themselves. There are no scenes of violence and cruelty in it, so you can watch the whole family.
