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Re: Bob's wisper: "If I was able....…

Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 6:43 pm
by jm
"[quote:7fff94251b="Just Like Honey..."][quote:7fff94251b="Ben-B"]I'm like feeling so smart-a** right now. [/quote:7fff94251b]
Agreed.[/quote:7fff94251b]
That's zero minutes of my life I'll never get back."

Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 9:17 pm
by Old Member B
..

Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:50 am
by Pitman
Well Ben-B, I'll have to run that whisper through Sound Forge and see what I come up with just out of curiousity. I'm not convinced of what you say.

But, regardless of that, I don't think it's really that important what Bill Murray physically said to Scarlett because there were many shots taken and many things said, and the final cut was based on Scarlett's performance. So, in the end it's really more important that the audience fills in the blank for themselves, and not have some other person fill it in for them.

But, still, after I have a listen for myself, I'll either confirm or refute your conclusion.

Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 9:45 am
by Old Member B
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Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 11:01 am
by Pitman
That scene of him walking back to his hotel room after dropping Charlotte off from their night out in Tokyo is so precious. He is a man full of deep thought, charm, wit, and decency. His expressions are priceless. Especially the scene in the lobby after Charlotte gives him his jacket. He looks so pained because something was left unspoken. This is where I imagine that Sophia had an experience like this and the outcome was never resolved. So, she had to give Bob the opportunity to make one final connection to Charlotte on his way to the airport. Only Sophia can have the last say as to what Bob Harris really said to Charlotte in the "Hey You" scene. I have to conclude, regardless of whether or not this was actually physically mumbled, that Bob exttended to Charlotte the invitation to stay in touch after she returned to LA. Only this would have given Charlotte such satisfaction and confidence that their meeting and friendship was not destined to end after only 1 week. If they truly cared for one another, there is no way anyone can convince me that Bob did not make allowance for their friendship to continue. It's with this understanding that she can now depend on his friendship for future connections that she walks away relieved. That's my opinion.

Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 1:24 pm
by Old Member B
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Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 2:25 pm
by Pitman
I think you're really determined to burst my bubble! :?

But I'm viewing the movie through MY own eyes and ears...and as I identify with Bob Harris, I am totally convinced he told her to conact him when she gets back to the States because that's what I would have done. No way I would let a gem like Charlotte slip through my fingers!!

:wink:

Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 6:58 pm
by Old Member B
..

Sorry Ben B

Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 12:33 am
by josh
I think your 100% right about what was said at the end of the film. You heard it. I know what I heard. I know what i said. The words are not exactly the same but the idea is there. Charlotte was special to Bob and still is to the end. It's easy to show how we feel to someone in a bar at 4am, in a hotel room alone or in a karaoke bar with very drunk "friends". Imagine the moment in the lobby at the end and having the strenght to say what you feel in front of people who's only focus is you and that girl. I watched it on film and live it in life. The hotel lobby scene is always there. That street scene never happens. If Bob could have said anything it should have been, "i am afraid to tell the world that I care for you, please do it for me". Bob is weak Ben. It happens to us sometimes. Ease up a little friend.

Sorry Ben B

Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 12:33 am
by josh
I think your 100% right about what was said at the end of the film. You heard it. I know what I heard. I know what i said. The words are not exactly the same but the idea is there. Charlotte was special to Bob and still is to the end. It's easy to show how we feel to someone in a bar at 4am, in a hotel room alone or in a karaoke bar with very drunk "friends". Imagine the moment in the lobby at the end and having the strenght to say what you feel in front of people who's only focus is you and that girl. I watched it on film and live it in life. The hotel lobby scene is always there. That street scene never happens. If Bob could have said anything it should have been, "i am afraid to tell the world that I care for you, please do it for me". Bob is weak Ben. It happens to us sometimes. Ease up a little, friend.

Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 1:20 am
by Pitman
Regarding what Bob said to Charlotte at the end of the film, setting aside any supposed determination based on what was actually said physically through filters and the like, but based purely on plot and character development, I don't think the relationship would have ended there. Here is my reasoning.

Charlotte was jealous that Bob didn't sleep with her, but did so with the lounge singer. She's obviously thinking "why did you cheat on your wife with her instead of me?" Bob could have easily slept with Charlotte and that would have definitely ended their relationship. But, since Bob has more respect and sincere caring for Charlotte, he did not sleep with her. He could only express his true feelings to her at the end of his stay in Tokyo. Maybe he told her he loves her.

But, if he did that, no woman in their right mind would take that at face value and she would not be satisfied to leave it all behind when a dear one is finally recognized.

Anyway, those are my reflections.

I see I have to do this AGAIN! ;)

Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 3:22 am
by jm
"Here is Bill Murray's opinion from the French site for the film:

[quote:3a2b6a396c]Well, I think what happens is he's touched by someone who has -- he's touched by this girl, he's touched by her, so that there's an emotional energy that he will always have, you know, whether he has the same vitality for his work, or for the regime of the day, maybe not, but to be emotionally touched is to be fresh and be alive and be new, uh, and it's a shock for him to feel something where, in his own personal relationship, it had become perhaps mundane and ordinary. So there was a new old feeling. He had an old feeling again that he liked. And he responded to it. And, but because his life had developed, and he was more of a developed man, he wasn't going to let -- he wasn't going to spoil that. Which was what Sofia was trying to say, that he knew how to have an exchange with someone, and to spend time with someone, and be intimate with someone without becoming invasive and damaging to the other person or to his own life.... Well, I think I tried to watch him go and to be him and to watch him at the same time. So that as he was reacting and behaving, that he was -- that I was watching him. And I think that's what his character was doing, he's doing things and he's watching himself . He knows what's happening: he sees the attraction of this woman, he sees the situation, he sees how far away he is from his home, and he knows, he feels the pull of the emotion pulling him towards the woman and he feels the pull towards his own home. And he's just watching it, and I think it's his watching it that enables him to maintain his dignity, and to do the best thing for himself and for Scarlett's character. To do the best thing for the girl and for himself -- and if he hadn't been watching, and the moment he's not watching is when he falls for the girl in the bar, you know? But partly that moment occurs he doesn't want to spoil the other thing, he doesn't want to spoil with the other girl. He knows he's a man and he's weak, maybe he has his weaknesses, but he doesn't want to be weak for her, with her.[/quote:3a2b6a396c]

And Scarlett Johansson's from Tribute TV in Canada.

[quote:3a2b6a396c]INTERVIEWER. Because a lot of people I talked to, you know, did want them to get together, but I --

Miss JOHANSSON. Ew, no --

INTERVIEWER. Yes.

Miss JOHANSSON. -- why?

INTERVIEWER. I agree.

Miss JOHANSSON. No. But she loves her husband, the husband is -- and it would have ruined everything they had, and, and and and and, and she loves her husband, and she's so cute, and they're just in a bad spot, and there's hope for them, you know? It would have been awful if they had consumated that love for one another. It would have been a different movie, really.[/quote:3a2b6a396c]"

Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 4:52 pm
by Old Member B
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:40 am
by jml98
Maybe you can reason out what was in Marsellus Wallace's briefcase too Ben.

Oh wait...
Ben-B wrote:Sometimes it's better to forget analysis or reason
...what sound advice. I think you should listen to yourself.

And, by the way, a smart-a** usually feels like one. I applaud you for acknowledging it though.

Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 12:15 am
by josh
it took two years but i finally figuerd it out. He said... I want this, i want you but not like this. Not again. Tell him the truth, K?! and guess what, we did get together.

Sorry i meant bob and charlotte

Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 6:29 pm
by jm
Thank Christ we got it figured out!

Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 11:46 am
by You Make it Easy
haha

Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 2:11 pm
by samwright8380
i´ve never really listened in to what was actually said during the whisper itself, usually i don´t even watch one particular scene- if i watch the film, i usually watch it in its entirety. Usually i watch the film about every couple of months or so but over the weekend i watched it twice, once on each day. i usually watch the film in the middle of the night anyway... but this time i was watching with headphones on and i listened carefully to the scene many times, and from what i could make out was this-

bob says his first phrase, which is distorted, but then you can clearly make out the words 'with each other´ at the end. Preceeded by that is an undecipherable word beginning with a recognisable ´t´ sound to begin with. The two closest possibilities to me were either ´tough´or ´touch´.

This brings things no closer than we were at the start, but does give two avenues. the first that he could be giving advice for her and john, eg be tough with each other, or that they´ll stay in touch.

As you know i´m not a regular poster despite being a follower of the forum for nearly 2 years, though what i heard was fairly compelling.

Another for the consiracy list!

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 12:24 pm
by burgundy
Thanks to Ben-B for posting the stuff from the script.

I think it's fairly clear that the filmmakers intended for them to never seen each other again. I understand why they did it that way. And yet, the ambiguity of the ending makes us wonder. Certainly a good number of fans of the film thought otherwise. Perhaps we are harboring certain overly romantic ideas about Hollywood movies.

I go back and forth on this. After my first viewing I thought that was it -- case closed. They were a random beautiful encounter for each other. Then after seeing a couple more times, it seemed less clear. The puzzle lies with Bob and his lack of clear statements with Charlotte. He says goodbye but never says anything to sum things up, to put what they've gone through into context. It's Charlotte who says "I'll miss you" and "Stay here with me". Actually, it's Charlotte who takes the initiator role for the whole relationship. She sends the bowl of nuts over to his table before they've ever met. She is one who invites Bob out for an evening with her friends. She is very much the active agent in this, while Bob is passive. I think that's because her position is more precarious. Her marriage is in trouble. Think about what Bob said in bed: "the early days were good, we'd laugh about the movies I was making", etc. Does this apply to Charlotte? Not at all. How would she feel when comparing her own situation? Pretty bad. I don't see how her and John stay together at all. Saving the marriage seems like a waste. Bob has much more invested and more reason to stay with his wife and kids.

So the air does need to be cleared at the end. And Bob must do it. That is one explanation for his final whisper being words of acknowledgement only ("this was special to me too but don't give up on John, etc") and not and expression of love and an invitation to connect back in the US.

Then the question is: is this acknowledgement by Bob enough to make her happy as she clearly is as they part and she disappears into the crowd? It's possible, and yet I don't know what someone could say in ten seconds to mollify the heart of someone who really felt a strong attraction. This is the part that doesn't quite add up for me. She would be happier that the obvious was stated but it would still have to bother her that she would never see this guy again. I'm sure the filmmakers also argued about how to do this when they shot it.

I can understand Bob's sense of relief in the taxi going to the airport, happy to have met her and enjoyed being with her and also happy to be going home. But is he really the picture of wedded bliss? He probably routinely sleeps with other women -- a symptom of his boredom in his marriage. And he forgot his sons birthday. That's not a good sign either, his comments about the joys of children notwithstanding.

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 9:46 pm
by tsooml