What does Bob say at the end of the film?

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Thomas Moronic
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What does Bob say at the end of the film?

#1 Post by Thomas Moronic » Thu Feb 23, 2006 9:03 am

Sorry if this has already been addressed previous to my joining, but does anyone know what Bob whispers into Charlotte's ear at the end of the film before he leaves?

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#2 Post by 52FM » Thu Feb 23, 2006 11:25 am

It's the single most discussed issue of the film - and what sets it apart in most people's opinion. Yes, it's been discussed but not lately. Welcome to our little group!

The artistic answer is that we are not supposed to know what is said. That the facial reactions of Bob and Charlotte tell us all we are supposed to know. This is a "slice of life" film - not the traditional story telling. We don't know everything - we just observe key moments.

Of course, there is all kinds of specualtion - and most of it based on how we interpret their relationship - which itself is up to the viewer as well. We aren't privvy to the thoughts of Bob or Charlotte in this regard, so we really don't know if it's father/duaghter, strictly platonic, platonic love, romantic love or anything combinaiton.

So some people want to beleive he gives her words of advise/encouragement. Others want to beleive he gives her his phone number or email address.

Further complicating the issue is the obvious fact that Bill Murray in fact did say something to Scarlett Johansson. It had to look like he was actually saying something naturally. So with audio filters people have determined closely what he actually said on that particular take. But in an interview Scrlett said that they did several takes - and Bill said a lot of things - some silly, some serious - and she was a "wreck". So once Sophia got the reaction she was after - that was the shot they used. What Bill actually said to get that reaction is artistically unimportant.

Again - welcome to the board! I take you just saw the movie for the first time recently. Post often!

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#3 Post by jm » Thu Feb 23, 2006 6:36 pm

"[quote:319b0959d5="52FM"]It's the single most discussed issue of the film - and what sets it apart in most people's opinion. Yes, it's been discussed but not lately. Welcome to our little group![/quote:319b0959d5]
Hey, let's all come up with an answer to that, for the next new guy to ask it!"
Last edited by jm on Sat Feb 17, 2007 11:16 am, edited 1 time in total.

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#4 Post by 52FM » Thu Feb 23, 2006 6:47 pm

It's what haunts people about this movie - what sets it apart. Once you get hooked on the emotion, you want a satisfying conclusion. People are still discovering this movie - that's great.

Wouldn't we all like to relive the magic of seeing this for the first time?

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#5 Post by jm » Fri Feb 24, 2006 12:57 am

"[quote:ff0fc04399="52FM"]It's what haunts people about this movie - what sets it apart.[/quote:ff0fc04399]
From one old fart to another: bullcookies.
I never wanted to know, not for one sixty-fourth of a second."
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#6 Post by K » Fri Feb 24, 2006 11:54 am

That doesn't mean everyone doesn't want to know as seen from the replies on the forum.

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#7 Post by Congruous » Fri Feb 24, 2006 10:20 pm

It never mattered to me. I drew my own conclusions about what happened at the end and how they felt about each other and the whisper would not have changed the way I felt about the movie as a whole. To me, it's just a mildly interesting tidbit.
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#8 Post by 52FM » Sat Feb 25, 2006 1:31 am

I agree it's not important and there mildly interesting. But I still think it was a very clever stroke of filmmaking to do it that way.

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#9 Post by Congruous » Sat Feb 25, 2006 10:42 am

Yes, it serves to throw a question mark in there. The two of them are hugging and, we assume, realizing that this is the end, until Bob does his whisper, which makes us pause a second and wonder what it is all about. Is it really the end? We'll never know, and each of us has our own theory as to what happened in the future.
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#10 Post by Guest » Sat Feb 25, 2006 5:17 pm

I think in part the whisper serves to remind us that although we are given privileged access so to speak to the characters and their intimate moments together and alone, we are still outside observers and we cannot know everything and perhaps there should still be some mystery which makes it all the more intriguing. If you live with someone all your life, don't you still want some mystery about them, to not know everything so that over the years there is still something you find intriguing about them?! And perhaps be surprised to find out something new about them 5 or 10 or 20 years down the road?!

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#11 Post by jm » Sat Feb 25, 2006 6:55 pm

Great one Bob!
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the whisper

#12 Post by josh » Wed Mar 08, 2006 11:18 pm

the whisper goes something like this... "if you can tell everyone including him and yourself how you feel, maybe we can go on from here. But if your not strong enough don't say anything. It will get better but it will be hard. I will make you hurt. You will have to feel all my pain. You will have to live with all the mistakes I have made in my life including this, and never resent me. Everything we are starts today. I will tell you the truth forever but you won't always like it. If your willing to come with me I will give you all my strenght. Is that OK? .....or something like that.
too good to be true

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Re: the whisper

#13 Post by jm » Thu Mar 09, 2006 6:50 am

"[quote:b89b8d548e="josh"]the whisper goes something like this... "if you can tell everyone including him and yourself how you feel, maybe we can go on from here. But if your not strong enough don't say anything. It will get better but it will be hard. I will make you hurt. You will have to feel all my pain. You will have to live with all the mistakes I have made in my life including this, and never resent me. Everything we are starts today. I will tell you the truth forever but you won't always like it. If your willing to come with me I will give you all my strenght. Is that OK? .....or something like that.[/quote:b89b8d548e]
Humbug."
Last edited by jm on Sat Feb 17, 2007 11:07 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: the whisper

#14 Post by I65 » Thu Mar 09, 2006 12:07 pm

johnmonkey wrote:
josh wrote:the whisper goes something like this... "if you can tell everyone including him and yourself how you feel, maybe we can go on from here. But if your not strong enough don't say anything. It will get better but it will be hard. I will make you hurt. You will have to feel all my pain. You will have to live with all the mistakes I have made in my life including this, and never resent me. Everything we are starts today. I will tell you the truth forever but you won't always like it. If your willing to come with me I will give you all my strenght. Is that OK? .....or something like that.
Humbug.
You're on quite the roll putting down people on their posts. :roll:

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#15 Post by 52FM » Thu Mar 09, 2006 2:16 pm

The beauty of the whisper as a cinema technique - as many have said and I'm sure we all agree - is that we can fill in the blank ourselves. Write our own ending. Taking the emotions that were displayed but not described and interpretting them the way we want.

In that sense - there is no right or wrong answer - we can only judge an answer as likely and unlikely based on how we saw the movie transpire. Sofia probably had her own ending in mind - and even she would not be so bold as to say it is right or wrong - just her opinion or preference or interpretation.

Personally, I enjoy hearing other's interpretations. We all have this attraction to this film in common and I think it's a special place to be. I assume - or hope - JM that you agree.

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#16 Post by I65 » Thu Mar 09, 2006 3:26 pm

I know that personally, my thoughts about what was whispered have changed with more viewings, and more discussions with others about the limitless possibilities.

I remember my initial thought was that he had whispered something with a "we will always have Paris" sentiment.

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#17 Post by jm » Thu Mar 09, 2006 8:22 pm

"[quote:e8468d8abf="Ithildriel65"]I remember my initial thought was that he had whispered something with a "we will always have Paris" sentiment.[/quote:e8468d8abf]
Well, that's the best theory I've heard so far. :wink:"
Last edited by jm on Sat Feb 17, 2007 11:06 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: the whisper

#18 Post by Guest » Mon Mar 13, 2006 4:25 pm

josh wrote:the whisper goes something like this... "if you can tell everyone including him and yourself how you feel, maybe we can go on from here. But if your not strong enough don't say anything. It will get better but it will be hard. ....... .....or something like that.
I think if you take the timing of how long Bob whispered and then try to say all that in that time you will see that it takes far too long so therefore questionable.

I like the Paris idea of it too! "We'll always have Tokyo!" :D

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my comments

#19 Post by josh » Mon Mar 13, 2006 10:36 pm

humbug? Bringing you down? I'm just spewing crap from my brain. What did Bob say? I haven't a clue and really I'd rather not know. I wonder what I would say given the urgency of the situation. Given the year or so to think about it, I have come up with some brilliant stuff. The reason I love the whisper scene is the fact that Bob said something, anything. It's a moment that most people choose to say nothing. This movie will be with me for a very long time. I'm writing this aren't I? I appreciate all that has been written before and after. Even that stuff from joshmonkey.
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#20 Post by josh » Mon Mar 13, 2006 10:39 pm

sorry.I meant johnmonkey.
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