Everything in this article is based on the assumption that Manny is Hank's spiritual projection, and Manny is Hank's id.
【Cotton Eye Joe】
The song appears three times in the film.
The first time was after he left the island in Manny's "fart rowboat", carrying Manny, who was still a corpse at the time, humming this song as he walked, and then saying to himself: Why do I remember every time I get into trouble? The most hated song ever?
The second time I spent the night in the cave, Hank sang with the corpse in his arms. Since he forgot the lyrics, the lyrics were made up by Hank. The first few sentences were aimed at the current predicament, such as "Crazy, I'm fucking crazy". The lyrics also sing Hank's loneliness, followed by the lyrics of "Cotton Eye Joe", "Where did you come from, Cotton Eye Joe?" Why is this song Hank doesn't like in his subconscious? profound?
The answer was revealed when the song appeared for the third time. It was when they were simulating a bus ride. Manny pretended to listen to music with hemp ropes in his ears. At this time, he sang the song "Cotton" softly. Eye Joe", which is when Hank was listening to this song, and then the goddess Sarah dressed up as Hank appeared, so Hank first met the goddess on the bus and listened to this song. At that time, Hank His attention was all attracted by the beautiful goddess. He didn't realize that this song was closely related to the beautiful scenery outside the bus, and the scene where he first met the goddess, which became his fond memories.
【Bus Story】
Now that this plot is mentioned above, we can analyze the various metaphors in it:
Manny did things that Hank was eager to do and didn't dare to do, Manny wanted to say hello to everyone and wanted to sing aloud, which showed that Hank was eager to make friends, but he didn't have the courage to do so, so he and Manny said , everyone will look at you like this, you can only listen to songs.
Sunglasses are a symbol. In film and television dramas, people who wear sunglasses are usually cool and individual. Hank puts on Manny's sunglasses, hoping he can be like the cool guys, so he has the courage to strike up a conversation with the goddess.
In real life, Hank does not have the courage to admit that he likes goddesses, because he will definitely be laughed at. Toad wants to eat swan meat. He can only lust in his closed spiritual world. When Manny first saw a pornographic magazine , Hank told him that he could have some stories with the beauties in the magazine, and he also fell into this kind of obscenity after meeting the goddess.
During the simulation, Manny expressed the wish that Hank dared not say in reality. He wanted to marry the goddess and have children.
In this plot, it can be clearly seen that Manny and Hank are the same person. During the scenario simulation, Manny remembered the goddess named Sarah Johnson, but Manny did not know the goddess, which Hank has always had a crush on. Girl, that is, Manny is really part of Hank.
【Hank's Oedipus Complex】
In the cave, the song that Hank sang with the corpse in his arms that he couldn't remember the lyrics was something Hank's mother used to sing to Hank. This song also appeared once, when Hank hanged himself at the beginning of the movie. He also sang this song, and subconsciously, Hank wanted to return to his mother's arms.
The next day, Manny woke up, but he didn't know anything about the world, and he asked: What is home?
Hank took out the cheese stick and said: This is something from the house. Usually, you will get orange powder on your hands after eating. Your mother will let you wash your hands, but you will probably lick it off like me.
For the male protagonist, the mother is the most important element in the family.
Hank said that he doesn't masturbate often because he thinks of his mother when he is masturbating, and Manny said frankly, I think of your mother when I masturbate. Obviously, he couldn't accept it calmly, so he told Manny to stop talking, and Manny immediately "died", that is, closed his heart and stopped thinking about it.
After discussing masturbation for the first time, they meet the beast. Under the premise that the whole film is full of metaphors, the beast represents the beast in the heart, those things that make people fear and disgust, that is, the idea of "masturbation will think of mother", Hank chose to run away, if he encounters this beast again , he will continue to run away, far away.
【Untie the knot of masturbation】
Hank said, the more you know about me, the less you like me, like the law of diminishing returns.
The last time the word was mentioned was when Manny was looking at a magazine and no longer had an erection.
Hank is full of guilt about masturbation, because his mother died when he was very young, and thinking about his mother is very sad for him, so even if masturbation can bring him pleasure, he is reluctant to do it.
And Manny says masturbating should feel a lot like the wind blowing through your hair, or driving a car with more power, or taking a bite of your favorite food, or dancing with your friends, or singing your favorite song song, or take the bus, or look out the window, so how can anyone not like this feeling? Your mother must want you to be happy.
Then Manny asked, what makes you happy now?
Hank was very moved when he heard this. He wanted to kiss Manny, but he didn't really kiss him, but said he was drunk. He was moved, but he didn't fully accept Manny's point of view, because this guilt had accumulated in his heart for too long, and he still didn't accept his behavior immediately, masturbating and thinking about his mother still made him unable to enjoy himself, so this Hank didn't masturbate that night, despite being shaken.
Woke up the next day and had to walk over the steel pipe on the bridge, or fall into the river, which, along with the aforementioned beasts, were horrible things that came up after discussing masturbation.
Manny said, "Although I'm on your back and we're skin-to-skin, there seems to be a layer between us. What do you want to say to me but don't say it, it will become a knot in our hearts and affect us. Relationship?" That's because they didn't kiss that night, which means that Hank didn't completely overcome the psychological barrier of masturbation and merge with his own self, Manny.
Manny was terrified hanging from the steel pipe, because there was no escape like facing the beast this time, he had to face it. Then the two of them fell into the river, Hank suffocated and struggled in the water, a metaphor for his inner pain, and then he kissed Manny, a metaphor for masturbating. After this kiss, Hank showed a happy expression, a metaphor for obtaining pleasure, After he pulled out Manny's butt plug, the two rushed out of the water, a metaphor for ejaculation orgasm, Hank completely broke through his psychological barrier.
When you see this, you can pay attention to the lyrics: everything has a meaning of existence, the universe is inclusive, and everything has a meaning of existence...
【Hank's Transvestite】
Hank pretends to be a goddess in front of Manny, and he may be a transvestite in reality, which is a type of fetish that Hank mentioned earlier in the movie.
At that time Manny asked why his body was not responding (no more erections when reading magazines), Hank said that when one thing is done too many times it is not as effective, which is why there are so many fetishes, every time Everyone has their own unique taste, which may be a hint that Hank himself is a fetish. After the death of his mother, pornographic magazines have been difficult to excite him, so he chooses to dress up as a woman for sexual satisfaction.
In reality, Hank's hobby is difficult to be understood and accepted by the people around him. In the movie, it is said that when your behavior is different from others, they will make fun of you and call you weird.
But Manny said, you are beautiful. At this time, Hank showed a shy expression, happy for himself to be recognized. In this garbage-filled and uninhabited place, Hank can be free to be his true self.
When referring to the goddess, Manny's speech became very smooth, no longer as rigid as a corpse, indicating that the goddess awakened Hank's original instinct: sexual desire.
Manny is Hank's id, the most real Hank, and also represents Hank's most primitive desire. He is as simple and undisguised as a child, just like a baby can't control his crying regardless of time and place. Primal desire is always naked.
What Manny said to the goddess in Hank's costume was all about sex, stating:
1. This is Hank's most real and original impulse to the goddess: wanting to have sex with the goddess.
2. This is just an inference, talking about sex with Hank's women's clothing, implying the close connection between women's clothing and sex, Hank imitating the goddess's clothes and then having sexual fantasies to achieve climax.
【End of the movie】
In the end, Hank and Manny have become one, because Hank said to the goddess: "You look happy, but I'm not happy." This is something Hank would never say before, only Manny would Express your inner feelings directly.
At the end of the movie, Manny's fart is no longer a matter of holding back, but he dares to let it out in front of everyone, and admits that he did it by himself, which means that Hank has dared to be his true self, so Manny, who has completed his mission, leaves. .
View more about Swiss Army Man reviews
