2:10 In case anyone is wondering, early on in the movie, the woman has a baby boy (her son) that she has to give away because she is trying to escape her country in the Middle East. (I haven't watched the movie in a while, so my summary may be a bit fuzzy, and I don't recall all of the fine details.) However, before she gives the baby away, she puts a tattoo on the back of his foot, so that one day, she'll be able to recognize the tattoo and be reunited with her son. Many years later, the woman ends up as a prisoner in a terrorist encampment, I believe. In that prison, she gets raped by a torturer named Abu Tarek. It is assumed that the father of the twins is this Abu Tarek. Now in this particular scene, when the woman is in the water, she sees the tattoo on the man. Initially, she believes that after all these years she has found her long lost son. But when the man turns around, the woman recognizes him as Abu Tarek. So, Abu Tarek, was the woman's son that she gave away to escape from the country. Growing up, Abu Tarek became radicalized and a master torturer. Unbeknownst to either of them, Abu Tarek raped his mother, conceiving the twins (the main protagonists of the movie).
Ohohoho that is supremely fucked up. The hope and joy you would feel thinking you finally found your son. Only for it to be crushed by heartbreak and despair when you see his face, realizing you've met already and how he became a monster. In that exact moment would a mother's love for a son be completely snuffed out or is there still a tiny part of that remains.
thank you so much for this explanation!!! i seen a post about this movie and no one wanted to explain the pool scene so i ended up here. so i appreciate your comment more than you know! 😭😭
In the end its kind of beautifull. She knew what war could turn you into so she somewhat understood his brutality. Spoilers : I love that she sort of forgave him because she was her long lost son . In the end its about love conquers all but not in a cheesy way, ive seen this happen irl personally
It takes a lot of courage and creativity to do this kind of movies without hurting the feelings of the people of the region...I am sure many of them watched the movie and appreciate the deep feelings of this masterpiece...
That goddamn gasp scared me so bad the first time I watched it. I didn’t even understood the plot twist until he got the two letters. Seriously haunting.
One thing I hate (not about the movie necessarily , but about life) is that Nihad didn’t seem surprised that there is a woman in the world that seems upset by his presence. It just speaks to how rapists are so unaffected by the crimes they commit.
@@prakhyatsingh263 I absolutely understand he didn’t recognize her. You don’t understand my point. Also, rape + time does not equal “good person now”. The passage of time doesn’t erase rape, or the damage it does to the victims.
As someone who grew up in Lebanon all his life, who lost 2 uncles to the civil war, who is still struggling to make it out of this war torn country, this movie was the most difficult to watch. It just hits too close to home. Even for those of us who leave and find prosperous stable lives abroad, the damage is already done and nothing can give us peace. Credit to Villeneuve, the writers and all the actors for making this movie.
But then I doubt any Lebanese women back then would stay single for so long to meet her 20+ grown up son while she is still single & is student-activist. Also killing a leader is death penalty not some life imprisonment that too in Lebanon. This movie story though good is purely fictional
So I just found out that in the play Oedipus the King (you know which one, where he didn't recognise his mother (a queen) and became the king by marrying her), Oedipus had his achilles heel marked (wounded) when he was young due to an injury inflicted. The mark was later proof of his identity as his now wife's own son. Very much like the tattoo on Abu Tarek's heel.
Very interesting ! In the drama show the movie is based on, she figures out that he is her son because she sees him at his trial and he talks about his unknown roots as he holds on to a clown nose his father gave him (the father doesn’t die in the theatre piece)
Twisted film his son joins the other camp like that without explanation... he was a sniper with the Muslims then the Christians caught him then he joined the Christians like that we change sides it doesn't make sense.
I caught on to the plot twist early when he said Abu Tarek went to work in prison. But the part that got me the most in this movie was when she desperately said “my daughter” to try to save the girl from burning on the bus. That exchange between those two women at that moment.... something else
I saw the guy in the pool but I thought it was "a" son of Tarek not the actual abuser. The guy barely aged that's why I didn't get it. It prison he must have been 16 at least. The twins delivered the card at 30 ish so Tarek was 46 but he barely aged.
@@cristiansalvo9592 that's what i searched for to, how come they don't recognize each other faces at this scene? i found out that nawal did but abu's not, due to a lot of prisoners he tortured, he can't barely sure remembers who are those people.
@@singalong2758This is why the twist is my least favorite thing about this movie. The more you think about it the less it makes sense, and since it is the basis of everything that happens in the movie it kind of ruins it
You can't unsee this movie once you have watched no matter how much you wish that you didn't see such a disturbing thing. It's a good film but it'll definitely turn your stomach
Im such a huge fan of Villeneuve. He is not scared of taking the route untravelled. This is his masterpiece. He is not built for warner Bros stuff. It is what spoiled Nolan.
@@navinsabban6521 He shouldn't lap up big projects by big producers which cut off his creativity. for example Blade Runner. He is meant to tell great intimate stories in cinema.
i dont think WB has spoiled Nolan, they have made him even better by letting him make films that he wants, even though his films are big budgeted , he blends the conventional blockbuster (visuals, action set pieces) with concepts and genius of smaller films. For example- inception is big budgeted and has all the things a blockbuster would have but the concept and execution is like a smaller film like memento
Just like everyone else in here, the gasp frightened me, it was piercing, but I still couldn't get what "1+1≠1" meant until they delivered Nihad the two letters, and then I had to pause and rush to the bathroom. That was shocking to say the least! Flawless acting, brilliant cinematography, and overall a hauntingly beautiful masterpiece.
Basically the one plus one equals two meant that if there was one son and one father, they would be two different people. However, they found out that their father and brother was the same person. So basically, the son raped their mother, who was also his own mother.
And the most impressive part about it is that it was a static long take that lasted over 1 minute. Usually in lesser movies, they would use shot-reverse shots.
I love when Villenueve make original screenplay movie much more, such as this, Prisoners, Enemy and Arrival. Instead of adapted screenplay movies like Blade Runner and Dune. After all, he will always been great director in Hollywood!
I actually knew it when we saw Abu Tarek in prison, when Jeanne is talking to the janitor. Not trying to sound overly smart, but I rememder thinking, okay..... Thats her son, and that will be the plottwist.... There had to be a reason for Abu Tarek being the father of the twins, he couldt just be some random guy. Abu Tarek even looked like the boy with the inkdots being shaved in the intro. Very powerful story, very well made movie. Denis is best when he can focus on philosophy and religion within drama movies, in my opinion. His balde runner is also cool, but I hope he will make more dramas like this, prisoners and arrival.
Dude, it was most likely genuine. If not, the recreation of a genuine reaction. I can't imagine anyone NOT reacting that way in some capacity when they learn the truth of this story.
You can hear people talking about the gasp but not until you experience it for yourself do you realize how scary it is. It sent vibrations through my body and left aftershocks that physically hurt. Unreal
1:09 I swear I had the same reaction. I came into conclusion since Simon first met Chemsedin, but I was desperately trying to stop that thought. And then that gasp... it felt like my world turned upside down.
About 8 years ago that I saw this movie. I never forgot it. The gasp. The twist. The appalling truth. I was so in shock that it took me a while to get my thoughts sorted...
Those people who has a tendency to skip prolouge credits will miss the first part twist. The 3 dots are shown in the movie for 4 times. That guys birth, his abduction time, his sniper time and this time.
I knew what was going on, i was pretty sure what the twist was at that moment But the GASP fcked me so fcking hard , i felt the most goosebumps i'd felt in years
@@anxmlover SPOILER ALERT: the woman Nawal recognized her long-lost son through the tattoo on his heel. When she goes to greet him, she sees his face and instantly recognizes him as her prison rapist. Her long-lost son wound up being the same man who raped her in prison. On top of that, she ended up pregnant from the rapes and gave birth to twins Simon and Jeanne who went on a journey to locate their missing father and long-lost brother. Their father and their brother are the same person. That's the shocking plot twist. That's why Jeanne gasped so loudly when her brother Simon told her the news.
Notice Nawal's eyes when they do the closeup on her face after she sits down. The area around her eyes slowly gets much darker. The life was being drained out of her when she found out the truth. What a horrible life she had to live.
I've never seen the movie before nor do i know the plot, but i just stumbled across this video and that gasp gave me actual goosebumps and i know a lot of people say that about a ton of movies and plot twists, but this is the first video, sence, movie, or story that ever did that to me, you know the acting is incredible when i don't even know the plot and it still left me shocked, amazing.
I knew there was going to be some kind of big reveal in the movie, therefore I actually knew it when we saw Abu Tarek in prison, when Jeanne is talking to the janitor. Not trying to sound overly smart, but I rememder thinking, okay..... Thats her son, and that will be the plottwist.... There had to be a reason for Abu Tarek being the father of the twins, he couldnt just be some random guy. Abu Tarek even looked like the boy with the inkdots being shaved in the intro. Very powerful story, very well made movie. Denis is best when he can focus on philosophical questions and religion within drama movies, in my opinion. His blade runner is also cool, but I hope he will make more dramas like this, prisoners and arrival.
Same but i couldn't believe it... I thought Villeneuve wouldn't go there... But he did. What a fucking dark film. Ironically cruel and dark. I wonder if DUNE (whether it gets released in theaters or directly on HBO max or both), will somehow encourage Villeneuve's future potential fans to take a look at his entire cinematography. Most of his fans have seen Prisoners, Blade Runner 2049, Arrival but tend to skip his previous (subbed) films. Incendies is not my favorite of his (because it's just too depressing), but i'll never forget it that's for sure.
How ? The movie doesn't make any sense here bcz she is still single & searching for her son while she is a student-activist, women aren't single for such long period of time in Lebanese society
Same happened to me, I knew the plot twist since they told she was rapped in prision by Abu Tarek. What I didn't expect would scare me was Jeanne's gasp hahaha
What a profound world crushing revelation. I understood what happened a little earlier and connected the timeline. But that gasp was such a visceral reaction of horror.
Incendies is one of those great movies you do not forget. Its depth, richness and variety is like reading a great novel. But I’m not sure it’s the kind of film you want to watch twice. It was emotionally wrenching and draining.
How old are the twins supposed to be? Nihad was born in 1970, the mother died in 2009.Lets say the twins are 20, which they seem older than twenty. Nihad would have been about 18 when the twins were conceived. I guess that’s plausible, but if the twins are older than 20, he would have been pretty young. Do you think he was younger than 18? I guess war can do that to a kid. Dang. How awful. But there was redemption at the end. I felt at peace.
No nihad was 4 years old when she was jailed. And they sent nihad to rape her after 13 years. Which makes him 17 yrs old while screwing her. Then the twins were born in 1988. Which makes them 21 years old in 2009. But yeah, they look much older. PS: Nihad would be 39 years old in 2009.
That is why I didn't get the twist. She was prison for 15 years, she should have been studied what like few years after leaving her child? That seemed too far fetched. And I don't remember character faces because I am too dumb.
"My own son raped me" Omg gracious what must have been going through her mind when sat down near pool.Damn insanely mind bending movie props to the writer and director.So so glad this was not based on true story I would've cried me heart out for that women who had been through this kind of tragic life.
@@kothicamedarth2680Yeah, it doesn’t make any sense timeline wise. If her first son was born in 1970 as the movie states and the orphanage where he stayed at was burned down in 1974, so let’s then say she assassinated the Nationalist leader in 1975 and then spent 15 years in jail. Then that would make her son 20 years old when he raped her at the end of her sentence but the actor looked at least 30, and since her character died in 2009 as stated on the gravestone at the end of the movie then the twins would at most be 19 but they both looked 30+ years old. The movie makes no sense at all
@@mlbp2567THATS WHAT I THOUGHT!!!! I thought I was the only one, that's why I didn't get the ending because the guy didn't or barely aged. I thought the guy at the pool was "a" son of Tarek but not Tarek because he was identical and the twins were already 30s, so this guy's must have been at least 46 (assuming he was 16 torturing people in prison). But the guy didn't look like 46 at all, and that's the youngest guess because your numbers make more sense (20 in prison and 50 in tje pool)
This movie is in my top 3 of all time and this moment always remained with me. The story was beautifully told, the actors did an amazing job, and this moment was heartbreaking, on so many levels, but also provided them all with closure (of some sort). Absolutely stunning film, but incredibly hard to watch, at times ❤️.
I had this thought on me about the twist in like halfway throughout the movie, and then I was like there's no way that's gonna happened. Oh boy, was I wrong. Even after the actual reveal I need to pause for about a moment and still can't believe the tragedy. Such a powerful movie
People are talking about this movie and this scene on twitter. I haven't watched it yet and decided to read the plot on its wikipedia page. I got heartbroken by the twist upon reading it there and watching this scene next makes it worse.
You should’ve watched the movie instead of reading the plot. You have lost the opportunity to feel by yourself the experience of this movie being watched for the first time.
Es realmente una obra maestra. Es una película excelente. Pero es tan dura y traumática que no puedo recomendársela a nadie. Con seguridad puedo decir que es todavía más impactante que Irreversible.
This movie and particularly this scene has scarred me forever. Once in a while I just happen to recall this movie and get so hurt again by what happened to her and the whole situation itself, including what the son must have felt when he learned the truth. It's just too painful, man.
I had to read this book for my French class, and at the begining, i thoight it was going to be a boring book. But now i'm watching the movie, this story got one of the biggest plot twist i've never seen. I definitly recommend it.
For me this was the movie that most moved me in the last decade. What a story. Incredible that some people in this world have to suffer this kind of things. I know Lebanon very well - however, I am far too young to have experienced the horror of war.
