Tom Ford’s 2016 film Nocturnal Animals had an ending within an ending, which left it to the viewer to decide the meaning of the film’s anticlimactic closing scene.
Overview
One of the most popular films from 2016, is the screenplay adaptation by Tom Ford of Austin Wright’s novel Tony and Susan titled Nocturnal Animals.
The film went on to garner a single nomination during 2017’s Oscar nominations due to Michael Shannon’s performance as Bobby Andes.
However, it is the film’s ending within the ending that leaves viewers questioning the meaning. Although, it can be argued that the ending simply aimed to nicely wrap up the main theme of the film, which is about appreciating what you have while you have it.
What is Nocturnal Animals?
Nocturnal Animals is the film adaptation by acclaimed director and screenwriter Tom Ford, based on the 1993 novel by Austin Wright titled Tony and Susan.
Tom Ford took liberties through changing the original setting of the novel which takes place in New England, while in the book the setting is between Hollywood and Texas.
The premise of the film is, “A wealthy art gallery owner is haunted by her ex-husband’s novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a symbolic revenge tale.”
Amy Adams plays the title role as Susan Morrow, while Jake Gyllenhaal plays her ex-husband, Edward Sheffield and the book’s protagonist, Tony Hastings.
Nocturnal Animals: Ending explained
The film kicks into action when Susan receives the manuscript of her ex-husband’s book Nocturnal Animals, which he has dedicated to her.
Thereafter, the film straddles between the time of two periods and the personification of the book. In real time, Susan is an unhappy and narcissistic art gallery owner married to her unfaithful husband, Hutton.
The film’s flashbacks depict the relationship between Susan and her ex-husband, Edward. From their whirlwind romance, to their marriage falling apart as Susan was the breadwinner, while Edward pursues his aspirations of being an acclaimed author.
Unlike reality, the book is about Tony Hastings seeking revenge after a year of amnesia, when he could not remember the people who brutally killed his wife and daughter.
Finally remembering, Tony seeks revenge, eventually killing the psychopath behind their death, Ray. However, he is blinded during the confrontation when his optic nerve is severed by the iron poker that Ray took to his head.
Attempting to seek help, Tony tries to shoot in the air, but trips and falls onto the gun and slowly bleeds out from the stomach after accidentally shooting himself.
Susan, gripped by the compelling read, had reached out to her ex-husband in an attempt to meet with him. As Susan finishes reading the novel, Edward confirms the date Susan set to meet with him.
However, as Susan’s excitement wanes as time passes as she waits for Edward, we understand that he is never going to show up. The film fades to black as Susan continues to sit by herself at the restaurant, still waiting without hope for Edward to get there.
Major theme of Nocturnal Animals
One of the biggest themes explored in the film was revenge. This was shown through the compelling scene where Susan is transfixed with a painting with the word written out which she could not remember collecting.
Similarly, Edward sending Susan his novel and dedicating it to her was his form of revenge. This is as by the end of their marriage, Susan did not support his aspirations of being an author after ridiculing his first novel.
Moreover, she not only cheated on him with Hutton, but had an abortion which Edward found out about.
Sending her the novel was his act of revenge, as he did not have intentions to reconcile, but aimed to show what the effects of her non-belief eventually resulted in.
The past as a theme in Nocturnal Animals
Another major theme explored in the film is the matter of the past never being past tense. When Susan first met Edward, she was idealistic despite being cynical.
However, with her mother’s words in her head that being in love with the writer did not guarantee security in the future, Susan eventually turned into her mother, also adapting the same sadness her mother has after marrying Hutton.
While reading the book, she allowed herself to reminisce on the past and believed that her and Edward could mend their matters. However, Edward had no intentions of doing so, dedicating the book as a form of revenge for his ex-wife’s past actions.
Final thoughts
Nocturnal Animals saw Tom Ford continue to emphasise his filmic auteur style. Beautiful static compositions which allow for the audience to take in the emotion and expressions of the actors in the scene, especially in highly intense emotional moments.
Seemingly, like the final scene of the film which sees Susan sitting waiting for Edward at the restaurant until it dawns on her that he is not coming, the camera slowly pulls out as she comes to terms with the realisation, before fading to black.