FRANKIE. [...] I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, and a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made...And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow, Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings.
MAGGIE. You gonna build a cabin, boss?
FRANKIE. Me?
MAGGIE. You know, when you quit all this.
FRANKIE. Never gona quit. I'd miss the stink.
MAGGIE. Think that's true? Cause I could see you there, real easy, with your books and lemon pie.
FRANKIE. ...You wanna live in a cabin?
MAGGIE. I could learn how to bake.
FRANKIE. Maybe I'll start looking then.
MAGGIE. I can't be like this, Frankie. Not after what I done. I seen the world. People chanted my name. Well, not my name, some damn name you gave me, but they was chanting for me. I was in magazines. You think I ever dreamed that'd happen? I was born at tow pound one and a half ounces. Daddy used to tell me I fought to get into this world and I'd fight my way out. That's all I wanna do, boss. I just don't want to fight you to do it. Only two people in this world I ever wanted to be proud of me. You are one. You proud of me, boss?
FRANKIE. You have to ask?
MAGGIE. I got what I needed, boss. Got it all. Don't let em keep takin' it away from me. Don't let me lie here till I can't hear those people chanting no more.
FRANKIE. ...I can't do it. Please don't ask me.
MAGGIE. I am asking.
FRANKIE. I can't.
FRANKIE. Now all she wants to do us die, and all I want to do is keep her with me. And God forgive me, but it feels like I'm committing a sin by doing it. By keeping her alive, I'm killing her. How do you find your way out of that?
FATHER HORVATH. You don't. You step aside, Frankie, you leave it with God.
FRANKIE. She's not asking for God's help. She's asking for mine.
"Mo Cuishle. It means 'my darling, my blood.'"
No one ever sees the last quarter of Million Dollar Baby coming. This is not the film we start with—the boxing story, the scrappy girl fights her way to the top, the cranky old trainer gets to see his protege win the title. But maybe we should have seen it coming in some way or form: the darkness that permeates the film, the Los Angeles we never get to see outside of the HitPit, Maggie's small and dingy apartment, the young black, Latino, and white men (and women) beating on each other for a shot at a title and the money and opportunity it offers, a trio of protagonists who have suffered and persevered. It's not a coincidence that we see poor Danger badly beaten—the other fighters watching, some cheering, none intervening—and then Maggie and Billie beating each other for the pleasure of an upscale crowd. This is as deliberate a movie as you'll ever see, and as controlled as Scrap is when he takes his one eye into the ring and beats Shawrelle.
1. Your reaction to today's viewing?
2. Some have complained that what you saw today is a totally different movie that what you saw the previous two days. I disagree. And if the movie works—if you see it as complete and agree that it's controlled and deliberate—then you have to acknowledge that Maggie's tragedy and Frankie's ultimate sacrifice are connected to the first part of the movie. That the film is thematically consistent. Is it for you—is the film thematically consistent? If so, how? How does today's viewing support or expand on what has come before? And if not—why not? Why doesn't this last third work with what comes before it?
Address each other's responses here—agree and/or disagree with something one of your classmates writes.
3. What would you do if you were Frankie and Maggie asked you what she asks of Frankie? Or what would you do if you were Maggie in that bed?
Just to let you know it's just a movie:
1. The last part of the movie was incredibly heartbreaking and unexpected. The way that Maggie dies just seems slightly insulting to the way that she lived. She wanted to die because she just couldn’t stand wasting away in that ben while all she loved to do when she was alive was fight. Even though it is insulting to the way that she lived it is also poetic in a way. When Frankie was training Maggie he would tell her that she wasn’t breathing, and n the end that is what helped kill her. She thrived on the adrenaline of fighting, on the thrill of getting hit and being the best, but too much of anything is fatal; that last fight, and that much adrenaline. It was very difficult to watch somebody with so much fight in her give up.
ReplyDelete2. I feel like the last part of the movie is thematically consistent, but not what we expect. Most of the times in boxing movies there is a huge build to a big fight and then the protagonist either wins or losses and that is that. But Million Dollar Baby shows a harsher side of boxing, the side that ends with people sustaining career and life altering injuries. So much of this movie deals with the darker side of characters, like Scrappy’s eye or Frankie’s daughter, and I feel like it would be dishonest to the darkness of the movie if it had a happy or uplifting end. So many people in life don’t get a happy ending and Million Dollar Baby was staying true to life and the theme by portraying that harsh reality.
3. I couldn't imagine being in the position that Maggie and Frankie were put in. I would like to think that I would be able to do what Frankie did for Maggie, nobody should have to suffer like that. I think if I was in Maggie's position, and had traveled and experienced as much as Maggie did, I probably would have asked the same of Frankie. Adapting to a life where you have to fully rely on other people to survive after having been self sufficient for year would probably be an incredibly difficult thing to do, I am not sure I would have the will to try and stick around. The decision that Maggie and Frank both came too was very understandable, and the fact that Frankie followed through truly shows how strong their bond is.
Today’s viewing was not what I acceptected at all. It was extremely emotional and depressing. When Maggie was fighting for against her last competitor, I had a feeling something bad might happen to her because of her opponent’s aggression, but I had no idea it would be so bad. This turning point in the movie showed the true colors of Frankie and her family. It became obvious who cared about her and who did not. When Frankie unattached her breathing tube, I could tell how selfless he was b letting her go for her own sake.
ReplyDeleteI disagree that today’s viewing felt like a different movie. Just because the tragedy changed Maggie’s physical state forever, does not mean her opinions in her life changed. Near the beginning of the movie when Maggie was trying to get Frankie to train her, she said that boxing was the only thing that made her happy in her life at the time. This being said, it makes sense that Maggie would no longer want to live after her tragic accident. Also, once Frankie agreed to train Maggie he said he would never leave her, and at the end of the movie he is with her to the very last second of her life. Both Maggie and Frankie stay consistent with their beliefs and their word throughout the movie. I agree with Lila that this is not a typical boxing movie, and a happy ending sucks not have for the theme of the dark tones throughout.
Personally, I think that if I were in Frankie’s shoes, I would not be able to bring myself to do what he did. I am not strong enough to take away the life of someone I love even if they ask for it. Frankie did what he thought was right by Maggie, and I respect that. If I were in Maggie’s position, I probably would not want to live either. She had everything in her life stripped away from her, and Frankie was the only one she trusted to help her.
My reaction to the film today was indescribable. The last quarter of the film was gut wrenching and when I was watching I was thinking over the fact that this may be the saddest twist I have ever seen at the end of a movie. I am fully confident that had I been watching this at home I would have cried. It was absolutely devastating to watch Frankie react to being asked to kill just about the only person he cares about in the world, after all that they have been through. When he finally revealed the meaning of mo cuishle is where I finally lost it and the brutal reality of what he was about to do sunk in for me.
ReplyDeleteI would argue that the movie is, in fact, consistent throughout. While there are some obvious changes in tone in the last third of the movie as it almost completely lacked in humor and there was little to no happy scenes following Maggie breaking her neck, I still believe that this transition was logical for the movie to make and did not leave the film disjointed. I think that from the beginning of the film we saw that this was not a world to be trifled with, as I believe all boxing movies attempt to showcase. From Eddie’s busted eye to the hardened exterior of Frankie as a character we can see from the beginning that this world has the potential for brutality. I think that the only difference between what Million Dollar Baby achieves in comparison to other boxing movies is that in this film the harsh realities we are exposed to really back up their claims, to the highest degree possible.
As messed up as it sounds I ran this same question through my own head today while watching this extremely difficult situation Frankie and Maggie were presented with. I can honestly say that I believe I would have made the same decision as them, as tough as it is. I do not believe I could bear to live in a state similar to the one Maggie would have been forced to live in and I also would not want someone close to me to have to suffer that same fate. As a general rule I tend to lean towards the side of euthanasia when it comes to the state’s involvement in forcing people to stay alive. I think that due to the fact that she really truly wanted to die, and that Frankie was being tortured by her pain, I think that she should have had the option to die as peacefully and easily as possible, with assistance, unburdened by society's judgement as to if that was in her own best interest.
Today's viewing was one of the saddest, yet most well made stories/scenes I have ever watched and experienced. It fascinated me how in the span of only a few minutes I experienced the thrill and excitement of the peak and triumph of Maggie's career and the total and utter devastation at the loss of Maggie's life (even before her heart stopped), her dreams, and her family. Also, as an avid reader, I often find a more emotional, deep, and real connection with a story and its characters while reading a book, as opposed to watching a movie. “Million Dollar Baby” proved to be one of the much enjoyed exceptions.
ReplyDeleteI think that the film is thematically consistent. Throughout the previous portions of the movie I got a sense of a dramatic and fast rise is Maggie's physical/boxing ability, but I also got the sense that Maggie was still vastly inexperienced in the politics, dangers, and general happenings in the boxing world. Similar to a teenagers rapid initial growth in the physical aspects and the eventual and later bigger developments of the brain and experience. Therefore, I had a slight sense of dread as Maggie continued to rise. For example, when a bike gains speed the possible dangers, such as hitting a small stone, or not stopping in time, increase. Everything was going so well for Maggie that I predicted something bad had yet to come. Thus, I feel like the devastating portion of today's viewing coincided well with the initial and abundant success for Maggie.
If I were Frankie, I would do as Maggie wished. I'd do it because, if I were Maggie, and I had gone from, in minutes, the peak of my life to the very bottom, I would see very little reason left to live. I would also realize that Maggie should have control over her own life and death. Her wish to die vastly outweighs my desire to keep her alive. In a way, me keeping her alive is forcing her into a position in which she has explicitly made clear she does not want to be in. As Maggie is virtually helpless, and I am the primary person making/carrying out her decisions, going against this particular desire would be to take away her free will entirely. However, I would also like to say that if I did not want to assist Maggie's suicide, then I would/should forfeit the right to claim and carry out her other desires. I shouldn't get to pick and choose what Maggie, a mentally functional human, does just because she can't move, and I can.
I think today's viewing really caught me off guard. I was not expecting a plot twist so quick and drastic. What really shocked me was how Maggie went from such a strong and cheerful person with hopes and dreams to someone who was ready to die because she didn't want to live anymore. I was also really mad at Billie for being so dirty in the fight be us she was the main reason that Maggie got paralyzed and she didn't even show any remorse for what she had done. Another person or group I was mad at was Maggie's family because all they wanted was her to hand them all the money she got from fighting and didn't actually want to spend time with her. I found it really disrespectful that they went to an amusement park before coming to see Maggie who was paralyzed and slowly dying.
ReplyDeleteI think that Million Dollar Baby does no really change the theme of the story. As we talked about before, the movie isn't all about boxing so when the plot changes to talk more about Maggie's tragedy and the struggle surrounding that, I don't think that this changes the theme. I think this movie is about the bond between Maggie and Franky and Maggie proving herself to be a great fighter even though the odds may be against her. I agree with Lila that it was more realistic that an unhappy ending would be in this movie because it's so rare that everything in your life can fall in line perfectly without something going wrong so it makes sense that Maggie would run into some obstacles in her life.
I think that if I was in Frankie’s shoes, I could not have done what he did. I don't think I could live with myself after killing someone who I was very close to. I understand that Frankie was asked by Maggie to do that and I understand that he loved her and decided that if she wanted it, it would be okay for him to do it, but I personally would not have. If I was in Maggie’s position, I don't really know what I would do. I would like to think that there would be hope for me in that situation, but I think part of me thinks that I would also want to die.
Todays portion of the movie was very heavy. I was no doubt surprised by the accident and what happened to Maggie, but I was definitely not completely shocked. What was really shocking and unbelievable for me was the very ending, when she asked Frankie to end her own life and he agreed and followed through with it. But at the end, I really enjoyed this film. It was a combination of so many different genres that made it so compelling. The scenes and screenplay was really beautiful and I believed showed so much of the story even without words and dialogue.
ReplyDeleteI agree with other people that this movie was definitely consistent throughout. Although obviously the scenes were pretty opposite to each other, I think that made it that much more powerful. I don’t believe that this was “two different films” because even though the beginning was mainly focused around Maggie boxing, it was not necessarily all about the boxing. Meaning that the film wasn’t completely focused on each of her fights or deeply looking into her competitor .Instead I think the beginning of this film was establishing both Frankie and Maggie as characters to develop how they would react to this tragedy. But due to development of Maggie, I think her decision made sense, she said at one point in the movie that boxing was the only thing that made her happy, and once she lost that one thing, she did not see a point in living. As for Frankie, from the very beginning he showed Maggie and the viewer that he was dedicated and it was evident that he was in this fight for the long run, so it only makes sense that he would always put what she wanted first.
This question is really difficult for me to think about. I do think that if I were Maggie I think I would ask Frankie to do the same thing. I don’t know how I could cope with an injury like hers and living in the conditions she had to, especially because for so long her happiness came from something that she can no longer. However, if I were Frankie I don’t know if I could have followed through with it. Frankie had so much love for Maggie and he obviously knew that this was what she wanted and in an odd way, it was what he believed was best for her. Despite that, I don’t know if I would be strong enough to take away the life from someone that I love so much.
1. Million Dollar Baby is a film I am glad I watched once and plan in never watching again. The film is a beautiful, gripping story that subverts your expectations and wrenches your heart in the best and worst ways possible. No film has made me feel as connected to the characters as this one, and likewise, no film has made me hurt the way this one has. The struggles of impoverished families, disabled people, and even women merge into one portrait depicting life as a struggle. Through both phases of this film, Maggie faces a type of handicap. In the first part, her handicap is enforced by society. Her gender (as well as class status) hold her back from achieving what she wants. Eventually, she perseveres, only to be met with a physical handicap instead. Everyone should watch this film and experience the story of a woman’s inspiring uphill climb as well as the blunt reality of life and mortality at the same time.
ReplyDelete2. The film is thematically consistent for many reasons. Firstly, it is always drab and ceaselessly captures life through bleak settings and grumpy moods. The only moment that doesn’t feature grey skies or grimy walls is the championship match, right before Maggie’s injury. I could tell that a tragedy was lying in wait, only I would never have assumed Maggie would fall victim. The second reason this film is thematically consistent is for the reasons I listed in the first question. Maggie has a handicap in both parts of the film. As soon as she makes her way up the ladder and sheds the weights of gender and poverty, she is kicked back down and slapped with paralysis as a result of the fall.
3. I don’t think I would have been able to do what needed to be done if I were in Frankie’s shoes. I do believe that assisting Maggie in suicide was ultimately necessary, given that her whole life was boxing. For her, being a quadriplegic was like being a starving waitress. It brought her no fulfillment in life. The only difference was that there was a solution when she was a waitress. She had a ladder to climb. As a quadriplegic, Maggie had nowhere to go that would satisfy her. If I were in Maggie’s situation I also would ask Frankie the same thing, but I know if the roles were reversed I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to do it.
Watching this movie was an emotional roller coaster. I am trying to find some light and positivity in the plot, which is what I believe to be the film’s goal. Was Maggie’s life fulfilled to its fullest compared to her horrific death? Is your dream worth your life? I honestly have no idea. And, I never quite realized the darkness present in the film until the second half. I was so focused on Maggie’s position and dream to look at the other characters. They are all people chasing dreams, and most of them will not become the amazing boxer that Maggie was; however, they will probably live longer. I guess it’s up to the individual to determine if you would rather live an amazing, short life or a long, mediocre life. As we have obviously seen from Maggie, it is a HUGE risk to follow your dreams.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that today’s viewing felt like a different movie. Maggie still accomplishes her life goal, becoming a world-class boxer, even though it leads to her death. Danger overcomes the obstacle in his path, others, by returning to the Hit Pit after being almost killed by the other boxers. Also, Frankie accomplishes his goal of reaching his daughter, whose place Maggie fills over time. I think the film is thematically consistent; each of the three protagonists accomplish their goal, depending on how you look at it.
I have no idea what I would do if I were Frankie in that situation. I definitely do not have the guts to pull the plug on someone I love, especially not with my own hands. If I were Frankie, I would not have the courage to let Maggie go. He finally found a daughter in Maggie, when his biological daughter would not return his letters, and Maggie found a father in Frankie, which is why she trusted him so much to help her escape her miserable existence. This scenario shows just how difficult and dangerous it can be to truly love someone.
1. This was the second time I have seen this movie, so I was not surprised by the ending. Despite this, I found myself enjoying the film (at least before Maggie breaks her spine), especially the final fight, which made it all the more sad as I knew it was all about to go terribly wrong. This movie has a stronger emotional core than I realized after my first viewing. The overall ending is certainly tragic and sad, but to be honest I found myself more emotionally distraught when her mother got angry at her for buying her the house. The ending at least had Maggie standing up to her mother in that very satisfying scene where she sums up her mother's character in three adjectives: "fat, lazy, (and) hillbilly."
ReplyDelete2. I think the film is very cohesive as a whole. While the twist was surprising, the decisions made by the characters fit with the themes of the movie. Maggie's main character traits are independence and physical fitness. Maggie struggles with independence throughout the film, as she is shown to be dependent on her family early on when she buys them the house (while still living in an apartment herself), but later on rejects her family and truly embraces her independent spirit. Maggie's physicality has been a constant theme, whether it be from being objectified by Shawrelle, being born a tiny 2lbs, having an obese mother, her comment that "trouble in my family comes by the pound" (also relates to boxing as boxers are compared by the pound), or even Danger's scrawny figure. By the end of the film Maggie has her independence stripped away from her (as she relies on a respirator to breath) as well as her physicality stripped away from her (as she is paralyzed and looses a leg). This deconstruction of her core values leaves her with the logical choice of choosing to die, which as sad as it may be it still fits with the themes of the film.
3. Damn John, you're asking some hard questions here. If I were in the same situation as Frankie, and had gone through the same emotional journey with Maggie, I think I would pull the plug. In some ways it would be selfish of me to deprive Maggie of that wish, at least in this very specific situation. Overall I think I value human life too much to do such a thing, but knowing that Maggie would live the rest of her days in agony and complete depression would be too much for me. This doesn't mean I think all paralyzed people should die, because if I were in that situation, I would want to live. There are so many ways I could still enjoy life and contribute to society in a disabled state. For Maggie though, I think it made sense and was the best option for her character as she had lost everything, and I doubt she would be able to enjoy life after falling so hard from the top of the world.
... also, what happened to all the money? I assume Maggie would give it to Frankie. Was that the real reason he pulled the plug??? (que dramatic music) What if this was all a ploy for Frankie to get rich and buy a log cabin and live the rest of his days in peace eating his pie??
I was shocked and devastated. The scene in the boxing ring was horrible but it was much worse as the film slowly continued through her struggle of paralysis and to see her spirit being broken down was awful. It was deeply emotional, whether it was the pain that came from how Maggie asked Frankie to do what her father had done for Axel, or the anger you felt towards her family parading into the hospital room with legal papers and disney souvenirs.
ReplyDeleteI would agree that the movie is thematically consistent, especially when it comes to its unapologetically harsh portrayal of the reality of each character’s situation. With Maggie, her determination to fight her way out of her job and lifestyle that is very clearly portrayed in a brief scene of her waitress job. While cleaning a table she wraps a half eaten steak in foil claiming “it’s for my dog,” then in the following shot she eats the steak at a small, poorly lit table, where she proceeds to tip over a jar of change and count it out. The latter portion of the film we watched today followed this theme of reality in a much more tear-jerking fashion. Instead of leaving it at the ring or the hospital diagnosis or perhaps even Maggie passing away, it drags the viewers through the unbearably sad process of no improvement in Maggie’s health and the death of our hopes for her recovery.
If I were Frankie in this situation I don’t think that I would be able to help Maggie. The act of ending someone’s life would be awful. Then again I suppose she was suffering everyday that she lived a life that wasn’t actually living, and if I were Maggie in that situation I would have wanted and asked for the same thing. But, it’s completely different to want someone to do that for you than actually being able to do that for someone you love. It’s a horrible situation where both helping and not helping Maggie are both choices that harm her.
Heartbreak, misery, and an overwhelming sense of existential dread and nihilism was what I was feeling as I watched the end of the movie. It was eztremely surprising yet I felt stupid for not expecting it.
ReplyDeleteI am honestly not sure whether I think the film is thematically consistent or not. I will definetly need to watch it againn to make up my mind but at this time, I do feel as though they were two seperate films. The training montages and the banter betweem Frankie and Morgan Freeman's character along with comical absurdity of Danger felt like it had no place in a story that I felt was ultimately about how no matter how hard you worked, or how many battles you won, or how good of a person you were. life would still end in pain and misery.
I think that if I were in Frankie position, and I knew that I would not be in any legal trouble if I were to disconnect a life support, I would make the same decisoin that Frankie made. It was clear that Maggie was in terrible pain and had no quality of life. I'm pretty sure that no matter what you believe comes after death, it would be better than what Maggie was going through. There is no doubt that it was a terrible position that Frankie was put in but I think that he made the right decision, if there was a right decision to be made inn that scenario.
1. I knew that something was gonna go down at the end, but I didn't expect it to happen like this. With Paths of Glory, it's not just a war movie, and I knew that Million Dollar Baby wouldn't just be a Boxing movie. I just hadn’t quite figured out how. For me, it was almost horrifying, because I think being incapacitated is what I’m most afraid of, I don’t think living without being able to move and be healthy is not really a life at all. Seeing this in the movie was bad enough, and I couldn’t bear to think about what it would be like being in that bed: going from the peak of physical performance, to facing the rest of your long days confined inside. It just doesn’t sit right with me, and it’s probably worse for her, since she was on top of the boxing world.
ReplyDelete2. For me, the film read (or, watched) as “thematically consistent,” but the end was just surprising; it’s not something that we expect in a blockbuster, especially in a boxing movie. I think the theme is there it’s just subtler. It comes through in Scrap’s description of his last fight, or when Frankie talks about his daughter. They have both dealt with immense hardship in the past, but don’t give up: Frankie writes his daughter every week, and Scrap goes back into the ring to kick ass one more time. They both try hard and do their best, but can’t change the world that they live in. Maggie faces a similar problem, on a much grander scale: she tries as hard as she can to be champion of the world, but is stopped. Sometimes, that’s just the way it is. Usually, though, “the way it is” doesn’t involve being sucker punched and paralyzed for life
3. If I was Maggie in that bed, I would definitely want to die. It pains me to see people that are bedridden, and it even hurts to see my grandparents grow older and less able to walk and drive and explore. I just can’t imagine it happening to me. It might seem selfish, but I would probably succumb to depression or something; I would at least be a burden on society, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. The problem would be finding someone brave enough to do the job for me. I can’t imagine what it’s like being in Frankie’s position either: It would be so painful to see someone that I considered my daughter all cooped up, but I hope I never have to take someone’s life away either. In Frankie’s case, I think I would have killed her: he had an relatively painless way to do it, and it’s what Maggie wants. If I would do it for my dog, is she any different?
The ending of Million Dollar Baby was honestly shocking to me and definitely left me feeling helpless and sad for most of the day. I wasn't expecting a happy ending to this film, but I was not mentally prepared for the sadness of the last 15 minutes of this film. Few movies are able to make me as emotional as this one. I think it says something really powerful about this movie that it was able to pull physical reactions from me. The final fighting scene with Billie had me visibly flinching with each blow to Maggie. It was clear the fight was not going in her favor but I never would’ve predicted it to be the fight to end her life. The final scenes also made me pull back and sink into my seat just thinking about the difficult position Frankie was in.
ReplyDeleteI think that the movie stayed consistent throughout. It would've been lighthearted if this was the kind of film where the protagonist rose from a difficult place, worked hard, and ultimately earned the happy ending we wanted to see for Maggie. To me, it was obvious through scenic choices that this was not going to be one of those movies that ends well for everyone. This last quarter builds on what happened before because it follows through the theme of darkness. Maggie had her moments in the light, but ultimately the film returns to the darkness. The frankie we see at the end of the movie is definitely a different one from the beginning, but I think that just exhibits his character growth due to his relationship with Maggie.
I think that ultimately, Frankie acted in the best interest of Maggie by ending her life. While this situation sucks for both of them, prolonging it only makes it worse and each day Maggie stray further and further from her cheerful self. A part of me wishes Maggie had died more instantly, nobley, instead of the whole process being dragged out and her leg getting amputated and her depression leading her to bite her own tongue. Maggie’s life in the rehab center was no life at all but I think that she was keeping on because she knew what an integral part of his life she is. Frankie was fulfilling his responsibility to her by ending it, he knew it was what she wanted and what would make her happy even though to him it would force him to establish his life. I agree with Maggie’s decision to end her life, I wish she could have asked the doctors to do it to avoid putting Frankie through that but maybe it helps him get closure? Frankie gave Maggie the life she had always wanted and was responsible for ending it when it was no longer the life he had given her.
1. Today's viewing was hard to watch at some points. I think we all went into class today expecting to see Maggie win a title and everything to end happily ever after, when in reality we all walked out of class with quite the opposite thoughts. I think it was a bit shocking how intense Maggie's injury was, because it wasn't simply bone breakage but her whole body was frozen. The pain she was in and the emotional pain Frankie and Scrap felt was very clearly translated through the film. My favorite scene was the speech Scrap said to Frankie regarding Maggie and her possibly death. To me, he was always a trusted figure who could tell exactly what someone was thinking. He was very much of an observer; therefore, he knew how to read human emotions extremely well. This talent was put to use because he could tell how miserable Maggie was and how torn Frankie was about the decision he had to make regarding Maggie's situation.
ReplyDelete2. I think it is very thematically consistent. Although we all expected the movie to end happily, I think this expectation is ingrained into our heads that all stories must end happily. Therefore, the tragic ending was very unexpected because we didn't want to believe anything but the best would occur. There was never a moment in this movie that was very colorful or happy in the Hollywood sense. The scenes always were very unsaturated, slightly lit darker than usual, and it always seemed like something darker than the surface view was going on. The film always hinted about Frankie’s past, especially with his daughter so the audience could tell something bad had happened between them. Also, Scrap’s story of losing his eye in a fight almost foreshadowed the downfall of Maggie. Although I was shook up about Maggie's accident and death, I believe that the no happy ending made this movie stand out more alongside other movies. It went against the usual expectation to have a happy story, and for this it was unique and more interesting.
3. I think there is no right thing to do in this situation. Either way, the decision would be incredibly tough. Maggie was a very close person to Frankie, so I think that's why he initially didn't even want her to ask the question. Then, once he realized what Maggie truly wanted, he rethought his actions. I also think the speech from Scrap made him rethink. When he said that most people die wishing that they had done more but Maggie would die knowing she accomplished her dream, that is what really changed Frankie's mind. He knew that Maggie was truly so miserable especially since she was trying to kill herself, and realized that if he helped her end her life, he would be helping her get out of the awful situation she was in. If I was in a state like Maggie, I think I would also want to die. After living such a exciting life for the past year and a half, anything slightly less lively would seem incredibly boring. Being set into a state of paralysis where you can't even breath in your own after being a boxer seems inhumaine. I don't blame her for wanting to end her life because she had nothing left in her life that she could enjoy
1. Today’s viewing was, in my opinion, very captivating. It made me feel even sadder since I had the chance to connect to the characters throughout the movie. In the earlier blog, I expressed how I predicted that the movie would end. While I was right that Maggie would lose the fight, I could have never expected what else she would lose. What made the scenes today even more heartbreaking was the fact that Maggie’s optimistic demeanor was made to wither away along with her physical strength. I truly believe that she had experienced enough pain in her life (her family, her father, etc.). One of the moments that really stuck with me today was when Maggie first tried to bite her tongue and kill herself. I distinctly remember Frankie’s hurt expression when he saw his fighter finally show signs of giving up. Moreover, I could tell from Frankie’s expression that he knew that Maggie would not stop trying to die. Both he and Maggie accepted her fate and realized that Mochuisle’s chapter was finally over.
ReplyDelete2. I believe that the film is thematically consistent for the main character, Frankie. Throughout the movie, Frankie is in desperate need for atonement. He visits church every week, but he does not genuinely ask God for the help that he needs. In addition, he never confronts the guilt that he feels from having Scrap lose his eye as his fighter. In the end of the movie, Frankie atones for the two predicaments: first, he asks for advice from Father Horvath when Maggie first asks to be killed. And second, he spends Maggie’s last moments thanking her and telling her how sorry he was that she was hurt under his watch. Indirectly, Frankie was apologizing for having another fighter have their life ruined while he supervised them. I think that this supports Jacob’s claim wherein the movie introduces a cold world that “isn’t to be trifled with.” I agree with this claim, for it shows that pretty soon, we all have to face this harsh reality (such as Frankie having to face the consequences of his actions as they unfold on those that he cares about) and endure the painful road to acceptance and peace with one’s self.
3. If I were Frankie, then I would also probably kill Maggie per her request. While it is morally wrong, I feel like Maggie had a point when she said that she “can’t be like this after what she’s done.” I can understand how unfair it must feel to go from a revered champion of the world to a hospitalized amputee that can never get her old life back. I would be so very upset, but at the same time, I would try to convince myself that it is selfish of me to keep Maggie on Earth to suffer just so I can say that she is mine. After all, Frankie even told Father Horvath that by keeping Maggie alive, he feels like he is killing her. Ultimately, my end goal in this situation would be to stop Maggie from feeling any more pain in her life. She already has a family that doesn’t care about her, and a medical condition that has become a huge burden on her health. In my opinion, killing her would only free her from the pain that she has had to endure.
This section of the movie was really hard for me to watch. I was so happy that Maggie was finally getting to fight more professionally and I was so happy that Frankie started to accept Maggie more and more. I think he redeemed himself. But the ending isn't at all what I expected to happen. The moment she turned her back after the round was over, I knew something bad was going to happen. I then predicted some injury when I saw the chair in the corner and Frankie frantically trying to remove it. I didn't think she would break her spinal chord like she did, I thought she would get some bad concussion. I didn't like the ending to this movie at all. I was really rooting for Maggie to be successful because I know what it's like to want something so badly and to have to fight for it with everything that you have. She did that and she deserved a much happier ending. I felt morally conflicted when she asked Frankie to take her life. I understand both sides, but I couldn't imagine being in Frankie's position. I have no idea what I would have done if I was asked that. I didn't like the priests reaction to Frankie asking for help. I'm not sure how I would have wanted the priest to answer, but I didn't like the way that he did. I also think that the end was a little unrealistic. I think it would be so difficult for someone to actually not get caught doing what Frankie did. We still have 2-3 minutes left so I want to see how it truly ends. But I was very emotional watching this section of the film because it hit close to home for me.
ReplyDeleteToday’s viewing was very upsetting. To see Maggie like that was painful to watch because we all saw how she deteriorated. I was pretty surprised that this is how they decided to end the movie because it happened really fast, and I definitely didn’t see it coming. I expected Maggie to put up a fight and be victorious, but instead she was hit and fell on a stool and ended up paralyzed. To spend all this time with a character and her boxing, and then suddenly all of that comes to an end, was hard to take. She was a very fun and determined character and to see all of that slip away was heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised how much of the movie was dedicated to Maggie’s injury. I thought it would end very shortly after it happened, but it seemed to go on for a while. I think the fact that Frankie really cared about Maggie showed throughout the entire movie. When she was boxing, Frankie clearly cared about her and her career. Then, when Maggie got hurt, Frankie visited her every day and ended up giving her what she wanted in the end. However, in my opinion it was a departure from the first 2/3s of the movie. It happened very fast, and while the first 2/3s of the movie was about boxing, the other part was not at all about boxing.
If I were Frankie and Maggie asked me to help her die, I don't think I could do it. It would haunt me for a very long time thinking that I killed someone even if they wanted me to do it. I understand why he did what he did, but me personally, I wouldn’t. If I was Maggie in that bed, I would probably try and not feel sad and make the best of the situation, but I think her reaction is completely understandable. She can’t do anything anymore, and I think anyone in that situation would become depressed.
1. I, as most, was completely shocked by the turn this film took in the second half. The emotions that i felt during the second half are those I never could’ve imagined having in the first. The oblivious family in their disneyland attire, the pen dropping from Maggie's mouth, he pain in Frankie's when Maggie asks him the fatal question, and Frankie telling Maggie the meaning of her nickname were all intense moments that have stayed with me since watching.
ReplyDelete2. I think the film is thematically consistent. Yes it changes drastically in the flow of the scenes and the circumstances but the same core themes and relationships stay true throughout. Frankie’s protective nature and his deep and complicated bond with Maggie is created in the first half and continues into the second half, intensifying deeply and becoming more emotional but with the same basis created. The tension with Maggie's family is introduced in the beginning and we see it come back, intensified, in the end when they try to make her sign away her assets. I agree with what Kate said about Maggie’s state changing but her opinions and emotions don't. This is how the movie stays consistent.
3. I think if I were in Frankie’s decision it would be the hardest decision I could ever make and I am sure i would struggle deeply with it. At the end of the day though, I think I would do as he did. Especially after she tried, painfully, to take her own life twice, you realize what a struggle and torturous life she is being forced to live. Like she said, boxing was the only thing she had, so when that was taken away she had nothing left. So, if someone has nothing left to live for and are in immense emotional and or physical pain because of the state they are in i think it is the difficult truth that following the wishes of death is the right thing to do in my opinion.
Like John said, I didn’t see this ending coming at all, and I don’t think anybody else did. It was absolutely gut wrenching to watch Maggie fall to her demise. The worst part was the foreshadowing before it like the shots of the trainer putting the stool in the ring and cutting back to Billie looking at the stool as a plan forms in her mind. You realize what is about to happen at the last moment and there is nothing you can do to stop it. All you can do is watch it happen, which puts the audience in the same shoes as Frankie. We are helpless to save Maggie.
ReplyDeleteI would like to debate that the movie was consistent in its plot. It’s twist wasn’t so disjointed unlike some other movies that have attempted to do that (*cough* M. Night Shyamalan *cough*). Million Dollar Baby is very similar to that of the story of Daedalus and Icarus. Daedalus gave his son wings to help him escape from the labyrinth that they were trapped in. However, Icarus flew too close to the sun and eventually fell into the ocean where he drowned. Maggie’s rise to fame and glory was too abundant and too fast that it was expected for her to fall.
Euthanasia is one of the hardest decisions to ever be made, and no one should ever have to experience those events. I couldn’t even imagine myself in that situation, being asked to put someone that I loved down. However, I believe I could bring myself to do it. I’m not saying it wouldn’t be difficult, but I would want to do what the person I loved asked me to do. Maggie was going to be a quadriplegic for the rest of her life, looking at the same window everyday and not being able to move. I wouldn’t want my loved one to suffer like that.
The third and final part of Million Dollar Baby was definitely one of the saddest story lines I have ever seen. I said in my last blog that I expected things to go down hill for Maggie, such as the loss of a big fight. I did not, however, expect her to die in the end. While watching Maggie’s fight with the Blue Bear, and seeing how dirty the Blue Bear fights, I expected Maggie to get either get hurt, or lose the fight. But I in no way expected her to be paralyzed and eventually die.
ReplyDeleteI think the last part of the movie is very consistent with the rest of the movie. I do think that after Maggie’s injury, it’s not a boxing movie anymore. I believe it’s then more about Maggie and her life, rather than the career of an up and coming boxer. I agree with Jordyn in saying that Maggie did achieve her dream, and as Eddie says, her last thought can rightfully be that she did alright in this world and in her fighting journey. Just because the movie takes a shift doesn’t mean it’s a whole different movie. Yes, it’s suddenly not focused on boxing, but it is focused on the aftermath of boxing. It just so happens that the aftermath is extreme to the point of death.
If I were Frankie, I would absolutely not want to kill Maggie, who has become such an important part of my life. I think I would ask her not to ask that of me just like Frankie did, and then refuse for as long as possible once she did. However, I would eventually agree to do it after knowing that she doesn’t want to live like that, and after hearing her speak her mind about her situation. I would slowly start to see Maggie’s life through her own eyes and come to understand why she would want that. Although it would incredibly painful to me, and as the priest said I could lose myself in doing that, I would eventually carry out Maggie’s last wish.
The ladder half of Million Dollar Baby had me legitimately surprised. It was as if Maggie was soaring on the sky in one moment, nearing the defeat of her opponent, and then all of the sudden she has hit her neck on a stool and is paralyzed in a hospital getting skin welts because she cannot chance positions and biting her tongue so hard she bleeds so she can die. The last half honestly made me a bit upset. Maggie and Frankie have both worked so hard and learned so much, but in the end Frankie ends up helping Maggie commit suicide. I had no idea that this movie would show such dark themes.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the film's pace and content widely changes in the second half of the film, I believe thematically that this film suffices as a consistent work of beautiful character driven story telling. The first half is about healing, and whether that healing may be shown as learning to box or learning to teach female boxers, healing in this film is shown as learning a greater understanding of something. Maggie is getting to know herself through boxing in the first half and Frankie is realizing what it is like to coach and manage a boxer again. The first half is healing psychologically while the second half is about healing physically. Maggie is shown as a fighter in the film, but in the end of both story arcs, Maggie is defeated in the end.
If Maggie was to ask me to commit murder in order to put her out of the pain she was in, I believe that I would be prepared to do it for her. I think I would have to do it the way Frankie did it, because it seemed very very painless and quick, and I know that's the way I would wanna go, and I am sure Maggie shares that opinion. If I was in that bed however, I would definitely want to die. I would without a doubt want to be killed and put out of my misery. I feel like at that point there is no point in living if you just wake up to sit there on the bed and let your legs get chopped off one by one. I would rather just explore what death is like and finally find out what actually happens after you die.
The ending was a surprise to me because it was essentially the antithesis of the typical boxing movie. The fight itself was not your typical final fight that you would see in Creed or Rocky in which they take multiple rounds and a beating and then they miraculously start winning despite everything that happened before. Instead it was replaced with Maggie beating the crap out of the title holder and the opponent having to play dirty to do anything to Maggie. The end of the fight wasn't even the crazy celebration of victory but rather a horde of doctors and refs crowding around her unconscious body. In what should've been and uplifting triumph, we got a depressing and harsh ending. Harsh in my opinion could be a theme of the movie, because of how it encompasses Maggie's life before she came to the gym, how her own family treats her, and how it all ended.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is thematically consistent because I would describe this as a pseudo-boxing movie. I feel this way because I don't think this is a movie about Maggie, I think it is more about Frankie because of how it focuses in on him before the Maggie came along and how she changed everything he thought he knew and believed in. Before, he refused to train a girl, but Maggie gave him a sort of father-daughter relationship that he had been longing for due to his daughter’s refusal to contact him.
If I were Frankie, I would've done the same thing that he did without a doubt. If I were to see someone I loved that was once the most energetic and passionate person about fighting that Maggie was and watch her literally rotting away and losing a leg, I would let her pass on without question because the kind of person Maggie was becoming due to inability to move was not something I would ever want to see.
After watching the last part of today all I can say is I was not expecting that ending at all. Typically when you see sports movies like this you think of someone having to work their way up in the sport and eventually have all their hard work pay off. Maggie was one of the biggest fighters in the sport of boxing and at the end when she is dying. She fought against society to be trained by Franki, fought her heart out in all the matches, and her life up until she couldn’t take the pain any longer knowing she had lived her best life.a scene that really stayed with me was when Eddie and Frankie were arguing and Frankie said to Eddie, “what are you gonna cry, I already have one girl.” This scene stuck with me because you can see Frankie going back to society's norms and slipping between the cracks after building such a great relationship with Maggie. This just may be a way he shows his feelings but I think in the end of the movie their relationship became a father daughter like relationship.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jacob because I don’t think the moral of the movie was about boxing just a branch. I think the major theme of the movie is about how someone can be poor but fight their way to the top until they are satisfied. The bond between Frankie and Maggie is a significant aspect of the movie. Maggie would not be where she ended up without having to break society's/Frankie norms of not training girls because they have no talent. Maggie and Frankie end up having an amazing relationship that shapes the whole movie and provokes many themes.
If I was in Frankie’s shoes I would also be torn because I would be letting a person who impacted me in ways I may not of seen go, and someone who brought out my true self. At the same time I know Maggie lived her dream and had everything she asked for but see her in that much pain I would at least know she fulfilled her dream and let her go. In the end I think Frankie did the right thing seeing Maggie suffer so much but I don’t think it need to be so secretive.
Today’s viewing was tragic. I thought that Maggie was going to be injured in some way by the end of the movie, but I had no idea the film was going to take this route. I have not seen a movie this sad in that way for years. The fact that Frankie had to kill Maggie, who he did not ever want to let go and protected unconditionally, is such a sad moment it speaks volumes. We see Frankie go from a stubborn pessimist against Maggie and her boxing skill in the start of the movie to Maggie consuming his life. He spends almost every moment of everyday keeping her company, nursing her, and supporting her when no one else can. This third act arc really contrasts to the first and second acts of the film, being something in its own right but still wrapped into the story nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteI believe there is a clear difference between the first and third acts, but they are definitely connected. The first act builds up their common bond in the sort of boxing. The third act takes said boxing away from their bond, and shows how powerful their connection is even without the sport. It truly elevates their relationship into the father-daughter relationship they both needed due to the past. Ending a loved ones life to stop their suffering becomes the greatest test of said relationship, so I think the movie has an emotional plot that connects all three acts as opposed to just the conventional story.
If I was Frankie I would look for help and understanding of what is truly the right thing to do. I would be desperate to save Maggie’s life, but at the same time do anything to help her stop suffering. I think in the end I would want her to stop feeling this pain if she could never recover. If I was Maggie, I would look for any possible way to get life slightly back to normal, and wait longer than she did for that possible solution. Otherwise, I would want to cease if I was stuck there forever, as it was simply not dying, but it wasn’t living.
I was kind of shocked. I was not surprised that she was knocked out on a dirty play, but I did not think she would become paralyzed or lose a leg because of it. Honestly I did feel that some of the last portion of the film was kind of boring. I knew it would end with the plug being pulled on her but they kept dragging it out. I understand that they did that because to let us experience what Frankie was going through but as a viewer I was ready for it to end.
ReplyDelete2. I think this movie definitely makes sense thematically. No it did not have the normal uplifting victory at the end, but this ending gave us a whole different look into the relationship between Frankie and Maggie, which was being developed the entire film. Film critics clearly liked the ending, because I do not think a normal boxing movie (Rocky is the exception) could win best picture. The only person who has given a different answer is Isaiah so I guess I will disagree with Isaiah. I think Danger was there to show how in boxing everything can change in an instant. It can be all fun and games. Air punches and calling yourself the champion of the world. You can train all you want, but as soon as you get in the ring, your life is on the line, and we see that when we see Danger’s funny face turn completely swollen and bruised.
3. I would definitely not break into the hospital, turn off the alarm, kill her, and then try to sneak out. I am pretty sure they would figure out it was him and I am pretty sure they would arrest him for murder. I think she could probably just sign something to have her taken off the ventilators. I would definitely want to die in Maggies position. She can no longer do what she loves, and would have to watch herself waste away in a hospital bed, having her old memories of glory replaced with new ones of pain. I would not continuously bite off my tongue though, and try to bleed out. I would probably ask first what my rights were, but that would not be nearly as dramatic.
This movie made me cry into 6th period so thanks for that John. But really, this movie just really took a huge turn that I didn't see coming at all, and it was incredibly heartbreaking. I still adore this movie even though it completely depressed the hell out of me. Im really glad I finally got to watch this movie because it's been on my list for some time. I didn't know what to expect coming into it, but it was so much more than I could ever have expected. I haven't seen a movie in a long time that really made me feel such strong emotions.
ReplyDeleteI definitely feel like this movie is thematically consistent, and completely deliberate in its twist. I think the big turn was intended to shock the audience and be completely unforeseen. I agree with most of my classmates in that the movie didn't change dramatically in the sense that it felt like a different movie. I don't think most people saw the turning point coming, but it wasn't a huge leap into something super crazy different. I truly believe that the drastic events of the last third of the movie transform it into something different and beautifully tragic.
To do what Frankie did for Maggie would be incredibly hard and I don't know if I could do it, no matter how much they asked me or how much pain they were in. I do feel that it was an act of mercy, and Maggie truly wanted to end her life because there was nothing left for her. I think it was especially hard for Frankie because of his relationship with Maggie. Not only was he taking the life of someone close to him, but she was like a daughter to him.
This movie was incredibly depressing but I adored it.
I somewhat saw the sad end coming, because as I mentioned before in my previous blog post, things were just going too well for Maggie for it to end on a happy note too. Although I didn’t cry, I was pretty sad that the movie had to end like that. Despite what I expected, I really wanted Maggie to beat Billie the Blue Bear and win the title because that would have made for a satisfied, happy ending. But even though she didn’t get the title, I feel like everything Maggie worked for was worth it because she fulfilled her true calling.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how in the end, when Maggie told Frankie to end her life, the true personality of Frankie was unleashed. Throughout the movie, Frankie had a facade of strength and carelessness which he hid behind. But when Frankie cried to the priest about making this decision, that's when I saw that facade come down even more and I developed even more sympathy for him than I had before. I really liked when his genuine thoughts and feelings were revealed because it showed that he was a real human.
I believe that this film is thematically consistent. It has many themes, for example, family or sense of belonging. The theme of family stays consistent because towards the beginning, Frankie has his conflicts with his daughter and Maggie has her conflicts with her family. But towards the end, Frankie and Maggie find a sense of belonging and a home within each other, when Frankie reveals what “Mo Cuishle” meant. I agree with Andrew on the point that even though the last third consisted of no happy scenes, it made sense to have that transition and it didn’t change thematically.
If I were put in that same, tough position as Frankie, I would probably let Maggie live, although it would be extremely hard to make that decision. The reason why I would let Maggie live is because even though she fulfilled her wants in life, her life is valuable. Maggie’s life, just like the life of any other person, holds value. I don’t think I would even have the mental ability to take someone’s life like that, regardless of what they want. I know it was immensely hard for Frankie to make that decision, but I don’t think I would have done the same things. Not to mention, sneaking into a hospital and killing someone like that is a felony.
I was very surprised by the way that the last 40 minutes of the movie played out. The viewer had become so enamored with the story of Maggie and Frankie's boxing journey that a piece of our heart was ripped out when "the Blue Bear" lashed out and paralyzed Maggie indefinitely. As we talked about in class, I never would have thought of the ending as beautiful or uplifting until we really dug deep into the core message of the story. The bond that Maggie and Frankie have formed really is the focus of the movie and the viewer can not decipher a clear meaning until the boxing is stripped away.
ReplyDeleteAfter really thinking about the movie and letting it set in, I can see how the two different halves of the movie are able to blend together with a common theme or motif. Frankie always talks about how your number one goal should be to protect yourself from all of the dangers in the boxing ring. This metaphor is also easily extended into a real life setting because Frankie is "protecting himself" by cutting off all deep emotional ties after his daughter leaves. He slowly begins to warm up once Maggie inserts herself into his world. The second half of the movie deals with the aftermath of not protecting your physical and emotional well-being. Maggie becomes paralyzed after she lets her guard down in the ring, and Frankie loses himself all over again once he is faced with the terrible decision of euthanizing Maggie or keeping her alive only to never have the physical life she desires.
If I were in Frankie's position, faced with the decision whether to euthanized a quadriplegic who has specifically asked to die, I would absolutely follow through with the wishes of the paralyzed person. I know that I would want my decision to be respected no matter what I chose to do, so I would grant the hypothetical person the same respect.
Million Dollar Baby completely enthralls the heart and mind. In this light, I agree with what Jordan said about how the film “wrenches your heart in the best and worst ways possible.” I genuinely was angry at “The Bear” at Maggie’s title fight and felt cheated and robbed when Maggie went down. A scene that vividly remained with me was when Frankie walked out of the hospital after letting Maggie go. The power behind this scene forced the audience to feel that Frankie was leaving everything behind, including himself. Frankie’s physical disappearance into the dark signified his emotional disappearance from reality.
ReplyDeleteLike most, I do think the film is constant in its motifs. This movie carries an absolute pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps demeanor, but with a tragic twist, literally and figuratively. The distorted ending, however, wasn’t completely unwarranted. Unlike most movies with the theme of perseverance, or fighting to the top, struggle comes first and success follows it. In Million Dollar Baby, though, it is the opposite. Maggie shows her stripes early in the film, and quickly makes it to a position of power in the boxing world. It is after she has so much success that she is knocked out of the ring for good, which is where her real struggle begins and, tragically, ends fatally. This juxtaposition of Million Dollar Baby and any other fighter movie such as Rocky alludes to the film’s calamitous ending.
This question is an inconceivable hypothetical, as I, personally, have never had to touch something comparable to the decision Frankie had to make regarding Maggie. However, for purposes of surface level thought, I, selfishly, don’t think I could let go of someone I loved. Even someone as strong and gritty as Frankie “left his soul behind” after killing Maggie. Hypocritically, in Maggie’s position I would have asked to be killed. I agree with Amelia that living in Maggie’s state would be unimaginably torturous, especially considering that boxing was “the only thing I [she] felt good doing.”