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Poor Things is a movie that revolves around the story of Bella Baxter, played by Emma Stone. The film re-imagines Frankenstein and tells the story of Bella, who is revived by a genius mad scientist. Furthermore, the plot weaves elements of dark humor and drama. The movie's ending, particularly, has gripped the audience's interest.
Disclaimer: The article contains major spoilers from the movie.
At the end of Poor Things, Bella Baxter settles at Godwin's estate following his death. The film chronicles her evolution from a Frankenstein-esque creation to a woman fully aware of her identity and the complexities of the world. Bella's journey culminates in her escape from Alfie Blessington's manor. Moreover, the manor is the same place where she had felt controlled and trapped.
What happens at the end of Poor Things?
At the end of the movie, Bella decides against marrying Max. However, later, she joins Victoria's husband but quickly grows disillusioned with his controlling behavior. Furthermore, in a decisive act, Bella shoots Alfie in the foot and returns home. As Bella embraces her newfound emancipation and capabilities, she performs a bold experiment.
The experiment involves swapping Alfie's brain with a goat's. Then, the film concludes with Bella, Max, Felicity, Toinette, and a goat-brained Alfie cohabiting at Godwin's estate. Thus, Bella gets the opportunity to embark on a new path as a doctor. When Bella becomes a doctor, she gets to perpetuate Godwin's legacy while asserting her autonomy.
This ending signifies Bella's triumph over the constraints imposed on her, thereby marking a new chapter in her life as an empowered woman.
What does the ending of Poor Things signify?
The ending of Poor Things holds a seminal meaning of emancipation and agency. In the end, Bella Baxter asserts her independence by escaping Alfie Blessington's control. This decision to shoot Alfie and return home symbolizes her rejection of male dominance.
By swapping Alfie's brain with a goat's, Bella reverses traditional power dynamics. Moreover, the act showcases her dominance and scientific prowess. Furthermore, by choosing to become a doctor, she steps into a role traditionally held by men. A crucial point to be noted here is the setting of the movie. The movie is set in the Victorian era, an eminent age for women's agency.
In addition, living with Max, Felicity, Toinette, and the altered Alfie at Godwin's estate, Bella could create her own unconventional family. Therefore, the ending highlights themes of female autonomy, the subversion of traditional gender roles, and the triumph of personal identity over societal expectations.
Bella's journey from creation to self-realized womanhood challenges Victorian norms and celebrates feminist ideals. Notably, these ideas were pioneered by renowned feminist figures of the Victorian era like Virginia Woolf, Emily Bronte, Jane Austen, and many more.
Who is Bella Baxter? Character explored
In the movie Poor Things, Bella is a character who is an experimental creation of Dr. Godwin Baxter. Godwin implants an infant's brain into the body of a young woman near death. This transformation makes Bella a new being, combining elements of a reanimation tale, a coming-of-age story, and a sci-fi epic.
Bella's character is Victorian-era British and is visually brought to life through the combined efforts of hair, makeup, and costume design. We witness her hair growing rapidly throughout the movie. This, in turn, symbolizes her lack of societal restraint and knowledge.
Moreover, initially, in the movie, Bella is mentally akin to a toddler. She is shown exploring the world with new eyes and dressed in simple undergarments like nightgowns and bloomers. However, as she grows, her style becomes more eclectic.
Poor Things was released in limited theatres on December 8, 2023, it will be followed by a nationwide release on December 22, 2023.
