Opinions about "the light"

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I'm so glad to see that others saw the light on Lucy's face right before she died. For a moment there I was afraid the 70's had come back to haunt me with a flashback.... For me, the lightening of her face represented her acknowlegement and acceptance of her impending death. Being a doctor, she knew the trauma her body had gone through and she had simply had enough. She didn't seem terrorized or in horrible pain...she gave in. It was as if it was her decision to end it. She was a strong character until the end and I believe she decided her own fate.

-- margaux (blondye@harborside.com), February 19, 2000

Answers

I agree that acceptance of death is important for all parties. I don't mean to be picky, but I think her injuries and the PE decided her fate- whether she was at peace with death or not she died from physical damage.

-- May Archer (archere@cadvision.com), February 19, 2000.

Then again...

The "light" was merely a spotlight mounted in the ceiling to help illuminate the area of the patient to be treated. They had lights like that in the labor-delivery room of the hospital where my sons were born.

The lights are of intense brilliance, making it easier for the doctor to see what he/she's doing.

What makes the light so symbolic, however, is the way it shines so brilliantly and dramatically on the patient. I believe the director chose to take advantage of that symbolism by showing a closeup of Lucy being bathed in the light, then a pullback shot of the gurney showing the source of the illumination. If you notice, the light's still there throughout, but it's not as pronounced as in the aformentioned closeup.

-- Victor (mata9@flash.net), February 22, 2000.


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