Symbols and Tropes
Raymond Carver's Napkin
Wiping Up Life's MessesMaybe basing a life's work off of a hastily scrawled compliment someone wrote on a cocktail napkin after your high school play is a bit childish…but that's exactly why Rigg...
Lines from Macbeth
No, We're Pretty Sure This Sound and Fury Is Signifying SomethingFirst things first: these are the lines from Macbeth we hear in the film:SEYTON:The queen, my lord, is dead.MACBETH:She should...
Icarus
The O.G. BirdmanWho would have thought Birdman—you know, the caped crusader of Hollywood fame—would be referencing ancient Greek mythology? But he does:BIRDMAN: We have to end it on our own ter...
Jellyfish
Jelly BellyAs anyone who's ever watched Finding Nemo knows, you want to stay far, far away from the jellies. But Riggan, unfortunately, has obviously never seen this particular Pixar joint.The very...
Riggan's Superpowers
Power To The PowerlessGuys, we never find out if Riggan's superpowers are real. Most of the movie certainly implies they're not. We see him tearing apart his office with the power of his mind, only...
Birds and Flight
Birds And Flight, Afternoon DelightAs you know by now, Oh Student of Literature And Film, where a bird appears a symbol is never, ever far behind. And Birdman—a movie with a bird in the dang titl...
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love
What do we talk about when we talk about "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love"? The answer is actually almost as convoluted as the question.It's not like Iñárritu decided to pick a play ou...
Flowers
Alchemillias, lilacs, roses—quite a few flowers make an appearance in Birdman, although not always in their typical flowery ways. Flowers are supposed to symbolize love, life, and beauty…but th...
"Late Fragment"
"Late Fragment" is a short poem written by the man himself, Raymond Carver. Here it is in its entirety:And did you get whatyou wanted from this life, even so?I did.And what did you want?To call mys...