Carnival of Souls (or Manipulation?)

I know. I know. I know. We're supposed to read into the ghost plot that's right there. Carnival of Souls is a brilliant invitation to reflect on the afterlife. What happens when we die? In my forties now, I certainly spend more time than usual contemplating this question. I think it's healthy to do so, of course. I shouldn't have waited until my forties to obsess over it. We should all. At the very least, thoughts of the afterlife can compel is to make better decisions now. Perhaps that's what the movie wants us to see?

Well, I just see a lot of people manipulating a poor girl. Sorry. Cannot escape this. My wife and I rarely align on our movie takeaways, but we did on this one. That next-door neighbor in particular infuriated me--and my wife. He was somewhere between child and harasser. Either way, I couldn't help but feel sorry for our main character. She had to put up with him. He represented temporary safety and companionship. 

Even as a ghost, we deserve more. 

I don't think I'm too far off to find themes of manipulation everywhere in this movie. How did our main character become a ghost, for instance? Well, she was likely manipulated by her girlfriends to go along for a ride. How many of us are manipulated to take needless risks in life? That's a lesson to grasp. While we contemplate the afterlife, we should also contemplate the preciousness of life. Don't take needless risks that compromise your safety when you know the person you're risking it for isn't worth it. If they were, they wouldn't comprise your safety in the first place. Friends care about our safety, above all. Don't throw around the "friend" label without careful consideration. Just because someone is our neighbor, for instance, they may not be a friend at all. They may just represent the next car we get into that we really shouldn't have. 

Carnival of Souls - The Criterion Channel 

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