Death of a Birdman

It’s been a while since I’ve seen Birdman, and you all remember my review on it. I loved it. However, I was always just a bit confused by it. What did it mean?  What did it represent?  Just recently, I read the play Death of a Salesman, and found it depressing, and altogether good. Just this morning, I decided to watch Birdman again, and noticed something. The insanity of the character Riggan, the broadway/ stage theme throughout, his suicidal tendencies. Birdman is a modern retelling of Death of a Salesman. Think about it: He’s a schizophrenic living in regret of not doing something that would have changed his life for the better. In the end, the voice in his head convinces him to kill himself so as to make life better for his family. Throughout the movie, Riggan talks to a voice in his head that is the birdman whom has died, metaphorically. Much like Willy talks to his dead brother. Eventually, the voice of regret inside his head, the birdman, convinces him that life, and his family, would be better off without him, and eventually convinces him to kill himself.  I know, Riggans family is way more disfunctional than Willys, but who’s to say Willys family wasn’t?  His kids basically had nowhere to go, and lived with their parents. His wife knee he was suicidal, but chose to say nothing. And, before his death, Willy had a short lived affair. It’s little references, and subtle adaptations like these that drive me towards film. A captivating story, and secret meaning that only few understand, or choose to understand beautifully told from the director of The Revenant, and countless other films with beautiful cinematography, writing, directing, and acting. A+ Alejandro.