'I Won't Be Long': 'The Lobster's Ending, Explained
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, The Lobster (2015) is a purposefully bizarre film with a powerful underlying moral about love. Set in a strange world where humanity has found a way to transform people into animals, The Lobster unveils a vision of society where relationships are mandatory, and divergences are condemned.
However, despite the grimmer elements of the world and harsh acts of violence, the ultimate moral is rooted in a couple's willingness to do anything to be together. However, that "anything" can also be self-destructive, as evidenced by the final moment of the film. Here's what's going on in that final scene of The Lobster.
Why David Is Going to Gouge His Eyes Out in 'The Lobster's Ending
The ending of The Lobster is rooted in one of the key thematic questions of the film, with David's final decision left to the audience's imagination. In the world of The Lobster, those who fail to find a lasting romantic relationship are transformed into animals, putting a ticking clock on David. After a few false starts, his connection with the Shortsighted Woman blossoms into a genuine bond. It's just unfortunate that it happens after the pair have joined the Loners, which means their relationship is forbidden.
Despite bucking traditions of society and even leaving the Loners' leader for dead, David and the Shortsighted Woman can't quite escape the expectations placed on relationships. Blinded by the leader and the Maid but still in love, the Shortsighted Woman seems content with David as is. However, fearing they need direct compatibility, David tells her that he "won't be long" before taking a steak knife to the restroom to blind himself. It's a strange moment that feels both like a thematic defeat and a moral victory simultaneously.
While David is still allowing himself to be defined by the expectations society places on him and others for relationships, he's doing so of his own free will and to ensure the bond between him and the Shortsighted Woman remains firm. It's a strangely bleak and heartfelt gesture, but the ambiguity of it leaves audiences wondering if he actually went through with it.
David loves her enough to do it, sure, but has his exhaustion with society convinced him to simply be with the person he wants to be with? But what if that's what he needs to do to truly be with her? It gives The Lobster's ending a tricky beat to go out on that forces the audience to ponder which would be better.
Compatibility Is Key in the World of 'The Lobster' – But It's Not Enough
One of the key throughlines of The Lobster is the conception of compatibility. It has a lot of fun showcasing the relationships that "work" in the context of the film, only to undercut how their compatibility is just a surface-level element. Throughout the film, people try to force themselves to be compatible with others, with John even smashing his face every morning in a bid to win over a woman with frequent nosebleeds. Even that's just a blow to the surface-level elements of the romantic subversions. The real impact comes with the Hotel Manager and the Loner Leader, both of whom seem to have happy and stable relationships with her husband and the Maid.
However, despite their similar outlook and personalities, they turn on each other when situations take a serious turn. These relationships may be compatible, but the love isn't truly there if the husband is willing to shoot his wife or if the Loner Leader uses the Maid as a human shield. Those dynamics may fit the world's conception of a strong relationship, but it's the bond David and the Shortsighted Woman naturally make that actually feels genuine. This adds another layer to David's apparent decision to gouge out his eyes; it's an act of self-sacrifice that many of the other "ideal" couples in the film likely wouldn't consider.
The Heartless Woman Is 'The Lobster's Harshest Piece of Satire
One of the bleakest elements of The Lobster's focus on relationships is a commentary on the lengths people will go to when they're desperate for connection. This is central to the Heartless Woman sub-plot, which follows David's attempts to win over a woman who openly lacks any empathy. She's lasted as long as she has by hunting down Loners so they can be transformed into animals, an act that also seems to make her happy. To try and form a connection with her, David does his best to tamp down his emotions too.
In a grim reflection of what he'll later be willing to do for the Shortsighted Woman, David's efforts push him to make some very cruel decisions, only for the death of his transformed brother to break his resolve. The Heartless Woman is a stand-in for all sorts of abuse, with her violent tendencies and cruel nature making her synonymous with the worst qualities of this world. In a world where relationships are everything, is it worth it to be with someone truly heinous?
The True Meaning Behind 'The Lobster'
The Lobster engages with all sorts of relationships, taking a keen eye on the way that dynamics can fake being close. They can make sense on a physical level or through shared interests, but there's something to be said for the actual time you spend together and the way it makes you feel. Relationships shouldn't be defined by society, whether that expectation comes from external forces or internal decisions.
The ones that are "successful" examples of relationships in society are either built on lies or are full of self-serving self-preservation. That broad approach means the themes can apply to all sorts of relationships. The film's broad surrealist elements allow it to be something very specific that can be understood by anyone, giving The Lobster a strangely uplifting and slightly scary portrait of what a relationship needs to thrive.
