1922

At the end of 1922, Wilfred’s life has become a nightmare of guilt and supernatural torment. Haunted by visions of his wife Arlette and later his son Hank, accompanied by overwhelming swarms of rats, Wilfred is trapped in a never-ending cycle of regret and madness. These rats symbolize his growing conscience—corrupted, dirty, and unstoppable—mirroring the decay for which he is responsible. They serve as a tangible manifestation of his guilt, tormenting him physically and psychologically, and their increasing numbers reflect how his conscience has swollen beyond control.

As Wilfred continues to descend into paranoia and despair, he writes his story as a form of confession, but ultimately, his fate is left unresolved. The film raises the question of whether he kills himself or if the spirits of his victims claim him after death. His death could be self-inflicted, taking responsibility for his actions and accepting darkness, or it could be caused by the vengeful spirits—symbolic of judgment—that take him away due to his sins. The ambiguity emphasizes themes of guilt, belief, and the consequences of selfish choices. However, the core tragedy remains that his initial decision to murder Arlette set him on a path where everything he loved was lost, and his life was doomed from that moment onward. The rats, as relentless symbols of his guilt and the inevitable decay of his soul, underline that Wilfred’s downfall was ultimately unavoidable, driven by the selfishness and short-sightedness that led to every devastating consequence. The haunting creatures are less about ghosts and more about the inescapable burden of remorse—reminding us that guilt, once triggered, can consume a person completely, long after the physical world has faded.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 09:00