Brooklyn 45

In the climax of Brooklyn 45, the spirits of Susan and Clive become relentless in preventing the characters from leaving the haunted room, especially if Hildegard remains alive. Despite various attempts, Paul is the first to raise his gun to shoot Hildegard, driven by fear and xenophobia, but Bob intervenes, shooting and killing Paul instead. Knowing that the ghosts are still exerting their power and that the only way to escape is to free themselves from the spirits’ grip, Bob also kills Hildegard. His actions seem to be motivated by a desperate desire to escape the torment and the haunted cycle of their sins. After this violent act, Marla, Bob, and Archie manage to leave the house, but the damage is profound—Marla is devastated by Bob’s brutality, and Archie contemplates turning himself in for war crimes. The ending underscores how the characters, haunted by their past sins committed during the war—such as Clive’s war crime of bombing a kindergarten, Archie’s killing of children, and Hildegard’s possible involvement in espionage—are unable to escape their guilt. The spirits serve as manifestations of their collective guilt and unresolved trauma, and in their attempt to purge the ghosts, they ultimately destroy their moral selves, illustrating that these ghosts of the past are impossible to escape from without confronting and accepting the darkness within themselves. The film ends on a tragic note, highlighting that the horror of past actions continues to haunt them, tearing their lives and relationships apart in the process.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:44