Eden

In the film’s closing moments the fragile utopia the scientists tried to build finally collapses. After months of rivalry and desperation, Dore serves Friedrich a piece of badly spoiled chicken. He succumbs to food‑poisoning, and with his dying breath he blames her for the murder‑like act. The governor of the Galápagos, having received Friedrich’s frantic letter accusing Heinz Wittmer of killing the Baroness, arrives on Floreana to investigate. When Margaret is questioned, she points out the obvious: Friedrich could not have died from a simple mistake after four years on the island; someone must have deliberately given him the rotten meat. Her calm testimony convinces the governor that the Wittmers are not the culprits.

With no concrete evidence to hold her accountable, Dore departs with the governor, leaving behind the chaotic experiment she once hoped would redefine humanity. The Wittmer family, the ordinary couple who had endured disease, hardship and even the violent intrigue surrounding the Baroness, remain on the island. Margaret continues to live there for decades, raising her children—her son Harry later dying in a drowning accident—while her younger son Rolf eventually founds a modest tourism operation that still operates on Floreana. The Baroness and her lover Phillipson are never recovered, their bodies hidden beneath the sea, and the mystery of their disappearance fades into legend.

Thus the film ends on a stark contrast: the lofty, philosophical dream of Friedrich and Dore collapses under the weight of human need and cruelty, while the humble, persevering Wittmers become the true heirs of the island, embodying the very survival they once tried to out‑shine.

Last Updated: August 25, 2025 at 07:13