Even Pigeons Go to Heaven (2007) Plot Summary Explained

The priest targeted Moulin because the old miser's accident presented a perfect opportunity. When Moulin's stack of books collapsed and he fell, the priest arrived just in time to intervene, positioning himself as a savior. This gave him immediate access to a vulnerable, isolated elderly man who lived alone with his savings, making him an ideal mark for the salvation scheme.

• priest
• Moulin
• scam
• target
• elderly

The priest staged an elaborate theatrical performance inside a tank-like device with port holes. He exploited Moulin's poor eyesight to create the illusion of a spiritual journey. The show was designed to appear supernatural while being entirely fake, convincing Moulin that the device actually transported him to Heaven.

• demonstration
• Heaven
• illusion
• poor eyesight
• trick

Moulin agreed because the priest preyed on his fear of death and desire for salvation. Although Moulin was initially wary and demanded a demonstration, the convincing illusion combined with his loneliness and mortality fears overcame his suspicion. He believed purchasing guaranteed salvation was worth sacrificing his life savings.

• savings
• salvation
• fear
• trust
• deal

The Grim Reaper arrived because Moulin was originally supposed to die in his earlier fall from the stack of books. The Reaper was delayed in his duties and arrived at the priest's room late, expecting to find Moulin dead from that accident. This timing created the darkly ironic situation where both the con artist and the con target were in the same room.

• death
• Reaper
• accident
• timing
• collection

The Reaper killed the priest because of a misidentification. When the Reaper announced he came for Mr. Moulin who died in a fall involving a red sock, Moulin quickly deflected by pointing at the priest, who was still clutching the red sock filled with money. The Reaper, confused and flustered, attacked the wrong person.

Foreshadowing: The red sock containing Moulin's savings was established early as his most prized possession, making it the key object in the Reaper's description.

• mistake
• misidentification
• scythe
• sock
• blood

The Grim Reaper slashed the priest with his scythe, killing him instantly. Blood splattered across Moulin's face as the priest fell. This marked the darkly ironic downfall of the con artist, he came to steal a miser's savings but was instead claimed by death itself, while the intended victim survived.

• priest death
• scythe
• blood
• consequence

Moulin entered the contraption likely out of a combination of curiosity and the desperation of his situation. With the priest dead and his savings gone, Moulin may have wanted to test if the device actually worked, or perhaps he felt he had nothing left to lose. His press of the red button suggests he sought some form of escape or transformation, but instead sealed his fate inside the fake salvation machine.

• contraption
• button
• trap
• decision
• fate

The ending suggests Moulin is trapped in a self-created hell. By pressing the red button, he sealed himself inside the very device meant to grant salvation, but which actually only provided illusion. The bleak conclusion implies he will die trapped and alone, his greed having led him to damnation rather than the Heaven he sought.

• ending
• trapped
• damnation
• irony
• fate

The title is ironic because in this film, even a greedy miser who tricks others cannot escape death's judgment, but his ultimate fate is not heavenly salvation. The priest, who claimed to offer a guaranteed path to Heaven, is the one claimed by death, while Moulin ends up trapped in a fake Heaven machine. The title suggests universal salvation, but the film delivers a bleak message about greed and self-destruction.

• title
• irony
• Heaven
• pigeons
• theme

The red sock represents Moulin's entire life savings and his greatest vice, his material attachment to wealth. It becomes the inciting object of the con and the key detail that confuses the Grim Reaper. When Moulin points at the priest holding the sock, he uses his own greed as a deflecting tool, leading to the priest's death. The sock literally contains the money that drove the entire tragicomedy.

Foreshadowing: The red sock was introduced early as Moulin's most prized possession, which he clutches even during his fall.

• sock
• money
• savings
• greed
• object