Mothman | Prophesize This - Page 7

Alarmed, she summoned the newspaper’s circulation manager to her office and together, they spoke to the strange little man. She said that at one point in the discussion, she answered the telephone when it rang and she noticed the little man pick up a pen from her desk. He looked at it in amazement, “as if he had never seen a pen before.” Then, he grabbed the pen, laughed loudly and ran out of the building.” (http://www.prairieghosts.com/moth.html).

In the film, as in real life, on December 15th, 1967, The Silver Bridge, foot bridge linking the town Point Pleasant to Ohio collapsed and crashed into the river below. In the film, this is eerily predicted by Laura Linney’s dream in which she imagines she is floating in a river of wrapped gifts with silver bows and wrapping paper. She feels herself sinking to the bottom of the river, where there are lights (later, we discover, these are the lights from cars that have plunged into the water from the high Silver Bridge). A voice says, “Wake up number forty-seven.” Forty-six people will die on this night, in the film as in life. She is saved, in the film, of course by Richard Gere who has become a love interest and she, the first for him since the death of his wife, so particularly significant...

No mater what you point of view, to say that the entire Mothman incident in Point Pleasant (or elsewhere, for there have been other sightings, other disasters where great and awful happenings were foreshadowed by Mothman and light sightings as they were in this case) was a complete hoax. People did see something and what they saw was remarkably, spookily similar and mothlike in appearance, and there is no question that awful things did happen.

It’s worth seeing Mothman to be sure, but it’s more worth it if you do some preliminary research first on what the symbolic meaning of the butterfly or moth is. And be sure too, to note the repeated and excellent imagery in this film – the way the symbol of the moth and the wingspan is duplicated again and again and the pattern found in almost every scene, from Mary’s seemingly winged hospital bed, to the front lights and grill of the car, to the dark tree branches over the accident scene.

Here is a film worth seeing, but do check out some of the symbolism beforehand just to get a real good angle on what the moth is really all about. Understanding that deepens the horror of the film, and this one ranks among the best, with The Ring, and others in the genre. As I write this, I want to note that the TV has just gone completely bobo and all static, when a moment ago it was in fact, just fine, and yes, there are strange high-pitched sounds coming from it – and I shit you not, and it is spooky and it wouldn’t be spooky if I hadn’t seen Mothman so many times and now associate it with some kind of communication or sign, but of what, I can’t say… so either I’ve lost my mind I’ve gone bobo, or (and I pray this later is more likely), The Mothman Prophecies is a highly effective thriller. See it | believe. Do not go gentle into that good night.

Article Author: Sadi Ranson-Polizzotti

Sadi Ranson-Polizzotti is a published writer in both the United States and Europe. She is widely known for her music commentary, particularly her writings about Bob Dylan about whom she runs a highly-trafficked site. …

Visit Sadi Ranson-Polizzotti's author page — Sadi Ranson-Polizzotti's Blog