Swiss Army Man: A Love Story | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Swiss Army Man: A Love Story

How a man and a corpse taught me about love.

77
Swiss Army Man: A Love Story
Screendaily

It is a very rare occurrence for me to walk out of a theater completely speechless, so overwhelmed with raw emotion that I can't manage to form words to describe what I thought about the movie I'd just seen. It's not rare for me to walk out of a theater crying, laughing, or ranting my way through some combination of both... But to stand there in complete silence, to feel like any words I could say wouldn't be enough, or would be too much, is such a strange feeling that is reserved for only the most special of films. Those like "Swiss Army Man," the story of a man and a corpse.

<span id="selection-marker-1" class="redactor-selection-marker" data-verified="redactor"></span><span id="selection-marker-1" class="redactor-selection-marker" data-verified="redactor"></span><span id="selection-marker-1" class="redactor-selection-marker" data-verified="redactor"></span><span id="selection-marker-1" class="redactor-selection-marker" data-verified="redactor"></span><span id="selection-marker-1" class="redactor-selection-marker" data-verified="redactor"></span><span id="selection-marker-1" class="redactor-selection-marker" data-verified="redactor"></span>

Now, don't let me fool you into thinking it was the best film ever made or something like that. That isn't what I'm here to do. I'm here to tell you the story of how I sat down in front of a screen to see this revolutionary film I'd waited so long to see and was suddenly terrified it would be too weird and that I'd hate it. I was very scared as the film opened with what it had been advertised as: Daniel Radcliffe as a farting corpse. I'd been excited for this movie since it was just confused whispers at film festivals, but I knew I couldn't take an entire movie of this.

I wonder if anyone noticed that I was literally clenching my teeth; praying to some film gods out there that this movie would be what I knew it could be, and what it would be. The story of Hank, stranded on an island, and Manny, the corpse who saves his life. The film's name is a clever nod to a swiss army knife, as Hank constantly refers to Manny as his 'all-purpose tool.' In the end, he is so much more than just a tool.

We first see Manny as a corpse washed up on a beach, flopping around in the water and farting. Hank uses him to jet-ski across the ocean back to the mainland so he can get home. After this we learn all kinds of special skills Manny has that can help Hank. When Hank is running out of water, Manny seems to spew water endlessly from his mouth. Hank loads rocks into Manny's mouth and hits him in the chest to shoot down birds and squirrels for food. We learn about Manny's infamous boner that seems to be a compass leading them home.

Throughout all this, Hank teaches Manny about the world. He teaches him about people and places and everything back home, and Manny begins to become more and more like a real human and less of a corpse. We see their friendship form, and Hank is no longer the lonely man stranded on an island. One day Manny sees Hank's cell phone background photo of a woman named Sarah, and he falls in love with her. He wants to see Sarah, because he believes that when they get back to the real world he will find Sarah and that they know each other. So we get to meet Sarah.

Arguably the most touching scene in the entire film is Hank building a bus to teach Manny about Sarah. He doesn't know her; Sarah is just a girl he saw on the bus and took a picture of because she looked happy and he was too afraid to talk to her. Hank dresses up as Sarah and teaches Manny how to say hello to her. He does for Manny what he would never have done himself. Hank becomes Sarah and teaches Manny how to love, while Manny unknowingly teaches Hank about friendship.

A film so beautifully crafted about togetherness yet so buried beneath the wildest of oddities is what DANIELS have created with "Swiss Army Man." I don't know that any film has, or ever will again, be able to create this juxtaposition that makes me feel both incredibly strange yet touched so deep down. As I watched the end, a beautifully ambiguous one, the only words I could truly think to say were... thank you.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Disney magic for New Year!

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

4308
Disney magic kingdom castle on new years
StableDiffusion

Disney movies are well known and very popular in today's world. Although many people appreciate the plot and the storyline, not many people appreciate the wisdom these characters possess. Every Disney movie has unique advice that can be applied to everyday life. Here are 11 Disney quotes to help start your New Year off right:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

40 Gift Ideas for the Indecisive

It's a time of love, family, memory-making, and gift-giving. But also a time of stressing over the perfect gift.

118736
Christmas gifts around a tree
StableDiffusion

It's officially December. There is less than a month of 2024, and I still feel like yesterday was summer. Now comes the merriest time of the year, the Christmas season.

Everyone has been waiting for this time of year since mid-October (which is way too early, in my opinion) or before. It's a time of love, family, memory-making, and gift-giving. A lot of times when I ask friends and family what they want, I get a lot of "I don't know" or "I don't care."

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Bucket List To Live In The Now

Find excitement in your life and start exploring wherever you are right here, right now.

833
mu bucket list

I was sitting at my cubicle, now that I am an adult, looking at the rain pouring down on the windowsill, bumming on life, wishing for the rain to just stop for a full day.

There are moments where we count down the hours until work is over and how many more days till the weekend, and this many weeks until something exciting. Or something like that? Well, I was bumming because my next day off from work is not until Memorial Day weekend, which is not until the end of May. And since this is my first year out of college being a “real person,” I am totally missing the winter, spring and summer breaks. I am sure all of us have felt this way even if just for a hot minute…

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

11 Ways To Survive Finals As Told By Leslie Knope

Because you know you're going to be stressed out, and Leslie knows exactly how to survive.

617
Everything hurts and I'm dying

So finals are on their way. That's right everybody, finals are about to start.

But hey, don't panic. Start getting your affairs in order and prepare for a week of hell. Here's a few things Leslie Knope wants you to do to make your finals week just a little bit less stressful:

Keep Reading...Show less
Kent State University
Great Value Colleges

If you go to or went to Kent State, then more than likely you have done or will do some of these things.

1. You’ve slipped and fallen on the ice at least once.

The winters at Kent are brutal, and while the heated sidewalks and some great snow boots are always a help, there’s no chance you won’t bust it on the ice at least once in your four plus years at school.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments