The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008 Film) Symbols, Allegory and Motifs

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008 Film) Symbols, Allegory and Motifs

Backwards-Running Clock

The backwards-running clock is a symbol of the loss of the young men in World War I. To remember them and to wish that time could go back, and bring them home to work and live full lives which were taken far too soon, are among the meanings that this clock signifies.

Yellow

We see Daisy twirling into the street in Paris in a yellow frock coat before being hit by a car. The yellow symbolizes that she was at the height of her vibrance when her leg was crushed, thus ending her dream.

Hurricane

We see the clock that runs in reverse still ticking in a storage as the hurricane warnings blare, telling everyone that the storm is here. It is a symbol of how time is forgotten and the things that symbolized great meaning for a generation are no longer remembered, but wiped away.

Stockings

We see Daisy unrolling her stockings as she and Benjamin become intimate for the first time. As she does so, she reveals a giant scar on her leg. This unveiling is a symbol of her revealing all of herself to Benjamin for the first time in her life.

Capturing the Moment

Benjamin asks Daisy to stand with him in the mirror of her dance studio looking at themselves. He wants to remember this moment forever. It is a symbol that this is the happiest he has ever been and he knows this moment is quickly fading for the two of him, as he will soon grow younger and younger as she grows older and away from him.

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