The 'message'
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zoe-butler51 — 17 years ago(October 27, 2008 06:22 AM)
I'm afraid I see things in a slightly more sinister light. I did get the feeling that Rollason had been hypnotised by the Yeti and was also under the Lama's control - hence the intense stare and the commanding tone; "There IS no Yeti!" The idea that Rollason is purely acting out of altruism is belied by his own trance-like speech and manner. Moreover, all of the party are under the influence of the Yeti to some extent. In the face of the avalanche, Friend has plenty of time to run away and Rollason calls to him several times as he runs for shelter but Friend stands, helpless, with the same blank stare as we see on Rollason's face. We see the eyes of the Yeti in close up; intense and hypnotic. Friend seems to see something high above him and stares at it and we see his face go blank. This sets it up for Rollason to also black out. As we look at the Yeti's eyes we see the picture go out of focus. The next time we see Rollason he is unconscious in the blizzard. These creatures know human beings are weaker than they but they are not infinitely compassionate towards us - why should they be? They simply want to get rid of the threat that the expedition poses but they decide to risk letting Rollason go, relying on a hypnotic suggestion to deny their existence and help keep the bothersome humans away! It's not Rollason's compassion for the Yeti that saves them; they see a use for him and it's his gentle, passifist nature that saves his life! Had he shown any gung ho tendencies towards them they would have killed him too. All of this is consistent with the telepathic powers that the Yeti have exhibited, their ability to control human thoughts at a distance and their willingness to kill unarmed human beings.
The theme of humanity's dominant position facing a threat from another species is one that Nigel Kneale has tackled many times as for example in his Quatermass stories. The Abominable Snowman is an interesting variant in that we feel sympathy for the competing species. This is consistent with Kneale's philosphy. What we interpret as 'evil' is simply a territorial issue. The aliens in Quatermass and the Pit were not evil - even though they looked and acted like the horned devil! The Yeti were more obviously not evil but if they existed they certainly would be viewed as a threat to us all.
No, there is no question in my mind. Much as I do like the idea that good old John Rollason wants to stop the nasty humans from wiping out the Yeti I think that, for all his dislike of the hunters' guns and traps, it really comes down to two species competing for dominance. We may sympathise with the Yeti but we should not sentimentalise them. One day, the Yeti will inherit the earth. It is not in their interests to protect any human beings, only to keep out of their way. It is likewise not in the interests of human beings to to protect a species that one day will replace us. -
Soujurn — 17 years ago(November 22, 2008 12:16 PM)
I think the Yeti altered Rollanson's mind and memories. They planted the idea that everyone else died in "accidents".
The Yeti are peaceful creatures. Even after one of their own is killed they took no revenge, directly. They did all they could to hinder and persuade the party to turn back.
They created the illusion in Rollanson's mind that a message on the radio was warning them to return to the monastary, even abandoning their equipment.
When that failed they finally were left with no choice and made Friend hallucinate that he was hearing Edward calling him for help.
They could not have known Friend would cause an avalanche with his gun shots.
When they faced Rollanson, they didn't hurt him. They erased his memories and most likely planted new ones, erasing any memories of themselves. Then I believe they brought him as close to the mountain hut as they could, alerted his wife, and in this way saved the last of the expedition, and the only one who had a basic theory and understanding of who the Yeti really were, but made to believe they didn't exist. They could have killed him, or left him to die in the cave. Instead they helped him and thereby helped to assure a curious outside world, the Yeti do not exist.
Also, they didn't hurt Kusang when they had the chance, but rather let him escape down the mountain.
The Yeti were more advanced and "humane" than the creatures looking for them.
"Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government."
-Dennis -
Shroudx — 17 years ago(December 15, 2008 08:12 AM)
I don't beleive the "Yeti" needed to do any mind altering. They had the ability to see Rollanson for what he truly wasa reasonable and decent man. Either way it's refreshing to see a difference of opinions discussed and debated so civily. This is a movie for the thinking person, and that's what it seems to have drawn to this thread. Thanks for all the insights.
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drmality-1 — 14 years ago(June 12, 2011 10:31 AM)
This is a great thread about a great movie.
My view is that the Yeti are able to affect everybody within their sphere of influence. The High Lama (and those before him) is at the very least collaborating with the Yeti, if not under their mental domination. Remember when Rollason's wife found the Lama in a deep trance? I believe he was in communication with the Yeti at that point. "They are in danger from their own actions," he tells her. He knew exactly what was happening with the expedition. Which leads me to an interesting thought. The monks, those who live closest to the Yeti, have a peaceful "live and let live" philosophy where they live in harmony with their environment and do not interfere with others. Could this philosophy be a direct result of Yeti influence?
The question of whether Rollason's mind is intact at the end is an interesting one. I always thought the Yeti erased his memory and placed their own story there as part of their "disinformation" campaign. The blank look on his face when he says "What I'm looking for doesn't exist" suggests that to me. But I do accept the possibility that he is concealing the Yeti's existence out of his own free willI don't think that is the most LIKELY possibility. Remember Kusang saying "I have seen what must not be seen"? He knows what happens to those who see a Yeti. He returns in hysteria to the temple and then "disappears"likely to be brainwashed somehow. Or worse, depending on your view of the Yeti.
I don't think the Yeti need to engage in violence with their mental powers. They rely on their own patience and mankind's self-destructive nature to take care of things all in good time. With plenty of "Tom Friends" running the world today, they are probably closer than ever to their goal. -
john kenrick — 4 months ago(December 01, 2025 08:43 AM)
I wholeheartedly agree with those who believe that the (so-called) Yeti are, as Rollason suggested, a kind of alternate primate evolution, way more advanced than the lower primates; likely vastly more advanced spiritually and intellectually, than human beings, as Rollason himself put forth, and deserving of our respect.
This is a movie I truly love; for its ideas, its artistry, and its ineffable air of there perhaps be an impending upward turn it our evolution, and that we'd be wise to live with it, learn from it, and let it show us the way to a better way for us to evolve and to live. -
Butteoid — 11 years ago(January 03, 2015 07:21 AM)
I saw this firm today for the first time since I was a kid in the 1960s, and the ending hook, about the Yeti not existing, called back long-ago memories. Even as a kid I was impressed at that plot twist. It made a pretty good ending for a better-than-average example of the genre, which usually ended with the giant apes and ants, grasshoppers, tarantulas, or neo-dinosaurs (take your pick) being blasted off the face of the earth by the U.S. Army.
Just yesterday I heard a report that 1,000 of the rapidly diminishing number of African rhinos were killed last year so that wealthy Chinese men can have an aphrodisiac. The planet is losing species every day.
Maybe this was a message movie, and no one got the message.