A Through Analysis of Plot Points in "Identity"

Malcolm Rivers' mother was a prostitute who frequently abused him during his childhood, and she would often leave Malcolm behind at the motel while she worked. This upbringing environment severely traumatized Malcolm's inner self, leading to the development of Dissociative Identity Disorder and the emergence of 11 different personalities. These personalities are:

1. Timmy York: A seemingly introverted young boy who rarely speaks and doesn't enjoy playing or roughhousing. He is doted on by his parents.
   
   
2. George York: Timmy's father, a reserved and inarticulate man who works in a low-income job and deeply loves his wife.
   
   
3. Alice York: The wife of George York and Timmy's mother, who lavishes love on Timmy.
   
   
4. Caroline Suzanne: A has-been female celebrity with a hot temper, high standards for living, and a low tolerance for subpar living conditions.
   
   
5. Ginny: Louisianne's girlfriend, somewhat timid and superstitious.
   
   
6. Louisiana: Ginny's boyfriend, very young and somewhat immature with a bad temper.
   
   
7. Larry Washington: A gambler who inadvertently becomes the owner of the motel. He is greedy and particularly disdains prostitutes, and is reluctant to assist others.
   
   
8. Rhodes Samuel: A murderer who disguises himself as a police officer. He has a strong desire for control.
   
   
9. Robert Maine: A criminal who is being transported alongside Rhodes. He has a fierce and menacing demeanor.
   
   
10. Paris Nevada: A prostitute with a cheerful and talkative personality.
    
    
11. Edward Dakota: A driver who previously worked as a police officer and suffers from brief amnesic episodes. He is helpful, unafraid of trouble, and willing to take on responsibilities, and is unafraid of danger.

Malcolm, four years ago, killed six residents in an apartment building. After a court trial, he was found guilty of murder, and his defense lawyer's argument that Malcolm had mental health issues was rejected. Malcolm was sentenced to death. However, a diary discovered while organizing Malcolm's belongings led to a turning point in the case, revealing that Malcolm indeed suffered from Dissociative Identity Disorder (multiple personality disorder). Doctors aimed to force Malcolm's various personalities to merge through medication and have Ed, one of the personalities, find the killer among them and eliminate him.

In the end, it appeared that Malcolm was left with only one personality, Paris. Consequently, the judge approved a delay in Malcolm's death penalty ruling and sent him to a mental health facility. However, Malcolm's most malevolent personality, Timmy, had not truly disappeared; he resurfaced and killed Paris, becoming Malcolm's sole personality.

This film contains numerous detailed descriptions, and careful observation can reveal many intriguing pieces of information. Here are my responses to some of the questions posed in the movie.

Why does Rhodes and Maine come to the motel?

There's a scene in the film where the car's dashboard is shown, and you can see that the fuel gauge is nearly empty. So, the answer is that their car ran out of gas. Towards the end of the film, we can also infer that Rhodes asks Paris for the truck keys because he wants to leave, but you might wonder why he needs the truck when he has a police car. That's because the police car had run out of gas.

What details suggest that Rhodes may not be a real police officer?

There are several. Firstly, when Rhodes gets out of his car and shows his badge to the motel manager, he doesn't fully open his badge; he quickly flips it open and shut. A real police officer would typically take more time to display their credentials.

Secondly, when Rhodes escorts Maine back to his room, Maine's choice of words mean something when he says, "I'm in prison clothes." Why would he emphasize the fact that he's in prison clothes? This suggests that Rhodes should also be wearing prison clothes.

Lastly, when Rhodes takes off his suit, there is a bloodstain and puncture holes in the sweater he's wearing. This is the most apparent clue, as the fresh bloodstain implies that the clothing isn't his, as he doesn't show any signs of being injured.

Why do Ginny and Louis keep driving forward until Ed signaled for them to stop?

Ed asks Louis and Ginny to take him across the road to the other side. When Ginny mentions that the other side has deeper water, it implies that they initially came from that direction. Since the path ahead is likely blocked or impassable, they have to turn back. However, they can't return the way they came, and they don't anticipate encountering a large pit or trench on the road they used to enter, which forces them to stop and stay at the motel.

Why does the little boy have the motel keys, and why does he place a key at the murder scene?

The motel itself is a fictional construct, representing the child's traumatic experiences from his past. The keys with room numbers symbolize the transactions his mother had with different clients at the motel, which is the source of his inner turmoil. It's not surprising that the little boy has these keys; he has them all along. The key place at the murder scene is likely a representation of his guilt and his connection to the traumatic events that took place at the motel.

What is Maine's secret?

Maine tells Larry that he has a secret too after being captured. So, what is Maine's secret? Upon closer examination of the film, we notice that Maine initially runs in the opposite direction of the motel after escaping. However, he ultimately returns, indicating that those within the scenario are unable to leave. Maine realizes the surreal nature of the entire motel and wants to share this revelation with Larry. Similarly, later in the film, when Paris wants to run away, Ed insists she stays because he knows that any escape attempt is futile, as everything is illusory.

What do these 11 personalities symbolize?

1. Timmy York: Represents all the resentment within Malcolm.
2. George and Alice York: Symbolize Malcolm's longing for a normal family.
3. Caroline Suzanne: Represents his mother's aging and her decline in popularity with clients.
4. Ginny and Louisiana: Represent the immaturity of Malcolm's mother and father during his childhood.
5. Larry Washington: Represents the crime of theft that Malcolm's mother committed.
6. Rhodes and Maine: Represent his mother still serving time in prison.
7. Paris Nevada: Symbolizes his mother's identity as a "whore."
8. Edward Dakota: Represents all of the kindness and positive thoughts that exist within Timmy York.

These personalities are facets of Malcolm's own psyche, each developed as a coping mechanism for his traumatic childhood experiences.

Why does Ed mutter and recite the poem? What is the meaning of the poem?

"When I was going upstairs, I met a man who wasn’t there. He wasn’t there again today. I wish…I wish he’d go away." Many people think that this poem was created by Malcolm's evil personality, but I cannot agree with this. Note the "he" in the poem, which refers to someone, and the use of "wish." Would a young boy use such words? Compared to what the evil personality says at the end of the film, it's hard to imagine that an evil personality would write such a poem. Clearly, this is a cry for help from a desperate child.

I believe that this poem was written by Malcolm himself before his personality split. Malcolm was going upstairs to find his mother but encountered a strange man (a client of his mother). This man frequently visited his mother, and each time he did, Malcolm felt abandoned. He resented this man. However, it seems that this man hasn't visited lately (perhaps he has got tired of her). If this man doesn't come anymore, Malcolm can have his mother's company. Therefore, in his heart, Malcolm wishes this man would never return. The "he" in the poem refers to the various clients. At this point, Malcolm still has a kind heart.

At the very beginnig Malcolm himself had only two personalities: Timmy (negative) and Ed (positive). The other personalities are related to his mother. So, it's not surprising that Ed has this memory. He has stored Malcolm's childhood memories in his subconscious, which resurface after a series of events, and recites the poem without even realizing .

Why do Ed and Rhodes both die in the end? What does Ed say to Rhodes before his death?

After hearing what the doctor tells him, Ed realizes that he and the other people in the motel were all different personalities of Malcolm, and within these personalities, a murderer ishiding. The doctor gives Ed two tasks: to identify the killer among them and to reduce the number of personalities. At this point, some of Ed's childhood memories might have resurfaced. Ed realizes that the other personalities are likely innocent and he is the real murderer. Subconsciously, he believes that life had no meaning, so he constructed the motel based on his childhood experiences and gradually killed off the other personalities. Everything, no matter how absurd it might seem, becomes understandable because the motel itself is nothing but a fabrication. The doctor tells Ed that one of the personalities killed many people four years ago, and this reinforces his belief that he is the bad personality.

Therefore, Ed decides to seek redemption: he forgives his mother (leaving Paris as the sole personality) and choeses to die with another personality, Rhodes. If you closely watch the movie, you can see that Ed mouthes some words to Rhodes just before his death, even though there is no sound. By reading his lips, it's apparent that Rhodes says he wasn't the killer, and Ed replies, "I know." The reasons for Ed killing Rhodes are twofold: to fulfill the doctor's request to reduce the number of personalities and to ensure that the last surviving personality wouldn't be Rhodes but Paris. Ed doesn't want Rhodes to be the last one because he knows Rhodes is a criminal, something that Ed, who is a former police officer, should have discovered earlier. So Ed chooses to go down with Rhodes. (Ed is completely unaware that Timmy is still alive.)