Examining the Lover’s Montage in Euphoria Episode 4
Whether you love or hate the complete chaos that has ensued this season, you have to admit Euphoria is the embodiment of visually stunning cinematography.
Told from the perspective of teenage drug addict Rue (Zendaya), viewers often feel as if they are experiencing the fictional world through her drug-induced haze.
In the opening scene of season two, episode four, “You Who Cannot See, Think of Those Who Can,” we become further entwined in the inner workings of Rue’s mind. We see exactly how she envisions her roller-coaster of a relationship with her girlfriend Jules (Hunter Schafer).
“I don’t think you understand just how much I love Jules,” Rue tells us in the episode’s opening.
The couple is in the midst of an intimate moment, except there is one problem — Rue is high out of her mind. What follows is a series of striking reenactments, referred to as the “lover’s montage,” of the two women portraying iconic pieces of art and pop culture throughout history.
— out of context euphoria (@ooceuphoria) January 31, 2022
From the Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli to The Lovers by René Magritte to Self-Portrait as a Tehuana by Frida Kahlo, their all-consuming relationship takes on new meaning when viewed through the lens of the world’s most recognizable paintings.
Other pop culture references include an animated kiss reminiscent of Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Annie Leibovitz’s beloved photograph of Yoko Ono and John Lennon for Rolling Stone.
However, the lover’s montage takes on a more ominous meaning when considering the specificity of the movie characters chosen. With Rue and Jules depicted as Sam and Molly from Ghost, Jack and Rose from Titanic, and Jack and Ennis from Brokeback Mountain, viewers can’t help but wonder — does the montage foreshadow death?
Just for reference…someone finna die #Euphoria pic.twitter.com/svMCJ9fOPU
— Fitz_Gayrald (@FGayrald) January 31, 2022
And if it does foreshadow death, then for who, exactly? Fans seem to think it’s Rue, and the theory seems plausible. One Twitter user notes that in the opening scene, Rue plays all of the characters that die at the end of their respective movies.
wait i just realized in the lovers montage in euphoria last night rue kept embodying the characters who die at the end of the movie (jack from titanic, sam from ghost, jack twist from brokeback mountain) it is not looking good for my girl…….
— trish (@ULTRAGLOSS) January 31, 2022
Rue imagining her funeral at the end of the episode and having a heart-to-heart in the arms of her dead father, feels as if she is slipping away from both the people that she loves and us as viewers. With episodes five’s trailer devoid of her character, it’s only a matter of time before she slips away from everyone entirely.
