Understanding The Metaphor A Date With Death Meet Joe Black

Recently, I happened to watch 1998 Hollywood Movie Meet Joe Black and I was amazed by some mind-blowing metaphors which were present throughout movie, especially in connection with Death. So, I thought about writing about it -


a. For those, who have no idea of this movie Meet Joe Black - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meet_Joe_Black & https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119643/ , here is a very brief introduction of same from Wikipedia - “Celebrating his 65th birthday, businessman and devoted family man Bill Parrish is visited by Death in the form of a young man, who wants to know what it's like to be human in return for giving Bill extra days of his life”.


b. Bill Parrish names Death as Joe Black and introduces him to his family as his friend to begin with.


c. First thing which struck me is their last names. Death is a Dark concept for most of us. So, it is quite apt that young man who visited as Death is given the name Black. Then if we pay attention then Businessman last name is Parrish which can also be spelt like “Perish”, which means “to expire”. :)


d. Then Joe Black says to Bill Parrish that he wants to explore this world for a few days and he (Parrish) can live up to that time. Why?


e. Polarities attract each other. For a few of us, Death is a fascinating concept and discussions around death-rebirth or events after death are very common. Likewise, it should not be a surprise that Death also wants to explore Life.


f. After this, in almost every scene of movie, we will see Joe Black accompanying Bill Parrish everywhere. Well, it should be easy to understand. Death is always accompanying us at every moment, but only a few highly conscious souls among us can be aware of this. Next moment can be the moment of death for anyone. So, it is quite apt that Joe Black is standing next to Bill Parrish throughout.


g. Throughout movie, there is a cloud of ignorance around Joe Black where no one knows anything about Joe Black. Well, no one knows anything about Death and the one, who knows, can’t stay between us to tell about it. So, this was also a very correct presentation in movie.


h. Then Bill Parrish refuses a business deal on Moral Ground. When you are aware that Death is standing right next to you, you are bound to act on moral grounds. :)


i. Then something very interesting happens where Joe Black falls in love with Bill Parrish’s daughter Susan.


j. There are only two events which can bring death to human ego; i.e. Physical Death (Joe Black) and Love (Susan). No wonder they both liked each other.


k. We can also interpret it like this that Love can defeat even Death. Even Death can fall for Love. Or Love is Death of Death.


l. Susan found Joe Black very attractive and magnetic. Whichever thing or whomsoever is in dark and we don’t know much about, that thing or person automatically becomes very attractive or magnetic.


m. Again, polarities attract each other. Hence, there has to be an immense attraction between Joe Black (all death) and Susan (all life).


n. Then Bill Parrish is agreeable or receptive towards his death but when he came to know that Joe Black wants to take along his daughter Susan too, he resisted. Why?


o. Bill Parrish lived his whole life and achieved all his dreams in life. There was nothing in this life which he wanted to achieve and he couldn’t. So, when we live a fulfilled life then we are not afraid of or resisting towards Death. If someone is resisting Death, it only means that he didn’t live the life properly.


p. But his daughter Susan has not lived her life fully. She has only started her life and has all her dreams to be attained. That’s why; Bill Parrish is resisting towards Susan’s death.


q. Then in climax, Bill Parrish goes with Death (Joe Black) and physical body of the same young man who was named as Joe Black returns to Susan without Death. This can be confusing but I will try my best to explain.


r. The young man’s physical body was taken over by Death for its stay on Earth. Now, as Death returns from Earth along with Bill Parrish, Death doesn’t need the physical body of young man any more. Hence, the young man returns to Susan.


s. Some mystical meanings of the same. We realize the importance and value of something only when we lose it once. The young man lost himself to Death once or we can say that he has seen Death once. Now, as Death has left him to live his life, he can value this life even more.


t. We can also say that Susan had lost her lover to Death and now when he returned, she can value him more.

Let's Meet Joe Black. :)

Gratitude.