Of all the filmmakers expected to craft an adaptation ofDon DeLillo’s divisive novelWhite Noise,Noah Baumbachisn’t exactly the first filmmaker who comes to mind. While the novel’s satire of capitalism and consumerism is seemingly in line with the dramedies that Baumbach has helmed, the indie filmmaker has never made anything related to the science fiction or dystopian genres. Baumbach’sWhite Noiseis just as divisive as the original text that inspired it; his hilarious, unnerving, and oddly sentimental apocalypse tale has sparked both rave reviews and searing criticisms from film fans and readers alike.Much of the debatehas revolved around how Baumbach chose to end his adaptation.
Set in 1984,White Noisefollowsprofessor Jack Gladney(Adam Driver), the first professor of “Hitler studies” who teaches at the College-On-The-Hill. Jack is married to Babette (Greta Gerwig), and both have previously been divorced. They raise a blended family of Jack’s children Heinrich (Sam Nivola) and Steffie (Max Nivola), and Babette’s daughter Denise (Raffey Cassidy), and the child they conceived together, Wilder (HenryandDean Moore). Despite concerns that his wife may be taking some sort of substance, Jack’s life is thrown into chaos when an apocalyptic event begins to wreak havoc on the entire world.
While DeLillo’s 1985 novel was an absurdist satellite (and Baumbach’s film retains the period setting), it obviously plays quite differently in the wake of the pandemic. The film honors the novel’s unusual structure, which makes many drastic tonal shifts and changes in genres. Here is the ending ofWhite Noiseexplained in detail.
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Is the apocalyptic event solved?
During the second act of the film, an airborne toxic event creates panic across the globe. A truck equipped with flammable materials had crashed into a rail car, resulting in a black cloud. The Gladney family fled their home to find safety and ultimately reached a quarantine center after nearly drowning in a river. While the family is safe, Jack is alerted that he had more exposure to the chemical waste because he stepped out of the car to fill it up with gas.
The chaos of the event had distracted Jack from his fears about Babette’s drug abuse, and his worries that their children are also obsessed with death and tragedy, as they constantly watch news footage of crashes and accidents. He begins to suffer from hallucinations as he fears his impending death, and his emotions are heightened even further when he discovers that Babette is having sexual relations with the enigmatic “Mr. Gray” (Lars Eidinger) for the use of the clinical drug known as “Dylar.”
What happens during Jack’s encounter with Mr. Gray?
With his hallucinations becoming more severe, Jack goes to track down Babette and Mr. Gray. His close friend Professor Murray Siskind (Don Cheadle) had previously given him a gun to use for survival during the airborne event, and he arms himself as he follows Mr. Gray to a motel room. He discovers that the man his wife is sleeping with is the same figure from his hallucinations.
Jack shoots Mr. Gray and plans to stage it as a suicide, but Babette unexpectedly arrives at the motel. Mr. Gray, who survived Jack’s gunshot, fires his gun, wounding both Jack and Babette. By showing his bravery, Jack finally overcomes his fear of death; Mr. Gray represents his fear of mortality, and in a way, he’s finally “bested” him.
What happens in the hospital?
After being shot, Jack and Babette are able to convince the confused Mr. Gray that he is the one responsible for all of their wounds. They drive him to a hospital, which despite looking like a religious community, is actually run by German atheist nuns. As they reflect on their experience, Jack and Babette forgive each other. They recognize that they shared the same fear; Jack had hallucinations because he feared death, and Babette was taking the Dylar (despite knowing it didn’t work) for the same reason.
It’s an oddly sincere ending, considering how satirical the rest of the film is. Jack had been constantly trying to deny the reality of the airborne toxin out of fear, and Babette had been dismissing her drug issues for the same reason. After having a near-death experience that was simply caused by jealousy and infidelity, they realize that they have built a family that is stronger as a result of their experiences. They hold hands as the sun rises; it’s an oddly angelic image, which is again ironic because the hospital is run by atheists.
What is the meaning behind the dance number?
You’ll have to stick through the credits ofWhite Noiseto see the extended dance number that ends the film. As they readjust to normal life, the Gladney family stops by the A&P grocery store that they had been going to throughout the film. The other guests and employees start breaking out into an impromptu dance number set toLCD Soundsystem’s new single “New Body Rhumba;” the song has been shortlisted forthe Academy Award for Best Original Song,and has received other commendations throughout award season.
Similar to the hospital scene, the dance number reflects on the distractions that people give themselves in order to avoid their fears. Consumerism and capitalism give people a sense of comfort, even though they know it’s a system that is doomed to fail (and does fail within the airborne crisis). By simply ignoring what has happened and going back to buying groceries, people are trying to set aside any valuable lessons that they might have learned during the crisis.
The grocery store itself reflects a means of surviving death, as it offers food amidst potential starvation; there’s an uproariously funny scene earlier in the film where Jack makes an elaborate family dinner as the world collapses around them. The fact that the grocery store never changes also connects to Baumbach’s satire of the bland nature of average American life. People take comfort in routines, and even the most potentially shocking things (such as Jack’s studies into Adolf Hitler) are treated with the same mundanity.
