The Red Soil and Rei's Monologue

Discussion of the new series of Evangelion movies ( "Evangelion Shin Gekijōban", meaning "Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition"). The final instalment made its debut in Japan on March 8, 2021.

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The Red Soil and Rei's Monologue

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Postby unitM » Thu Aug 10, 2017 7:18 pm

Hello,

it is now my theory to believe that Rei's monologue(RM), as witnessed in episode 14 of NGE, might have been onto something. It's not hard to notice that red soil, a concept first expressed in her poetry, has been the cover for the final movie and the inconclusive 3rd one for some time now:
SPOILER: Show
Image




Without further ado(and because my browser crashed when I submitted this the first time...) I will be giving what I've identified from RM.

Background:
Rei Ayanami is present in Eva-01 during the 1st interchangeability test.
Rei's vision may be brought on by contact with the resident soul of Eva-01, Yui Ikari. At the end of the vision Rei looks up from within Eva-01 and is patently shocked, letting out a gasp.


Code: Select all

Mountain... Heavy mountains. Things that change over time. 山。重い山。時間をかけて変わる物。
Sky... Blue sky. What your eyes can't see. What your eyes can see. 空。青い空。目に見えない物。目に見える物。
Sun... A unique object. 太陽。一つしかない物。
Water... Something comforting. Commander Ikari. 水。気持ちの良い事。いかり司令。
Flowers... So many of the same... And so many unneeded. 花。同じ物がいっぱい。要らない物もいっぱい。
Sky... Red, red sky. The colour red. I hate the colour red. 空。赤い、赤い空。赤い色。赤い色は嫌い。
Water flowing. 流れる水。
Blood... The smell of blood. A woman who never bleeds. 血。血の匂い。血を流さない女。
Man made from red soil. 赤い土から作られた人間。
Man made from man and woman. 男と女から作られた人間。
City... A human creation. 町。人の作り出した物。
Eva... A human creation. エヴァ。人の作りした物。
What is a human? A creation of God? 人は何?神様が作り出した物者?
Is man a human creation? 人は人が作り出した物者?
The things I possess are a life and soul. I am a vessel for a soul. 私にある物は命、心、心の入れ物。
Entry plug, the throne for a soul. エントリー?プラグ、それは魂の座。
Who is this? This is me. これは誰?これは私。
Who am I? What am I? What am I? What am I? What am I? 私は誰?私は何?私は何?私は何?私は何?
I am myself. This object is me. 私は自分。この物体が自分。自分を作っている形。
This is the me that can be seen, yet I feel as though I am not myself. 目に見える私。でも私は私で無い感じ。
Very strange. I feel as if my body is melting. とても変。体が溶けて行く感じ。
I can no longer see myself. My shape is fading. 私が解らなくなる。私の形が消えていく。
I feel the presence of someone who is not me. 私でない人を感じる。
Is someone there, beyond this? 誰かいるのこの先に。
Ikari? 碇君?
I know this person. Major Katsuragi. この人知ってる。葛城さん。
Doctor Akagi. 赤木博士。
Everyone. Classmates. 皆。クラスメート。
The pilot of Unit 02. 二号機パイロット。
Commander Ikari? 碇司令?
Who are you? あなた誰?
Who are you? あなた誰?
Who are you? あなた誰?


Mountain... Heavy mountains. Things that change over time.
Mountains are an object not heavily expressed through the Rebuild series but when the Impact initiates at the end of the 2nd movie, there were clear visuals of a mountain shattering. When Q starts, we learn that there are big changes to earth, going with Rei's line that mountains are heavy things that change over time. In the preview of Q as well, Gendo is seen atop a mountain.

Sky... Blue sky. What your eyes can't see. What your eyes can see.
Again, not a lot of things standing out about blue sky in the Rebuild series, but in Q, there is strong evidence to support unseen magic working in the background of the movie

Flowers... So many of the same... And so many unneeded.
Flowers represent life, which Rei obviously does not cooperate with, bringing death into the picture. In Q, there were cuts of flowers growing between the tiles at Neo-NERV. They were growing in the red sand. The Impact that initiated the process that changed the planet and created a lot of redness and core material involved rescuing Rei and likely involved her altogether. The flower, which is the same as so many others, was grown on the red dirt that Rei changed. Rei is a clone too, in the same way that she looks at the flower. Q actually solidifies this feeling when Shinji is looking around Neo-NERV HQ and sees thousands of abandoned Evangelion units, tanks, etc. "So many of the same, so many unneeded"

Sky... Red, red sky. The colour red. I hate the colour red.
Aside from the sunsets in NGE, this can reference the red clouds in the sky, which reflect the red sand below, in Q. The clouds are an important image for Final.

Blood... The smell of blood. A woman who never bleeds.
The woman who never bleeds can be a reference to Rei being Lilith or being infertile. In any event, earth's ground is now impacted by Rei, so herself - be it in the form of dry sand or sand without human blood - is in the soil. Which leads to the next...

Man made from red soil.
Man made from man and woman.
City... A human creation.
Eva... A human creation.

If Rei is Lilith, man is made from her soil. Red soil can represent dried out soil(infertile) or Lilith-bloodied soil(man was made from soil, and man came from Lilith). The artificial evolution rite performed between 2 and Q appeared to involved not only organisms but buildings and objects too. Thus the soil was made red and core-like. But because the rite was imperfect, hinted at through red soil and an unhealthy woman, FOIs were produced.

In EOE, when Third Impact begins and the Black Moon is revealed, SEELE announces a red earth purification ceremony as well.

NGE used a lot of city scenes but none were very exciting. They were fillers. But in Q, Gendo states that SEELE saved humanity from the burden of death by giving us civilization. Rei too makes a similar mention by stating that cities are a human creation.

Rei then proceeds to state that which we literally know of her in Q: that she's a vessel for a soul. Then there's the deconstruction of her identity.

I think the red sand is an important image for Q and Final, what does everyone else think?

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Re: The Red Soil and Rei's Monologue

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Postby StrokeMeGoat » Sat Aug 12, 2017 7:56 am

I'm not sure my thoughts are together enough to comment on anything yet really, but there's also the fact that in EOE, SEELE says something along the lines of "let the Red Earth purification ceremony begin".

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Re: The Red Soil and Rei's Monologue

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Postby Sachi » Sun Aug 13, 2017 5:24 pm

I would say blue skies are very important to the Rebuild series. The red/blue color scheme is used a lot, red being used to represent death or lifelessness (red oceans, red earth), while blue represents something else, maybe life or hope (seen with the blue water at the restoration facility in 2.22). The blue skies in Q are heavily contrasted with the red earth. One of the most beautiful shots of the film is when the awakened Unit-13 ascends to the blue skies, just before shrouding it with red from the Gates of Guf. Then there are the two posters provided by the OP. The first of the posters focuses on the lifeless red earth, while the newer poster focuses more on the blue skies, on hope.
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Re: The Red Soil and Rei's Monologue

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Postby ElMariachi » Sun Aug 13, 2017 7:58 pm

There's another red/blue opposition : Blue is the color of WILLE, as seen by the armband most of its members wears as well as the blue logo on Misato's cap and Sakura's beret, while neo-NERV's logo is still red.
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Re: The Red Soil and Rei's Monologue

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Postby Sachi » Sun Aug 13, 2017 8:02 pm

^Now that's one I've never even noticed, though it seems so obvious in retrospect. Red versus Blue. Good catch.
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Re: The Red Soil and Rei's Monologue

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Postby Settie » Sun Aug 13, 2017 8:03 pm

Team red vs team blue just got a whole new meaning! :D

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Re: The Red Soil and Rei's Monologue

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Postby Joseki » Sun Aug 13, 2017 8:46 pm

Shinji's room in 3.0 has a red floor and blu ceiling:

SPOILER: Show
Image


Once he gets consumed by guilt only the red floor is shown:

SPOILER: Show
Image


There are some masterful cuts in that movie.

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Re: The Red Soil and Rei's Monologue

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Postby Sachi » Sun Aug 13, 2017 8:53 pm

If we're to get into every little instance of red/blue, there's a lot. I focused on the blue skies because it was mentioned in the OP, and particularly related to Rei's NGE monologue. I know it's fun, but let's try to stay focused on the topic.
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Re: The Red Soil and Rei's Monologue

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Postby Reichu » Sun Aug 13, 2017 9:23 pm

Both of the uses brought up are entirely relevant and help bring context to the color symbolism. More than topical enough.

Since OP references NGE: EoE uses red to represent death and the spirit world, while blue is used to represent life and the physical world. Could also be seen as fantasy vs. reality. Unclear to me if the red vs. blue moments in the TV series are going for something similar.
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Re: The Red Soil and Rei's Monologue

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Postby Settie » Sun Aug 13, 2017 9:57 pm

One thing I've wondered is, given the importance of turning the lifeless red oceans to blue and full of life in 2.0. That it could be a reference or perhaps taken inspiration from red tide events in reality? Since those are most often associated with mass die offs in the areas that it happens.


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