The Lost Daughter is a deeply emotional and ambiguous film that has sparked various interpretations regarding its ending. Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, this Netflix film is an adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s book of the same name. Both the film and book offer a poignant exploration of motherhood and womanhood. The ending, in particular, leaves viewers questioning Leda’s fate and the film’s deeper message.
The movie follows Leda, a woman who goes on a solo vacation to Greece, where she becomes fascinated by Nina, a young mother on holiday with her family. As Leda observes Nina and her daughter, Elena, she is reminded of her own complicated relationship with her daughters, Bianca and Martha. When Elena goes missing, Leda finds her and returns the girl to the family but steals her cherished doll. This act leads to Nina stabbing Leda the night before she is set to return home, creating a tense and uncertain conclusion.
The ambiguity surrounding Leda’s fate at the end of The Lost Daughter raises several questions. Did Leda die from the stab wound inflicted by Nina? Or did she survive the attack, and the film is portraying her in some sort of afterlife or in a state of psychological reckoning? The ending leaves these questions unanswered, providing viewers with a psychological journey through Leda’s mind. At its core, the film tackles heavy themes about motherhood, which are often taboo and unspoken. This piece explores different interpretations of the film’s conclusion.
The Lost Daughter Ending Explained
In the final moments of The Lost Daughter, Leda, badly wounded from the stab, tries to drive herself to the airport. However, she crashes her car and stumbles toward the beach. There, she collapses into the water. The following morning, Leda wakes up on the beach. As she touches her wound, she calls her daughter, Bianca, who answers and expresses worry that Leda has been unreachable, thinking she is dead. Leda reassures her daughter, saying, “Dead? No, I’m alive actually.” She then peels an orange while talking to Bianca, a symbol that has recurring significance throughout the film.
Does Leda Die at the End?
One of the central questions surrounding the film is whether Leda dies in the end. After Leda wakes up, she recalls a fond memory of peeling oranges with her daughters. The orange serves as a significant symbol in the film. As a young mother, Leda and her daughters would chant, “Peel it like a snake, don’t let it break,” while peeling oranges. This act, along with the image of the long peel, points to Leda’s desire for order and perfection. The orange’s reappearance in the final scene could signify that Leda is alive, having finally come to terms with her role as a mother.
However, the film also leaves open the possibility that Leda is, in fact, dead. When she stumbles onto the beach, she is not carrying any objects, yet she ends up with a phone and the orange in her final scene. Additionally, the fact that Leda is wearing all white in her final moments, coupled with her statement, “Dead? No, I’m alive actually,” invites the possibility that the character may have passed away, now existing in an afterlife where she has reconciled with her past.
In Ferrante’s original novel, the final line reads, “I’m dead, but I’m fine.” Gyllenhaal chose to change this line for the film, and while the change is significant, both versions could indicate Leda’s acceptance of a kind of peace in death. Whether or not she survives the stab wound, her calm acceptance in the final moments could point to a metaphorical or literal death and a sense of closure she has achieved.
Why Does Leda Steal the Doll?
A key moment in The Lost Daughter revolves around Leda’s act of stealing Elena’s doll. Before Elena goes missing, Leda watches her violently abuse the doll, biting its face, which deeply disturbs her. This incident triggers memories of Leda’s own troubled relationship with her daughter, Bianca. As a child, Bianca had similarly abused Leda’s own doll, mirroring the violence and emotional turmoil of their relationship.
After stealing the doll, Leda takes great care to clean it, buy it new clothes, and even sleep with it. This act can be seen as Leda’s attempt to provide the nurturing care she failed to offer her own daughters. The doll becomes a symbol of Leda’s unresolved feelings about motherhood. When a worm emerges from the doll’s mouth while Leda cleans it, it can symbolize that Leda will never fully heal the wounds from her past or restore her relationships with her daughters. However, the act of tending to the doll might also represent a form of psychological purging, where Leda confronts her own failures and desires regarding motherhood.
The doll’s significance is multi-layered. It could also represent the trauma Leda experienced during her own motherhood. The abuse of the doll by Bianca, and the memories it evokes of young Leda’s own abuse, could suggest that the doll represents Leda’s internalized pain and suffering. When Leda later cares for the doll, it might be her attempt to process the trauma of motherhood. This complex act of stealing and caring for the doll reveals Leda’s ambivalence about motherhood and the emotional cost of her selfishness.
Who is the Lost Daughter?
The title of The Lost Daughter is never explicitly explained, leading to speculation about its meaning. The bond between Leda and Nina becomes central, both grappling with the weight of motherhood. Their struggles with identity reflect the film’s theme—the loss of selfhood that often accompanies motherhood.
The film critiques societal expectations, showing how Leda and Nina are haunted by losing their personal identities after becoming mothers. Leda, in particular, endures motherhood rather than embracing it. The film suggests that becoming a mother often leads to the loss of personal identity, making both Leda and Nina “lost daughters.”
The film challenges the idea that motherhood is a universal, instinctual role, showing that not all women find fulfillment in it. The “lost daughter” may refer to every woman who continues to carry her complexities, flaws, and personal desires, despite societal expectations.
Ultimately, The Lost Daughter is a meditation on the complex nature of motherhood, self, and personal identity. The film speaks to the unspoken struggles of women, particularly mothers, and explores the cost of self-sacrifice. It poignantly examines how the burdens of motherhood can shape and obscure a woman’s sense of self.
