Sumith Prasad
In Yorgos Lanthimos’ absurdist anthology film ‘Kinds of Kindness,’ R.M.F. is a mysterious figure who affects the protagonists’ lives in all three shorts. His death becomes essential for Robert to reconnect with Raymond, and he rescues Liz, Daniel’s supposed wife, who is stranded in an unknown region during a research trip. Emily realizes that Ruth can resurrect dead people when she gives life to R.M.F. Even though his presence is significant in each of the three short movies, not much is revealed about him, which makes him and his actions ambiguous. As the film concludes, several questions about R.M.F. remain unanswered! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Yorgos Lanthimos Created R.M.F. as a Connecting Link Between Three Shorts
When Yorgos Lanthimos was developing ‘Kinds of Kindness’ with his longtime collaborator and co-writer, Efthimis Filippou, he wanted the short films that form the anthology to have an explicit connection. This need eventually made him and his screenwriting partner to create R.M.F. “It felt like a subtle way to connect the three stories other than the fact that the same actors play a different character in each story,” Lanthimos told Variety. “We didn’t want to have a main character reappearing, but a character that had a short time in the film. But at the same time, his presence was pivotal,” he added.
R.M.F. is the only common denominator in the three shorts, and he places the narrative in the same universe. His presence in the lives of Robert and Raymond, Daniel and Liz, and Emily and Andrew make them part of a single world, bringing a sense of unity to the narratives and themes. His story arcs in the shorts also help us create a timeline of the events in the film. ‘R.M.F. Is Flying’ unfolds first, depicting how he becomes a celebrity helicopter pilot who saves Emily and her research team from a near-death experience. This heroic effort must have garnered the attention of Raymond, an influential businessman, and convinced him to hire the pilot.
After getting hired by Raymond, R.M.F. agrees to be part of a deadly mission that concludes with him getting murdered by Robert. After his death, his body ends up in the mortuary where Emily looks for dead bodies to resurrect in ‘R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich,’ the third and final short. Thus, R.M.F.’s life linearly connects the events in the film, combining the three standalone narratives into one intriguing storyline.
R.M.F. Represents Free Will in a World Where Control Prevails
When Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou were developing R.M.F., they wanted the audiences to explain the significance of the mysterious character themselves. “You can apply any kind of explanation that you want or your own thoughts,” the filmmaker added to Variety about R.M.F. However, there are enough subtle details about him in the film that shed light on why he is important. Lanthimos’ absurdist drama is ultimately all about control, free will, and the clash between the two. A superior force controls the protagonists of all three shorts. Raymond dictates Robert’s actions, while Daniel controls Liz’s life. Omi and Aka’s spiritual guidance manipulates Emily enough for her to surrender to them.
Meanwhile, R.M.F. is not controlled by anyone in particular. Even when Raymond wants Robert to kill him, his permission is sought or bought. The influential businessman does not rewrite the mysterious figure’s fate. R.M.F. accepts death on his own terms. He is also not bothered by the outcome of Robert’s efforts to kill him. Likewise, he embarks on a rescue mission to save Emily and her colleagues alone, seemingly without anyone forcing him to do it. His pleasant face while receiving recognition for his efforts highlights this understanding. Finally, R.M.F. is brought back to life because of pure chance. A superior force is not behind the selection of his dead body.
If R.M.F. had died a day ago or another body had reached the mortuary after him, Ruth may have brought back another person to life from death. Therefore, R.M.F. leads his life with free will and fate dictating his actions, which is something many of the film’s viewers can relate to. While the protagonists of the three shorts are extraordinary characters who lead surreal lives, R.M.F. is an ordinary individual who makes these absurdist narratives grounded in our reality.
R.M.F. Remains Alive With Ruth’s Help
Since the short films that form ‘Kinds of Kindness’ do not have an explicit setting or timeline, R.M.F.’s fate may seem ambiguous. One may wonder whether ‘The Death of R.M.F.’ takes place after ‘R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich,’ which means that the mysterious character dies a second time. Considering his rescue mission to save Emily and her peers, it is not outrageous to consider the possibility of him losing his life again to death during a similar adventure. However, the chronological order that makes the most sense is ‘R.M.F. Is Flying,’ ‘The Death of R.M.F.,’ and then, ‘R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich.’ In that case, he is resurrected with Ruth’s healing powers.
R.M.F.’s second chance at life indicates that he can even be immortal. The most prominent proponent of this theory is none other than Jesse Plemons, the co-lead of the film. “One thing, this isn’t fully an answer, but one thing that I felt watching the movie for the first time, that I hadn’t thought about until I saw it, was, you know, with the three films we’re all playing different characters, there was some sort of reincarnation feeling that I got watching it, which never occurred to me while I was shooting it. And so maybe R.M.F. is this constant sort of immortal figure that. I don’t know,” the actor told CinemaBlend.
Plemons’ theory makes sense when we think that the three shorts take place in different universes. After every death, R.M.F. must have reincarnated in another world, making him immortal. Willem Dafoe, Plemons’ co-star who plays Raymond, George, and Omi, considered this possibility. “Or a threat of nature that almost, like a not a god figure, but something that goes through everything,” Dafoe said, joining Plemons in the same interview. The “everything” he mentioned can be time and space, which adds weight to the theory about multiple universes.
Read More: Kinds of Kindness Title Meaning, Explained
