Joe Versus the Volcano – Opening and ending
Joe Versus the Volcano – By plane and boat
Joe versus the Volcano – Storm
Joe Versus the Volcano – Volcano
Joe Versus the Volcano – Marriage
Month: May 2020
Joe Versus the Volcano – Closing words
Even though it is considered to be a cult movie, “JVtV” is not that well-known and is somewhat underappreciated.
I suppose most people think it is just a weird drama/comedy/dramedy with a romantic twist.
Joe Versus the Volcano is a modern-day fairy tale and should be viewed as such.
It tells the tale of one man’s struggle with his inner fears and his eventual triumph over those fears and the beginning of a new life with his wife.
The message of Joe versus the Volcano actually helped me to get through a difficult time in my life and gave me the strength to quit an awful and soul destroying job, just like Joe did in the opening.
I hope that this analysis has helped you to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of this movie.
Also I hope that Joe Versus the Volcano gives you the courage and strength to fight the bad things in your life.
Joe’s Odyssey and other symbolism in Joe Versus the Volcano
This post will focus on the miscellaneous symbolism in Joe Versus the Volcano.
3 books
When Joe quits his job, he empties his desk. There are 3 books he was hiding the the drawers.
Robinson Crusoe, Romeo and Juliet and The Odyssey.
The events that happen to Joe later in the movie are obviously similar to the events in those books, although with a happier ending than in Romeo and Juliet.
Also there is a ukulele that Joe later uses.
The tropical lamp
And of course, the lamp he had on his office desk is full of foreshadowing images.
Losing his sole/soul
At the very opening of the movie, Joe damages the sole of his shoe.
The metaphor of Joe losing his soul whist working an awful job is further emphasized when he tells his boss:
Joe Versus the Volcano – Marriage
This post will explore the theme of marriage in the movie Joe Versus the Volcano.
Wedding tuxedo
Marshall the driver takes Joe shopping and Joe buys himself a wedding tuxedo. Even though he doesn’t even have a girlfriend he is dressed to be married.
It is this tuxedo that Joe chose to wear as he is about to jump into the volcano.
Prince
After Joe gets a hair cut the hairdresser tells him:
Another reference to a fairy tale.
Marshall tells him:
Joe is finally looking like he should. He is becoming the person he was meant to be.
Wedding dress
The dress Patricia Graynamore wears is pure white. Just like a traditional wedding dress is. 
Volcano marriage
Here I’ll focus on the marriage between Joe and Patricia.
Initially Joe doesn’t wish to marry Patricia but he changes his mind and they are married by Toby Chief.
Patricia jumps with Joe into the volcano, holding his hand. Although not intended as a leap of faith, it does end up to be a leap of fate…
…as the volcano spits them out, rejecting them as sacrifice…
(Also, notice how the arch above them looks a lot like an arch often seen at outdoor weddings)
and they end up in the middle of the ocean, miles away from any land.
Once again Joe’s luggage/baggage comes to the rescue.
Laying on this luggage their wonder where they’ll go now and Joe repeats Patricia’s line from before. 
Joe has finally found his happiness in life. At long last he is able to be with a woman he loves.
The 3 women of Joe’s life
This post will explore the three female characters played by Meg Ryan have in “JVtV”.
Office girl
The first girl played by Meg Ryan is Joe’s coworker, DeDe. She appears to be younger and less experienced than the other two women.
After quitting Joe asks her out, but that doesn’t end too well, as she can’t deal with the knowledge that Joe will die in 6 months.
The Flibbertigibbet
Angelica is the second of the three women Joe meets.
She is the most emotionally troubled one, and apparently mixes pills and alcohol.
She openly talks about suicide.
However, after a late night talk with Joe she seems to gain some self confidence and the last we see of her is at the dock where she says goodbye to Joe. She appears to be at peace with herself.
The True Love
Finally, Joe meets Patricia.
During their ocean voyage they fall in love together.
They eventually marry and decide to jump into the Volcano together. After the Volcano spits them out they live happily ever after. This part of the movie will be explored in the following post.
Apologies for a long hiatus
For various personal and professional reasons I didn’t write a single new post for the last 2 years.
However, due to the Corona crisis, now I find myself with more free time.
Firstly, I (finally) intend to finish my analysis of Joe vs the Volcano.
Then I might focus more on shorter reviews of certain movies or series, as a full analysis of the style I do can be time consuming to make.
THE OTHER SCENE 