X:  THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE

Loop

The immortal Alessa repeats an infinite loop of birth and death  

In addition to "terror," motifs that have to do with life such as "birth" and 
"reincarnation" also become major themes in Silent Hill 3.  It may fairly be
said that like rotating objects and the crest which is used as a save point, 
a "cycle of rebirth" motif is inlaid throughout the game and Silent Hill 3 is
thoroughly filled with this "loop."

It is worth contemplating the proposition that this "cycle" is closely linked 
not only to the work itself, but also to the act of playing the game.

IMAGE:  Heather stands on the emblem in the church 
The possibility of various profoundly meaningful interpretations is hidden 
in what Heather says after she understands the significance of the religious 
organization's crest.

IMAGE:  Heather fights her alter ego
What could the reason be for choosing a merry-go-round as the setting for the
fight with the Memory of Alessa?

SECTION TWO:  The hidden meaning of rotating objects

Beginning with the merry-go-round in the opening, and then the handle that 
Valtiel operates as well as giant electric fans, rotating objects appear 
everywhere in the game.  It can be thought that these objects suggest the 
circular passage of time.

IMAGE:  the carousel
The revolving merry-go-round symbolizes the repeated reincarnation of Alessa
herself.

IMAGE:  the fan in the passageway leading to the underground chapel
Even the giant ventilation fans that appear since the first game can be seen
as overlapping with this "cycle."

SECTION THREE:  Even the development of the story is inevitably similar?

The story of the first game begins with a nightmare, passes through an 
amusement park and concludes in "nowhere."  The third game also starts from 
a nightmare and finally comes to an end in a church.  One should reach an
understanding if one imagines that even the story development which is 
similar to a surprising degree is a phenomenon that "loops."

IMAGE:  the hamburger shop
Exactly like the first game, in the beginning of Silent Hill 3 the protagonist 
is just about to awaken from a bad dream.

IMAGE:  Heather in Alessa's room
In the final stage of the game, the protagonist comes to wander about 
"nowhere," a realm which is formed from memories.

SECTION FOUR:  Save and Load

Save points = the crest of the religious organization which signifies 
resurrection and the flow of time  

According to a book that can be read in the church, the crest of the religious 
organization is known as the "Halo of the Sun."  The three circles drawn in
its inner part signify present, past and future.  Couldn't it be that there are 
two meanings in the fact that this crest appears as a save point, namely that 
"Heather regains her memories as a result of looking at the crest" and "her 
time is managed by the player?"

IMAGE:  Silent Hill 3's load screen
Each time the player loads a game in the real world, Heather comes back to life 
again in the game.

IMAGE:  the memo titled "about the cult's symbol"
The crest of the religious organization signifies charity and resurrection, as
well as present, past and future.

Creator's Commentary:  Given that the crest of the religious organization 
symbolizes "resurrection" and "save and load" are perceived as a "cycle of 
rebirth," it seems that a link to the real world is created.  After she
understands the significance of the crest, Heather remarks, "Even if I die, it's
not the end.  That's certainly convenient, I think.  But somehow... I can't help 
but feel that this is terribly unpleasant."  The truth is that this is a message 
to the player.  In short, it means "as far as the player is concerned starting 
over again and again is convenient, but for Heather herself, this is painful."  

-Hiroyuki Owaku

(note:  Unfortunately the English translation of the lines that Owaku quotes
loses a bit of the meaning in regard to what he mentions in this commentary.
I've translated it more literally here but what Heather says in the English
version of the game is, "So death isn't the end.  Pretty good deal if you ask 
me. [...] But you know... just the thought of it is starting to turn my 
stomach."

SECTION FIVE:  Gameover and Restart

Valtiel, who drags Heather away, is an angel that governs the cycle of rebirth

Upon receiving "game over" in places such as the church and amusement park, a 
demonstration of Valtiel dragging Heather's body away occurs.  Although his
purpose is to restore life to Heather, whose body is where God resides, if one
shifts one's attention to the real world it is possible to interpret "game
over and restart" as a kind of "death and rebirth."  Regardless of Heather's
own will, she is brought to life again by the player and the story must 
continue.

IMAGE:  Valtiel drags Heather's body away
At the moment of "game over," Valtiel appears.  He drags Heather off somewhere 
to restore life to the body of the mother of God.

IMAGE:  Heather climbs the ladder in the hospital
The handle that Valtiel turns suggests all of these "looping" phenomena.

Creator's Commentary:  In the religious tradition native to Silent Hill, 
Valtiel is a being that is close to God.  In other words, he is established 
as an angel.  Simultaneously with acting as an agent of God, Valtiel takes on 
the role of watching over the body of the mother until God's revival.  For 
this reason, he continues to observe Heather without harming her.  When a 
"game over" occurs, he takes Heather away to restore life to the body of 
the mother of God.  In this case, there are two meanings to Heather's 
rebirth.  One is that she is reborn as Alessa's reincarnation in the game 
scenario.  The other is that she is reborn when the player retries the 
game another time.

-Hiroyuki Owaku




back