[prohornblower]

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And the dog turning away from Damon just before he enters the apartment is heavy-handed dumb too.

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I think you guys are overestimating the average viewer's ability to see symbolism. Most people would see the rat at the end and go "Ewww, a rat."

And the dog scene was way more subtle. I actually liked that touch. The rat was pretty over-the-top but I don't think many people noticed the dog.