An analysis of John "Derf" Backderf's motives for the comic and The Movie
Derf in the movie is not sympathetic as a character (in fact, it was Neil who was the apologetic one). The fact that this was based on a graphic novel by Derf with Derf's involvement and approval probably says a lot about Derf's feelings about himself, Jeff and guilt concerning Jeff...
Derf never gave himself any sort of Historical Hero Upgrade in the comic or movie (in the movie, he is worse)...Movie-Derf never really apologizes to Dahmer and only appears to have a Heel Realization at the very end before Jeff attempts to kill him.
Derf is basically admitting that he was a complete jerkass to Jeff back then. The Movie, even more so than the Graphic Novel shows him as mostly unrepentant until the end and even adds a completely fictional incident where he's almost murdered by Jeff. It's basically a confessional on Derf's part.
A person who has no guilt but probably wanted to look good would've probably have the screenwriters have Derf be like his friend Neil and be apologetic and guilt-ridden.
An analysis of the expanded inclusion of the "school psycho", Lloyd Figg
Lloyd was a lesson on not judging a book by its cover and irony.
Most monstrous people are not going to be obvious. "Human Monsters" often are hard to detect; Most aren't all zany or gross like Charles Manson, Richard Ramirez or Henry Lee Lucas. Instead, They Look Just Like Everyone Else!. They're more often than not handsome law students like Ted Bundy, pillars of the community who delighted children as a Non-Ironic Clown like John Wayne Gacy, respectable physicians like Dr. Harold Shipman, distinguished decorated military men like Col. David Russell Williams, sweet little old ladies like Dorothea Puente, cute little children like Mary Bell...or nice-looking, mild-mannered gay men like Jeffrey Dahmer.
When Figg freaks the "Fan Club" out with his antics, Derf actually pulls Jeffrey aside and warns him to stay away from that, "psycho", Figg. Ironically, it's the shy, quiet, awkward nerd "class clown" and unofficial "school mascot" pal of his who's the "psycho". It's like telling Darkseid to beware of and fear Snidely Whiplash.
Jeff's mother demonstrated Parental Favoritism in favor of David and demands that Jeff give his younger brother the chicken leg meat Jeff wanted. Jeff protests "But I like the dark meat", thus lampshading in a dark joke of a way Jeff's victims being predominantly black men.
Jeff is rooming with a black male student during the trip to Washington D.C. and he asks the young man (who is buff and hot with great abs) if the insides of black people are the same as white people. Again, most of Dahmer's victims were hot black men and they got cut open a lot (there's a rather famous couple of photos that are very easy to find on the internet showing one victim cut open and gutted in the bathtub).
At the start of that scene, Derf makes a crack to Jeff to mess with him about the black student; something like, "Hey, Jeff; If he (the black kid) tries to rape you, we're next door". Turns out that it's the "meek nerdy white boy" who ended up being the "rapist (and eventually, killer) of predominantly black men". Like the theme surrounding Lloyd Figg, this drives home the point about not judging a book by its cover (while showing that bigotry is stupid).
Jeff's father gifts him with dumbbells. There seems to be no real significance in-movie but those who know the Dahmer case will know that they will be the main murder weapon in the killing of Stephen Hicks (the handsome, shirtless young hitchhiker Jeff picks up at the end) and the disposal of his body. Ironically, it was an attempt by Jeff's father to help Jeff that would play a role in Jeff's downfall. Jeff himself would be murdered in the same way by a fellow inmate in 1994.
The father's line in the same above scene about seeing things in Jeff that he sees in himself (which he wanted to avoid). In-movie; It seems like his father telling his son to not be a neglectful lab shut-in and asocial geek like himself and be a regular guy with friends. Outside of the movie; It is a reference to Lionel Dahmer's (the father's) assertion that he is not that different from his son and even had similar gruesome murderous fantasies himself. Unlike Jeff; Lionel was a decent, responsible man who never had the urge to act on those fantasies and tried to do the right thing.
There are references to of actual photos of Dahmer as they were taken (though there are some visual differences).
An Analysis Of Jeffrey's coping with life vs. Oliver's coping with life.
Early in the film version, Jeffrey seems to be friends (or acquaintances) with a kid named Oliver◊ who's rather nerdy, androgynous and effete with a thing for singer, Neil Sedaka. Oliver is relentlessly bullied by guys like a pair◊ of Jerk Jocks and Lloyd Figg◊ (who gives him a wedgie). Jeff; Despite being described in Real Life as being a tall strapping guy note it's not as apparent when it's Ross Lynch playing him, who looks a bit like The Twink, but the real deal was a big tall guy, never sticks up for his friend and even runs away when◊ the Jerk Jocks push Oliver around. However; Oliver...despite being a geeky, Camp Gay outcast besot by homophobic abuse 24/7 remains relatively positive and even cheerfully says◊ "Hello" to his deadbeat (likely-former) friend during the class photo montage note It's possible that Oliver & Jeff were never really friends and Oliver was just a boy with a big crush on Jeff.
Jeffrey himself is occasionally bullied (in real life, he was a big guy who could've stood up for himself but didn't), has emotionally neglectful parents who argue a lot and divorce note but who have been described as an otherwise respectable, well-to-do family who meant well and not directly abusive. He can't take any of it at all, has a breakdown and becomes the broken, pitiful, alcoholic, monstrous cannibal Serial Killer we all know and dread.
An Analysis of potential "redemption" opportunities that Jeff missed...
Jeffrey Dahmer; Abnormal sexual pathology aside, was a lonely guy who yearned for true friendship and love (...well...sort of...)...yet ignored or didn't notice opportunities for relative peace...
Neil◊, one of the "Dahmer Fan Club", was genuinely remorseful over his and the group's using of Jeff as "Court Jester/Unofficial School Mascot/Local Memetic Mutation" rather than a real friend. Neil could've expanded upon the apology at the Prom◊ and brought Jeff back into the Fold as a real pal and became a genuine friend and Jeff would feel he "belonged".
Oliver was a kid who really liked◊ Jeff and was either a friend or acquaintance (and may have had a crush on Jeff). Jeff could've been a closer friend and maybe even (albeit secretly) a boyfriend note Then again, Oliver wasn't Jeff's "type".
Jeff was a member of both The Tennis Club and The School Band but he quit both. Tennis and Band would've given him something to do and socialize and he apparently wasn't bad at either.
"Jeff" vs. "Jeffrey" as Archetypes of "Good" and "Evil", respectively.
Our titular budding Villain Protagonist spends most of the movie being referred to as "Jeff", "Dahmer" or "Jeff Dahmer". For much of the film, he's pretty much a creepy but mostly-sympathetic woobie and struggles with the evil emerging from within him. He's The Sociopath but still technically a decent kid. However, when stuff hits the fan, the darker side overtakes him and insists on being called "Jeffrey" or "Jeffrey Dahmer".
Jeffrey Dahmer was A Real-Life Jekyll & Hyde and Alcohol Was the "Potion".
Jeffrey Became an alcoholic to overcome his Superpowered Evil Side (for his Helpless Goodside realized it was wrong, destructive and evil)... yet it eventually facilitated it, instead. Since alcoholism is an addiction, he was beholden to booze and couldn't just quit if he realized that it was only making him evil. Dahmer has been described as being a nice, pleasant man when sober and a brash Jerkass monster when drunk.
Jeff was capable of having some sort of conscience and humanity, but booze drowned out what little of it was left. It wasn't until his finally arrest and treatment that started to look back on his life with any semblance of shame and regret (unless he was actually truly evil and his 'Good Side' an act. The truth may never be known).
In fact; Jeff had a dual nature on so many levels... Nerdy & dorky but handsome & hunky... a genuinely Nice Guy but a sexually predatory serial killer who could be a raging drunk at times... a guy who liked both edgy, badass Hard Rock & Metal as well as the decidedly UN-edgy Neil Sedaka... An overly shy, socially awkward dweeb who somehow was a master manipulator, lured victims to their doom or threw cops off his trail... a man who loved animals but had a weird thing for dissecting roadkill and murdering guys.
An Analysis of the final scene between Jeffrey and Derf in The Movie.
This fictional confrontation (based on a more amiable final meeting between Jeff and Mike in Real Life) was created as a means to remind the viewer of who the protagonist is supposed to be (for those who saw him as The Woobie). There needed to be a scene before the end to show that he's now crossed over to the "Dark Side" and to set up for the final scene Where he picked up the hitchhiker, Stephen Hicks...who would become Dahmer's first victim.
◊ rock outside the school
