There are really only two prayers that people say to G-d - "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry" and "Thank you, thank you, thank you" He could have just said "Thank you" and the impact would be there. But to be silent, when the character is clearly feeling the actual presence of G-d, would be to continue pretending He wasn't there. The character is in communion with the creator of the Universe in a really profound way. It's metaphor. He's beaten and alone on a raft in the middle of the ocean. The only way to make this work without dialogue would be to make him weep.

I wondered the same thing when I posted it. The "thank you" dialogue marks Joe's turning point from living death to really living. Thank you JPS for this.

I think the scene would work without the dialogue - for me the picture speaks. Liz

Michael, Thanks for your comment, But to be silent, when the character is clearly feeling the actual presence of G-d, would be to continue pretending He wasn’t there. I find it very interesting and profound. Anyone else think of Castaway when they saw this clip?

I totally thought of Castaway. And you have to think Hanks made that association, too. Looking at it metaphorically, where the ocean represents the subconscious, it's not surprising that in both movies, the Protagonist had a revelation moment -- here with the Moon, Castaway where he lost Wilson -- laying bare their core essence, and then came 'salvation.' That is the bottom line of the psychological journey. That is the arc of the individuation process. Confront the core of who we are, recognize it, claim it, and then the universe responds in kind. Someone should do a video mashup of the two raft on ocean sequences. I feel a GITS post coming on!

"For whatever else the religious life may be, it is the fountain of self-knowledge & disillusion, the safest form of psychoanalysis" CSLewis

on another note altogether: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQXVHITd1N4&feature=colike