Powerless fatalism

Etha 2022-03-19 09:01:02

"Mystic River" intends to explore the irreversible impact of inevitable events on life. But the film’s weak characterization and plot structure cannot hold up such an ambitious theme.

In the beginning, Dave was kidnapped and sexually abused when he was a child, and ran away after four days in prison. This created a psychological shadow for Dave and had an impact on his future life (but this is not well shown in the plots afterwards). Then, on the night that his friend's daughter was killed, Dave beat up a pedophile. Before that, they had been drinking in the same bar. In this way, in a series of coincidences, the director and screenwriter deliberately made up a story about fatalism.

What is the real fatalistic story? No matter what the choices of the characters will not change the direction of their destiny. But Dave had such a choice, but unfortunately, he went to the trap that the screenwriter had dug for him early under the help of the scriptwriter. We cannot imagine that a person who has the courage to beat up a pedophile has the courage to confess this to his wife. Moreover, don't people with psychological trauma feel inferior and scared first when facing similar incidents? Obviously, Dave's characterization has a big problem. What we see is not the real Dave, but the Dave imagined by the screenwriter and the characters in the film. Therefore, in the movie, we didn't see Dave's own thoughts and thoughts, he was always only facing the interrogation of the police and his wife. At the end, Dave mistakenly believed his friend and lied again, claiming that he had killed his friend's daughter-which seemed to be another coincidence. In coincidences and coincidences, the puppet Dave walked towards the death that the screenwriter had scheduled for him.

Perhaps there is a real fatalism in the movie: Poor Dave can't escape the screenwriter's clutches no matter what, he must die.

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Extended Reading
  • Elody 2021-10-20 19:00:27

    Three ignorant children developed after an incident. One is a rapist who is only responsible for themselves, one is a hypocritical advocacy, and the other is a hidden ninja with nightmares. If you are not strong enough, don’t associate with the strong, you will be crushed; when Sean told Jimmy sitting on the street the truth, I felt the taste of black comedy.

  • Isabel 2022-03-21 09:01:11

    In the end, the words of police officer Zhuang Shengmengdie and the undercurrents in the parade were very good, so what about escaping? Life is still a nightmare with a sharp turn. The text of the film is very rich, and each role is worth discussing. However, the filming is quite top-heavy, maybe it would be better to adapt it into a TV series. But at least the emotional preparation is in place. I now understand how unforgivable the anger in the seven deadly sins is.

Mystic River quotes

  • [last lines]

    Annabeth Markum: Their daddy's a king. And a king knows what to do and *does* it. Even when it's hard. And their daddy will do whatever he has to for those he loves. And that's all that matters. Because everyone is weak, Jimmy. Everyone but us. We will never be weak. And you, you could rule this town. And after Jimmy, let's take the girls down to the parade. Katie would like that.

  • [at the crime scene, Sean finds Jimmy screaming and being held by several police officers]

    Jimmy: Is my daughter in there? Is she in there? Is she in there?

    Sean Devine: [Officer Devine approaches the melee] Hey! Hey, take it easy! That's the father.

    Jimmy: Is my daughter in there?

    [fighting the officers]

    Jimmy: Motherfuckers! Is that my daughter in there? Is she in there?

    [Sean gives a small nod]

    Jimmy: Sean! Is that my daughter in there? Is that my daughter in there? No! No! No! No, aagggh, no! No! Oh, God! Oh, God! No!

    [as Jimmy looks up at the heavens, we get a bird's or helicopter's eye view of him raving among a dark blue sea of police officers struggling to hold him]