What does this movie want to say?

Jaeden 2021-10-18 09:29:22

1. How did it become like this?
Three boys, three men, three families, one story, each with a different ending. With such obvious differences in fortunes between the characters, what does the movie want to say? I think most people will say: "What the movie wants to say is: the shadow of childhood affects life." But I think this is not what the movie tells me at least.
At the beginning, the difference between the three boys is obvious. Little Jimmy took the lead in stealing the car. Little Jimmy said that signing your dad on the concrete floor would never kill you. Little Jimmy looked up at the fake COP. He raised his head, pouted and even took it. Walking towards the fake COP with a hockey stick, little Jimmy is the one with the least fear among the three boys. Little Sean looked much gentler, nothing special. Little DAVE was so scared. When the goalkeeper was the last one to sign on the concrete floor, even when JIMMY and SEAN signed, he just hid behind. Little DAVE didn’t dare to look at the fake COP. He was afraid; why did the fake COP choose? DAVE, but not the other two? It's not because it's easy to pinch soft persimmons. You can't stop the criminal from appearing, but what you can do is what you do after he appears. Who can you blame? Even if the criminals do not appear, no one can imagine that JIMMY will definitely make trouble when entering puberty. When he is an adult, he will be the boss, even if he is the eldest brother of a few pigs. This is clearly not the case with DAVE.
Let me talk about the attitudes of the three men towards their relatives. DAVE concealed his childhood experience from his wife. When his wife suspected that he had killed Katie (and he also understood his wife's suspicion of him), the two did not communicate in time. Instead, both sides were exhausted and tortured by mutual suspicion. . Until DAVE broke out later, the two also chose to escape. The wife took the child to the motel, and the relationship deteriorated. If trust is an important part of love, then the couple is not in love. Look at SEAN again. At the beginning of the movie, there is a wife who only makes phone calls and does not speak, but the two will still talk on the phone. SEAN will speak to his wife. At the end of the film, SEAN will be honest to his wife about his mistakes, and the wife will come back with His child. If love is to be manifested through responsibility, then SEAN loves his wife. Finally, JIMMY, I think maybe the director used the mouth of JIMMY’s wife to express his attitude towards JIMMY at the end of the film: He knows love. The guilt for the first wife, and Katie, included sending money to Ray's family to atone for his sins.
From a young boy to growing up with his own family, is this difference just the result of getting on that car? You become what you are now, why? Because I didn’t grow up with a golden spoon in my hands, I didn’t have the chance to get in touch with good education, and there was no way I could leave this cycle? Because my ancestors gave me this gene, I am destined to be like this? Because my birth is like a free fall from stillness, everything has been arranged before landing?
Or direct the energy to the heart, those are no excuses.

2. It is wrong to betray one's loved ones, although justice is on your side.
DAVE’s wife suspected that he killed Katie, which was normal; then she went to tell Katie’s father instead of sitting down with her husband, which was wrong; this was also destined to look like her at the end of the film. Your family members are your own family members, no matter how bad they are, they are your family members. This is the way to survive. JIMMY’s wife understands this, knowing that JIMMY killed someone by mistake and did something wrong. I think there will be conflicts in her heart---the one she loves did something wrong. But unlike DAVE's wife, she knows to adjust herself and will not tell SEAN that JIMMY killed DAVE in order to reduce her inner conflict; let herself always stand on the side of the one she loves, but at the same time she also knows where the justice is? I want to do this, it is more difficult for the average person. It is estimated that this is the inner conflict that caused Roh Moo-hyun to commit suicide.
After all, the reunion of other people belongs to other people, and others cannot understand their own pain. It is very important to protect yourself and protect the people you love.

3. Karma
Buddha said: make good destiny and get good fruit.
The young Lei betrayed JIMMY, the death of JIMMY's daughter, leaving his son sad and jailed.
The young Jimmy killed Ray. Lei's eldest son fell in love with Jimmy's young daughter, and the younger son killed her.
The young DAVE got in the car and was always shrouded in shadows; when he grew up, DAVE saw another boy being assaulted in the car and killed; whether it was directly or indirectly, he died as a result.

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Extended Reading

Mystic River quotes

  • Sean Devine: Do you remember the man's name?

    Liquor Store Owner: Do I look senile to you?

  • [thinking about Katie after her death]

    Jimmy Markum: I know in my soul I contributed to your death.