Dr. Reeve tells June they will do whatever they have to do to help Peter win his appeal. Does anyone else think that Dr. Reeve sacrificed himself for Peter and June who he obviously loved?
shareThat's one of the things that is left deliberately ambiguous. There's no indication that he deliberately killed himself (apart from riding dangerously without a proper helmet) but he doesn't appear to have been upset about the outcome
Steve
Steve do you think in the motorcycle/jeep race in the beginning there is a foreshadowing of what will happen. The American officer in the jeep turns around after looking back to dr reeve to see their jeep coming to a sharp corner ( he gets a look of terror on his face) it's the same corner that dr reeve loss control on in the rain.
shareYes, it's a foreshadowing of the crash, but it's no indication that the crash was deliberate.
There's actually a farm cart that pulls out, that's why the Jeep driver looks terrified
Steve
I think the opening sequence of "Lawrence Of Arabia" owes much to this sequence. And slightly off subject I just wanted to say that this film is replete with minor touches that lend wonderful color to the story-telling - such as the dogs suddenly perking up upon hearing the word "offal". There's simply no logical reason for it, yet it's there, and somehow memorable. IKWIG and "Blimp" are likewise fleshed out with similar unimportant yet oddly memorable moments.
shareAll P&P films have such wonderful, memorable snippets, that's one of the things that makes them so eminently re-watchable time & time again
Steve
I missed the farm cart I'll have to go back and watch that scene again. I never get tired of this movie.
shareI'll have to go back and watch that scene again
Just had a look and can see no farm cart (unless they cut it).
shareNo. He wouldn't be in heaven if he killed himself.
shareDo we know for certain it's a Christian heaven?
shareChristians don’t go to any other heaven.
shareThat's up to Powell and Pressburger's story, not us, being their story after all. Besides, how do you know Niven's character is even a believer? There's nothing in the film confirms this is a Christian Heaven or even that's it's not a product of Niven's own mind. Scripturally this film is pretty shaky anyway. I'm pretty sure there's nothing in the Bible about being sent back because you fell in love, or having a trial over it, or having a biased prosecutor trying your case.
sharei don't think it's up to Powell and Pressburger to decide that suicide CAN admit you to Christian heaven. It's up to them to decide what happens in Peter's mind. But it seems rather far fetched that a) Peter would want his surgeon friend to kill himself just so that he could have a good dead surgeon looking out for him in the afterlife he's trying to avoid for now while another surgeon who is a stranger to him actually saves his life b) they would have Peter changing Christian doctrine to suit himself or Dr Reeve would satisfy himself that Christian doctrine does allow for suicide without any further commentary. The audience would be quite disturbed by that idea in the 1940s.
Anyway. The OP is clearly not asking about what's going on in Peter's mind. It's about Dr Reeve choosing to sacrifice himself in order to get to heaven where he can help Peter.
Interesting theory, but he seemed to be a man of science with a sincere belief that Peter had a neurological problem.
We also see Dr. Reeves motorcycle recklessness earlier in the movie, so him driving that way is not out of character.
He did not crash intentionally. There is absolutely nothing in the film to indicate that he did. Everything we see in the scene indicates that it was an accident. Not only that, but it wouldn't make any sense. After Frank gets to the afterlife, it is Peter who decides he wants Frank to defend him. We see that it has not been Frank's idea, although he agrees to do it.
share