MovieChat Forums > The Long Dark Hall (1951) Discussion > General Lack of Motive

General Lack of Motive

posted 9 years ago by spookyrat1
8 replies | jump to latest

The film isn't big on motives. We never really find out what is motivating the man to murder women, apart from the fact he was rather strange. We are never given any explanation as to why Arthur cheated on and lied to his (gorgeous) wife. And then we don't really find out why Mary is so sure her husband is innocent, after he has proven to be so dishonest over a fairly long period of time. On top of that she barely expresses any disappointment in his actions. Lilli Palmer's character was as saintly, as Rex Harrison's was unsympathetic.🐭

[–] robin-moss2 7 years ago

We don't need to know what motivates the real killer. We all know there are some people with a compulsion to kill. We don't need an explanation for the husband's infatuation with a show girl. Most of us understand love and lust without someone spelling it out for us.

[–] spookyrat1 7 years ago

We don't need to know what motivates the real killer.

No, of course you don't ... if it's a news report! This is a movie, supposedly telling a story. The issue I have with the story is its notable lack of depth, primarily because we never understand what is motivating the major characters to behave as they do.

[–] robin-moss2 7 years ago

Some of us don't if it's a film. A married man fell for a show girl. Why does that need to be explained? Do you find it hard to believe that might happen? The real killer was a furtive creep who crept after women in the dark. It is not necessary for the audience to know how and why he became like that. It's enough to know that, unfortunately, there are some men like that in real life.

[–] spookyrat1 7 years ago

Some of us don't if it's a film.

And plenty of us like a lot more depth in our films. BTW you are only focusing on just one aspect of the story I raised. In my OP, I also mentioned ...

We are never given any explanation as to why Arthur cheated on and lied to his (gorgeous) wife. And then we don't really find out why Mary is so sure her husband is innocent, after he has proven to be so dishonest over a fairly long period of time. On top of that she barely expresses any disappointment in his actions.

[–] robin-moss2 7 years ago

He cheated on his wife because he fell for the showgirl. It's as simple as that. There is no reason to assume he lied about anything else. His wife believed he was innocent because she knew that he was a peaceful man who wouldn't hurt a fly. There are women who stand by their husbands through thick and thin. This film is asking the audience to accept that the wife is one of those women. There is absolutely no need for any psychoanalysis of any of the characters or their motives.

[–] spookyrat1 7 years ago

It's as simple as that.

There is absolutely no need for any psychoanalysis of any of the characters or their motives.

Yes,I guess I have to accept there are people in this universe, who, for whatever reasons, do like and accept their screen characters written and portrayed in bland, somewhat unrealistically, predictable fashions. You may well be one of those people, but I sir, am not. 🐭

[–] robin-moss2 7 years ago

You are becoming increasingly silly so I am not going to continue this discussion, other than to re-iterate that the presentation of the characters is realistic. At least, it is to those who have some experience of the world.

[–] spookyrat1 7 years ago

I ... re-iterate that the presentation of the characters is realistic. ... to those who have some experience of the world.

The pièce de résistance! LOL! Thanks for your world - wise offerings. I'm sure someone as experienced as yourself can see himself out.