Hi. I just got done watching Obsession and I'm a little confused as to how Lithgow's plan was actually supposed to work. 15 years after the first kidnapping, he takes another 500 grand, then switches the briefcase, then gives him the money back? What was the point? Did it have to do with the papers Cliff Robertson signs? Thanks.
What's the Spanish for drunken bum?
He got Cliff Robertson to sign over his share of the land that John Lithgow had wanted to develop all those years. He mocked Cliff in front of the Italian businessmen, saying "Can you believe we own this valuable land in the NO suburbs, and *HE* refuses to develop it?" By signing over his share to John Lithgow, Cliff Robertson would no longer have any say in the development of the land, and presumably Lithgow planned to develop the land and make lots of money off it. The 500,000 would be just a fraction of what he could stand to make from turning the land into something highly profitable. (However, he kind of blew it when he revealed all to Cliff Robertson. His plan kind of falls apart there. Even if he shot him, it'd be awfully hard to explain)
shareI agree with what naufragium says about 'Obsession'.
But I think that Lithgow gave Robertson the real suitcase only after being confronted with the reality of the double deception that took around 20 years to take place: the kidnapping and subsequent murder, and then Lithgow using Bujold as Sandra to extort from Robertson in a second kidnapping.
Also, don't forget the daughter went along with it as she blamed her father all those years she was in Italy for her mother's death.
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