MovieChat Forums > Who'll Stop the Rain (1978) Discussion > True Romance Inspiration? (Spoilers)

True Romance Inspiration? (Spoilers)

posted 13 years ago by Zando777
5 replies | jump to latest

Couple get their hands on a bunch of valuable drugs accidentally. (Following a violent fight with hard-core criminals.) They have to take off on the lam. Someone closely connected to them gets tortured in an effort to find them. They end up in L.A. where they look up a friend in the film industry to sell the drug to Hollywood types. Their plan is to escape to Mexico, and live there, and there is a pursuit, and major shootouts along the way.

Big difference - in this one, the idealistic, *beep* lead guy doesn't make it. (Neither did Christian Slater in the original version of True Romance.)

There is also some Pulp Fiction inspiration, in terms of the heroin OD scene, and other parts I'm forgetting right now.

[–] buby1987 13 years ago

You're right, when I first saw True Romance, I noticed the parallels to Who'll Stop the Rain. A lot of 70's films influenced Tarantino. I also noticed a few ideas taken from Aaron Loves Angela, a 1976 film.

[–] lamont-hard 13 years ago

I too saw these films as similar in there p-lots and overall pace. I don't think she was in love with Ray in a romantic way as it looked the first time i saw it, she became close to him as a dear friend. ....I have read where posters say she fell in love with him but, as i watched it a second time there is really no dialect FROM HER that he was no more than a good friend for saving her family. so the the love for each others characters was a bit different.

[–] HollinsHermione 11 years ago

lamont,

I would agree with you up until the end of the film. When she refused to let John touch Ray's body for burial, that suggested to me that she did fall in love with him a little. She may have loved John more, but I believe she was beginning to care for Ray romantically.

"Well, everybody has to eat shaving cream once in a while."
Mo Rutherford

[–] lamont-hard 11 years ago

People can have sex and care for there lover/friend but so many people use the word love as if it is suppose to be something it is not. She loved her husband so considering her age and knowing just what type of woman she was I would doubt if she went the love route. Most women her age can handle an affair/relationship without ruining there marriage. In the end he was someone special to her, just because it may not have been love for him in a romantic way it is still full admiration witch is just as good. I felt the scene in the end was about them sharing a bond not love.

[–] HollinsHermione 11 years ago

You make a good point about them sharing a bond. That's the beauty of the film. Two people can look at it and see different things based on their perspectives and life experiences. :)

"Well, everybody has to eat shaving cream once in a while."
Mo Rutherford