MovieChat Forums > The Island (1980) Discussion > confused!!!

confused!!!

posted 17 years ago by lizn79
7 replies | jump to latest

-Was Blair's son, Justin, really brainwashed because he kept calling that pirate guy his father/dad. At the end when he hugs his dad, Blair, it seems like he wasn't brainwashed at all and was just going along with everything like his dad told him to do, but if thats true why did he kill the guy on top of the mast and run away when Blair had the boat and was gonna take him off the island?

-Also, the other kid was helping Blair try to get off the island but when they were on the US boat he wanted to shoot Blair when Justin said he couldnt do it, what was up with that?

Thanks

[–] amercifulrelease 17 years ago

The other kid wanted Blair AND Justin off the island so he could be Nau's favorite (basically take Justin's place). Remember he replaced the caulking on the boat with molasses so it would sink out in the sea, hoping to drown both Justin and Blair.

Justin was brainwashed and was still at the time when he killed the guy climbing the mast and when he ran away when Blair had the boat. I theorized that the event that happened at the end of the movie just shocked Justin out of his brainwashed status. (In the book *spoiler*

Justin saw Nau kill Windsor and it was implied this started his coming out of his brainwashed state.)

[–] jacksommersby 16 years ago

I like the film immensely, but I have to say the brainwashing subplot wasn't done well at all. Seemed like it took just one night to accomplish this, when in reality it'd take weeks or months.

[–] prjleach 9 years ago

How did they survive for all those years with only one woman (who is considerably younger than the rest of the islanders)?

[–] mike_NY 8 years ago

there are several women - a group is seen washing items in the water at one point. they are extremely relegated and only beth has a role as she was aggrieved.

[–] Bernnard_Black 7 years ago

Extremely late reply to this. But does anyone remember what Nau's little pet name for Justin was? Something like Tuborg, or some-such. I can't quite remember it.

Whores will have their trinkets.

[–] christomacin (4527) 3 years ago

Tubarb (not sure of the spelling)

[–] Wuchak (8077) 3 years ago

the brainwashing subplot wasn't done well at all. Seemed like it took just one night to accomplish this

It's implied that it took quite a bit of time. The filmmakers had to condense weeks of time into a 1 hour, 49 minute movie and try to keep it coherent and entertaining. Any further brainwashing scenes would've been redundant and tedious to viewers.