That scene felt so totally out of place and random. Why was it in the movie anyway? Were they trying to show Caine as a "tough guy"? Or just to have a little action scene?
shareI think there was every need for it. At the end of the film Preston goes hand to hand with Ross/Petrovsky...and bests him. Without this previous scene the audience might have some trouble believing this (Petrovsky is after all a much younger man and is an active agent where Preston is effectively a desk jockey). However the underground / tube scene shows he is still a hard ass when required.
It also demonstrates his code of fair play, in that he stands up for a woman being abused by two thugs but not only that. She is, by the sticker on her jacket and the placard next to her, a member of CND and thus one of the campaigners that would be marching on the airforce base the following weekend. One of the USSR's 'useful idiots' who should, in every sense, be on the opposite side of the political spectrum to Preston and Mi5.
There is an underlying message in this movie. In 1987 there was a big push by the US, the UN, and other nations to end the long held Apartheid, racial segregation, in South Africa that had been enforced by the British since the end of WWII when the British took control of South Africa from the Dutch, who had been enforcing segregation since the late 1700's.
After WWII, the African Continent was divided up by the Allies with the Dutch getting Southwest Africa, and the British took control of South Africa. This is why George Berenson was upset, because he thought he was passing secrets to the South African government about NATO plans in an attempt to continue segregation and being paid in what would now be considered "conflict diamonds" realized he was passing secrets to the Russians.
So Preston beating up the white punks for harassing the black girl was the comment to end Apartheid, as well as establishing that he can hold his own in a physical, hand to hand fight.
Info about Apartheid.......
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartheid
1 Baker 11, in pursuit of 1973 yellow Mustang license number 614 Henry Sam Ocean
Good post, it fits that scene squarely into the context of the times. The fight to end apartheid was very much major news at the time of this film, something a younger viewer might not immediately realize.
Interesting that Ian Richardson played in two films almost back-to-back that carried messages about South Africa's policies, this and Cry Freedom. I don't know much about his politics, but I wonder if the anti-apartheid content of both films might have influenced his accepting roles in them.
There's always a place for a scene depicting knuckle-dragging, racist oiks on the receiving end of a damned good shoeing.
"Someone has been tampering with Hank's memories."
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