MovieChat Forums > No Way Out (1987) Discussion > The twist was not necessary for this mov...

The twist was not necessary for this movie.


made it worse for me.

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I agree. It was pointless and did not really solve anything nor answer any questions the viewing audience might have.

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Sure it did, it explained his call from the phone booth for one, plus several other oddities mentioned on this board.

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Of course it was necessary. The filmmakers were pro-Russian, pro-Communist hacks, which is why the twist exists.

To explain further, the twist was a disgusting bait and switch. American patriots were baited into rooting for Kevin Costner because he had that All American, Boy Next Door look to him and running around in US uniform. The idea was to fill them with pride about how much better Americans were compared to the Russians.

But then in the last scene, the movies goes, "Psych! He was a Russian all along, and he wasn't any old Russian but the very guy who the pig-dog imperialist Americans were going to frame for the crime." The idea was to confuse Americans into suddenly questioning their own perceptions of themselves as noble and conscientious and to see their own people as disgusting, stupid and murderous. Notice, the only "good" people are the South African and him. All the Americans--including Sean Young's character--are shady, stupid, evil or backstabby.

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Roger Donaldson is a ‘communist hack’? I don’t think so, and it’s not like the Russians come off well in this film, everyone is morally grey including them. When Tom turns out to be a Russian spy the audience realise they’ve effectively been rooting for a villain, and he only earns some sympathy again because he turns his back on the Russians at the very end.

Hollywood has become a sewer of Communists but this movie from the 80’s isn’t guilty of being Commie subversion.

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