Why did they kidnap and kill Harry Dean Stanton's character?
Seriously, why did they kill him?
shareJohnny had been a thorn in the side of Marcellos Santos' operations, and probably knew too much about Santos' associates, particularly Mr. Reindeer. Johnny was Santos' price to Marietta for taking care of Sailor.
shareAlso, did anyone else think that scene was quite weird? The black guy (not a racist thing at all) acting and speaking all strange and in slow motion whilst playing childishly with his gun, some really strange snake like music in the background, that middle aged woman getting sexually aroused and also, even if, but still, kissing Stanton's character on his lips with masking tape, an overall Lynchian sense of quirkiness to it.
It also looked like they didn't just want to kill him out of professional killer assignment but for fun or a bizarre ritual or maybe that's just how David Lynch chose to film it, yes?
I haven't read Gifford's novel (“Wild at Heart: The Story of Sailor and Lula”), but if that scene wasn't taken directly from the book then it was artistic license to capture weirdness described in the book one would assume.
shareAnd also interesting how in that scene, and by virtue in this film, we've had, although mostly violent MALE characters including some really nasty and irredeemable psychotic trigger-happy crooks (and yes I include Bobby Peru here, even though he appears later), and the movie no doubt at least at times explored female victim hood as well of a recognizable nature (including a disturbing flashback to what happened to Laura Dern's character when she was 13, Gosh!), basically...
Some unlikeable and even criminal female characters as well, from Lula's mother, to that crazy middle aged woman in that scene with Harry Dean Stanton (at one point, I even feared she might force herself sexually on him, given how she talked about being aroused and all, and with her kissing those lips of his, although the movie didn't go that far as it was already bizarre, over the top and even controversial enough as it is) and even with Isabella Rossellini's character assisting Peru with robbery and then, even if (albeit illegal) self-defense, hitting that cop with the car.
And maybe those ones there were NOT criminals in any way, but on a personal note, and at least on first viewing, those nude fat ladies with creepy laughing demeanor did scare me a little but still...
Great film nonetheless (or more) and one of Lynch's top 5 best movies, 9/10, highly recommended.
Yes, both sexes are lumped together as violent sociopaths in one way or the other. As I mentioned before, I don't know if Lynch took directly from the Gifford's novel, that is to say, if the novel portrayed the psychotic behavior in a different manner than the Lynch portrayal, or if it was one and the same. But the scenes you mentioned are more than a little disturbing.
I have a friend who has Wild At Heart listed as her favorite film -- not just favorite Lynch film mind you, but her favorite of all time. I like the film, decidedly. Not sure where I'd rank it among his films, ranking is always tricky, especially since I love most all of Lynch's work. But it's a good film for sure. But like her, I happen to have a Lynch film as my favorite of all time, Mulholland Drive. So his work clearly makes an impression on some of us out there.