MovieChat Forums > Point Break (1991) Discussion > Why didn't Utah shoot Bodhi on the fence...

Why didn't Utah shoot Bodhi on the fence?


Utah didn't suspect Bodhi at that time. And he certainly didn't hesitate to shoot at the bank robbers in the car.

reply

One word, bromance

reply

But he didn't know it was Bodhi.

reply

He did. He knew from the eyes it was him which is why we get those long shots of Bodhi's eyes in the mask.

reply

The viewer gets the long shots of they eyes. Utah was 50 yards away.

reply

Oh who else could have those baby blues that could just melt the ice caps?

reply

You know that. And I know that. But Utah didn't see those eyes from that far away. I guess he thought it might be him...and when it came down to the one-on-one shot, he couldn't do it.

reply

How do you think Utah gets 100% on all his shooting range tests? The young stud has eagle eyes.

reply

Yeah, sure, but he ain't no Martin Riggs.

reply

You are so dry.



Global Warming, it's a personal decision innit? - Nigel Tufnel

reply

What do you mean?

reply

The poster lord was being cheeky or joking with you but you took everything they said seriously.




Global Warming, it's a personal decision innit? - Nigel Tufnel

reply

You obviously don't get the reference to Martin Riggs.

reply

True but the poster joked with you 2x.

And your responses 2x seemed very serious.



Global Warming, it's a personal decision innit? - Nigel Tufnel

reply

True? So look it up!

reply

I did, it was from LW, MG's character.




Global Warming, it's a personal decision innit? - Nigel Tufnel

reply

[deleted]

Finally!! I get why he's so calm when they show up at his house to make him go skydiving, and why he goes through with the jump, bros out with them, etc...I always thought it was highly bizarre behavior for someone who's just blown his cover (by chasing after Bodhi during the robbery). I never considered that he wasn't sure it was Bodhi yet...everything makes sense now.

reply

Does it? I had forgotten that Utah had previously seen them making a deposit at this bank. So, he knew it was them. And at the end of the chase, he just couldn't bring himself to shooting his guru.

That said, why did he go skydiving? How could he risk it having possibly blown his cover? Was he torn between the worlds? Denial?

reply

Well, seeing them making the deposit means he SUSPECTS them, but he still isn't 100% sure. He doesn't see them actually put the masks on, etc. So he still shouldn't be as calm as he is, but yeah.

reply

so true.

reply

He knew it was bodhi. The whole reason they were staking out the bank was cuz he suspected them of being the robbers, saw they had packed up all their stuff and checked out that bank. Even if you discoint all that once he tackled bodhi at the gas station he would have been able to know it was bodhi from all their time together especially seeing that he had tackled him before while playing football. When you know someone you don't have to see their face to identify them,

reply

bogus is 100% correct. That fact that people seem to need parenthetical subtitles in films to understand them -unless it is spelled out for them, literally, in dialogue or on screen text- is truly disturbing. This is a new trend that I think is a sign of idiocracy coming to life. Not only are stupid people out-breeding intelligent ones exponentially, but popular culture driven by corporations(for more profit by increasing demographics) catering to these dimwits is just exacerbating the situation.
Modern films keep things very simple. So much so that Point Break(an action flick, FFS) is now enigmatic to them despite being quite clear cut and easy to follow.

reply

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-lcqIuVaR8

Ever fired your gun up in the air while shouting "aaargh"?

Votes: 3,261
My website: (http://geeksteronmovies.blogspot.com/)

reply

You deserve a medal

reply

He did suspect Bodhi he said they'd gone into the bank the day before to make a deposit to scope it out, thats why Utah and Busey were waiting outside the bank they were expecting Bodhi to show up.

reply

He had started to suspect it was Bodhi, which is why he didn't shoot. But he couldn't be 100% it was them which is why he allowed himself to go sky-diving...he didn't want to believe they were the ex-prezzes.

reply

but if it was the ex pressies - then theyve obviouslt got this skydiving trip to make sure his chute fails - so if your pretty sure , but not quite , that they are the robbers , why the hell go with them?

reply

I think they had other intel on that particular bank. Otherwise, if he truly suspected Bodhi and his crew, they'd just tail them.

reply

"You're so analytical. You need to just let art flow over you." ;-)

reply

I had to look it up, I must admit. I've seen it, but I can't quote it. I know who the dead guy was, though.

reply

Incorrect. He "knew" it was them (Bodhi and co) after seeing them surfing (and one of them mooning, just like in the bank robbery) in an earlier scene. He realised that these four guys were a close knit "group within a group", and obviously saw their motivation (getting the money to fund the "endless Summers".

He had also already explained to Pappas that he had seen them scoping out the bank they eventually robbed. Hence the reason Utah and Pappas were on a stakeout at that particular bank.

reply

I always assumed he knew or at least suspected it was Bodhi, otherwise he would have definitely shot him.

-Di

reply

Because he loves him SO much.

reply

He went to that bank based on following Bodhi. When he saw them surfing and the one guy mooned the others, it gave him a lead. (Matched the mooning of the camera at the earlier bank). Bodhi scoped out the bank, and was moving his stuff and packing it up for the season. When they robbed the bank, It confirmed Utah's suspicion that it that Bodhi and his followers were the Ex-Presidents. Was he 100% sure it was Bodhi? No, but there was enough doubt so he "missed". What was silly is it looked dramatic, but he could just have fired one shot and missed.
Then his story that he missed would be more believable. (He tried to stand up, shot, but his knee as it was injured buckled)

Think of it this way. Bodhi stood up for him against the other surfers in a fight. Wasn't jealous of Johnny taking his ex. Saw he could surf and defended him. His robberies were quick, and didn't kill anyone. I'm sure undercover officers have that dilemma more than we know. Bodhi wasn't the type to be arrested, he'd either go down, or get away. That extreme view doesn't leave a lot of alternatives.

reply

Yeah good point about the fact that a lot of undercover officers end up having guilt and a conflict of interest, sometimes even WHEN the people they're dealing with are sadistic (if they become buddies), but ESPECIALLY if they end up dealing with non-violent, charismatic criminals

reply