MovieChat Forums > El marido perfecto (1993) Discussion > a few questions

a few questions

posted 15 years ago by cathyleo2003
2 replies | jump to latest

Undoubtedly some of the best performances of Tim Roth and Peter Firth I've seen. I loved the beginning when Franc threw the dog out the window after his cigar, lol. That showed his ruthlessness. However I did wonder what was his ultimate revenge. He didn't know Milan would shoot himself in the hand. Did he really use Milans daughter by traveling with her knowing she was sickly and would die on him? And did he(Franc)really have an interest in the widower daughter(Clara)? What was the purpose of that story? Thoughts?

[–] low_intensity 15 years ago

Where did you see that movie? I've been looking for it for a long time now.

[–] jghitchins 14 years ago

I think he did believe that traveling with the girl would kill her. His hope was that she would stay alive long enough to serve as his revenge.

However, she wasn't necessarily Milan's daughter. To me that is the tragedy of his character. I inferred from how he spoke abouy his wife that they had a full relationship so the girl might well have been his.

Milan assumes it is his daughter simply because it's possible and that Firth's character assumed so.

I thought the purpose of the Clara storyline was to see if Milan had changed at all. Was he still the amoral man unable to demonstrate friendship.

As for Milan shooting himself. Knowing that Milan believed as he did, that Milan's daughter was now dead was more than enough. He didn't instigate the duel Milan did. I think he was content to allow Milan to shoot him and the fact that he turned and shot himself was just icing on the cake.

He left Milan unsatisfied, with a self-inflicted wound (foreshadowed by Milan earlier talking about hubris and dueling), and a dead "daughter". His job well done, he rubbed salt in the wound with the letter and went on his way.