It was only after the credits rolled that I grasped the change in Brian. He started the movie as anti death penalty. At the end, he had Early shot and gasping for breath on the ground. You can hear police sirens in the background. Why shoot him in the head? Why not keep the gun on him until police came? I'll tell you why, he recognized the evil in Early and decided he had to die. What did everyone else think, did anyone else pick up on that?
shareYou make an important point. Brian murdered Early. The final bullet was not in self-defense.
Roger Ebert has written "Early is not stupid, and has a better sense of Brian than Brian has of him. As Carrie gradually discovers that Early beats Adele and is probably a sociopath, Brian is being halfway seduced by Early's lawlessness. Not that he wants to get involved, of course......But it's intriguing to be so close to it."
Early won the psychological battle with Brian. Brian loses control, in the heat of anger at Early's taunting, and forgets laws and his principles.
Brian later says "That day I learned any one of us is capable of taking another human life." He then distinguishes himself from Early because he feels remorse, guilt, must confront his conscience "and Early never did".
That doesn't exonerate Brian. He broke the law and became judge and executioner.
But I don't think it was a calculated decision [that Early "had" to die]. And he never says he changed his opinion on the death penalty.
Brian didn't murder anybody.Early was still attacking him. I hate how self-rightous people always think that every killing is murder.
shareBut Brian also felt guilty for doing it later. He says that is the difference between us and them. We feel guilt. Brian killed Early in the moment and he regretted it later.
shareWeird that he’d feel regret over blowing the head off a serial killer who raped his wife and was trying to kill him. Far from feeling regret, I’d be high-fiving myself for the rest of my days.
share"Brian recognized the evil in Early and decided he had to die." There is a law "in defence of others" that might apply for Brian in court. Brian knew what Early would do again if he'd lived,so would the police, after they investigated Early's previous actions.
shareIn addition, Carrie thinks she’s real edgy with her depraved sex photography. She gets a taste of true sexual depravity when she gets raped by a goober serial killer.
Kalifornia is the story of a silly liberal couple who get mugged by reality and turn conservative.