MovieChat Forums > Naked (1994) Discussion > the movie is about a rapist who felt bad...

the movie is about a rapist who felt bad for the rape?

posted 10 years ago by daffodil54
9 replies | jump to latest

Can't believe people feel sorry for such scum

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[–] Zombie55 10 years ago

When did the movie say that people felt sorry for him?

The greatest trick the Devil has ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist!

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[–] Zombie55 10 years ago

Oh and as for what the movie is about - I think it is much MORE than just about a rapist who may, or may not, have felt bad for what he's done. There seems to be a lot more going on here that doesn't just fit into a single story as such!

And I don't think we are supposed to sympathize with the main character as much as he is the main character though!

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[–] maturity 8 years ago

He wasn't a rapist, according to Mike Leigh and IMO as a viewer. See the Leigh interview with Will Self on the Criterion Collection DVD or Blu-ray. It may also be discussed in the commentary. I haven't seen that in a while and don't recall. The sex began consensual, but Johnny got violent as he did with all the women he had sex with I think. She said "you're hurting me." Before I believe she was clearly enjoying herself saying for him to "come on" and moaning in pleasure. We don't even know who she is. Was she a prostitute? Was the man she was going to tell her pimp, husband, brother? It is all open to interpretation. She could be anybody.

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[–] dailyshampoo48 10 years ago

it's a little more subtle than that. in any event he compares favorably to the landlord from hell. the ladies sure thought so.

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[–] maturity 8 years ago

It was not a rape. It began as consensual sex and he got violent or abusivd as he does to all the women in different ways. I never saw the opening scene as rape and he ran away because he was scared of the man she was going to tell (maybe her pimp, husband, boy friend, son, father or just a male friend). We don't know who she was or who she was going to tell. Watch the interview with Mike Leigh by Will Self where neither of them regarded that scene as rape. It was willing see that went bad thanks to Johnny's sudden aggression.

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[–] maturity 8 years ago

Why do you assume he was a rapist? I didn't see it that way and neither does Mike Leigh in his interview with Will Self on the Criterion set. Not did Will Self see it as rape. She was enjoying herself, the sex is consensual until he gets violent and she says "you're hurting me" and pushes him off and runs away. Then she says she will tell her Bernard about him and he's effing dead. In addition we don't know who she even is. She could be a prostitute threatening to tell her pimp or maybe she's married and going to tell her husband or maybe she is going to tell her brother or son and they'll mess him up. Anyway, the opening scene is not a rape and has a lot of ambiguous qualities and unknown depths.

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[–] Zombie55 8 years ago

Then again, in Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange", the lead character was a definite rapist and a murderer - and possibly committed other acts of violent crime including assault as well. And in the end, we were meant to feel sorry for him, despite those deeds.

And the film is considered to be among the greatest of all time.

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[–] looker7 8 years ago

I've seen this movie 2 or 3 times over the years and have never considered the opening scene to be rape. Sure, Johnny got a bit aggressive and forceful sexually towards the end, but it wasn't rape as it began consensually as others have already pointed out. Yes, Johnny did flee the scene to avoid any hassle or misunderstanding, but it wasn't the reason for him fleeing to London from Manchester. Johnny is a wandering, unemployed intellectual, and was seeking new adventures in the big city -- most prominently to see what his ex-girlfriend, who had recently written him a letter, was up to in the big city.

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[–] chilone 8 years ago

Yes, Johnny did flee the scene to avoid any hassle or misunderstanding, but it wasn't the reason for him fleeing to London from Manchester.

Yes it was. He even says he left Manchester because he was gonna get a beating.

I don't love her.. She kicked me in the face!!

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