MovieChat Forums > Safe (1995) Discussion > Spa/Retreat leader opinions on him

Spa/Retreat leader opinions on him

posted 19 years ago by 666Night999
8 replies | jump to latest

Does anyone feel that Peter, the retreat leader who lives in a mansion and reinforces his patients' self diagnosed symptoms, is a nefarious character?

I've seen the movie many times, and after someone I know had seen it once, he said the leader, Peter, was an evil person. Peter basically gets rich, lives in a mansion, etc. based on reinforcing people's sicknesses. He asks questions and tells people they are punishing themselves. I used to think he was a caring, nuturing figure, who helped heal and counsel the patients who come to his retreat, but I think he can also be seen as someone who is taking advantage of these people. What is your take on his character?

"Nice beaver!"
"Thanks, I just had it stuffed."--The Naked Gun

[–] AlecEiffel 19 years ago

I bet his having AIDS was just a farce too. Yeah, what an *beep*

[–] 666Night999 19 years ago

I know he had AIDS. So he can't be a jerk also?

Are you going to answer the question?

"Nice beaver!"
"Thanks, I just had it stuffed."--The Naked Gun

[–] a---n---t 18 years ago

I could do with seeing the film all the way through, but my impression of Peter was that he was more interested in his own 'well-being' than that of his, erm, disciples.
Not sure about his being 'evil' as such - just another self-absorbed, delusional, materialistic, status-craving misguided soul, rather like my interpretation of Carol's character, only far less sympathetic because he had planted himself in this lucrative position of authority and adoration.

You know, AlecEiffel may have inteded that post there seriously, rather than sarcastically - it can be hard to tell through plain text. If so, the whole AIDS thing being a sham is an interesting thought, and I wouldn't put it past the guy.
That would give him instant cult status among the self-actualising 'victims' - like, "look to me, I've got AIDS and I know what real illness and suffering is. I can teach you all important lessons in life as a fellow, but much more severe, victim of an immunological disease, and help each of you to believe you can find the same strength within you as I have within me". It's certainly a useful card to play if you're gona become some health retreat guru for 'victims of environmental illness'.
Even if he does really have AIDS, and he's not a fraud in such an out-and-out devious sense, he's still a charlatan in my opinion, still using it for self-promotion and monetary gain, and not actually helping anyone but himself (not genuinely caring for anyone else's plight, only offering out good advice and 'positivity' for his own needy, fragile sense of self-worth).

The "bad guy"? I doubt it's so clear-cut as that with a film such as this, which revels in all it's ambiguities. Perhaps that was the intended implication, or that he was just another victim of the neurotic modern age.

[–] 666Night999 18 years ago

cool. thanks for the reply.

"Nice beaver!"
"Thanks, I just had it stuffed."--The Naked Gun

[–] lflores90-1 18 years ago

The character of Peter could really be interepreted in many ways. He was certainly misguided. I do believe that he was probably HIV+ however I believe his techniques in trying to "help" was way off base. The scene in which he singled out the woman who's husband has just passed in the group meeting and basically humiliated her was an example of just how out of touch with the human condition. I think Haynes was using his character and the "wellness" center to show just how out of touch the new-age and self-help movement has become with reality.

This is not to attack the concept or self improvement or to mock spritual programs but sometimes individuals can become so obsessed with themselves that they totally fall prey to compulsion or self-dillusion.

[–] worf666 17 years ago

I think he is a major *beep*

[–] DVDAddict79 17 years ago

I think he was supposed to be a kind of false prophet for the patients, and the audience was meant to see him as this. His affirmations sound almost religious and cult-like, and I found the scene where they're all sitting around in group therapy very telling.

He asks each of the patients to explain why they became sick (with the onus being that they *made* themselves ill, through their own faults) and he manages to upset each one. The woman who it is suggested was abused seems to glare at him, and Nell in particular seems to realise how false the whole set-up is and is noticably curt and dismissive of him, before the scene finally cuts to the character Lester tottering around in the background. I think this was purposely to show that the Wrenwood Centre did not work, and could in fact be harmful to the patients.

[–] Brude_Stone 17 years ago

Peter is the leader of a cult, a sickness cult. Like many cult leaders he preys upon the weaknesses of people (here people who are or think they are sick) as a way to control their lives and aggrandize his own ego.

I think it's a brilliant performance (and a beautifully written part) and gets to the heart of how these guys operate much better than many other movies more obviously about cults that I've seen. He's not some raving lunatic, he's extremely persuasive and weirdly charismatic.

Nefarious, absolutely. He's the chief villain of this film, along with his various flunkies at Wrenwood who help him maintain control in that place and keep the "guests" (more like inmates) psychologically shattered so that they don't feel safe away from that place.