MovieChat Forums > The Usual Suspects (1995) Discussion > Dean Keaton was kaiser Soze

Dean Keaton was kaiser Soze


The type of man who could wrangle the wills of men, like Fenster and Mcmanus.


seriously though, there is room to argue he was Soze.

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There's room to argue that any one of Keaton, Verbal or Kobayashi was Soze (some have even suggested that it was Redfoot), or that Soze doesn't appear in the film at all, or that he doesn't even exist. That's what makes the film so interesting - it doesn't give the viewer a clearcut answer. It's interesting to note that Gabriel Byrne thought that he was playing the part of Soze until he saw the completed film.

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Yep,


you just don't know in this film what is lies and what is real, it's great because it's so unusual.



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Verbal was absolutely Soza. He was ready to post bail and leave. As soon as his name was brought up by the cops, he couldn't resist but gloat. Damn, watch the very beginning again, when he pisses on the trail of fire. It's not completely liquid. It's thick, cause he was dehydrated, just like he say's when he asks for the coffee. He told it all 'I'm telling it straight, I swear' he just changed names. Tell me every last detail. When Kujian said 'I'm smarter than you' That was a challenge. So he told him EVERYTHING just to *beep* with him.

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I believe Verbal is Soze, but all that really proves is that he was the gunman on the boat. The director has said that any of them could be Soze.

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But if anyone of them is Soze, then it means Verbal was a henchman who killed his own boss. That doesn't make as good of a twist.

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Yeah also the gold lighter and the watch from evidence again dead giveaway that he was in fact the shooter.

I think the part that really gives away he was Soze was when he starts walking normal and then we all realize he's not really crippled. That's when it hit me that he was Soze and that he was pulling the strings from out in the open the whole time right in front of everyone's noses. The fax was really unnecessary at that point but again it was intended to drive the point home in case there were still any doubts.

And yeah that whole made up story he told in the office was just to mess with the detective. At that point he didn't need to say anything because he had his immunity.

The film is much more effective when Kujan realizes that he just let the Devil himself walk out free and I believe that to be the Director's intention all along. The film's ending just wouldn't have the same impact any other way.

The whole Soze legend itself was more BS so people would never think it was him. Also done to strike fear of course.

Also, don't forget the famous tag line which pretty much gives everything away. "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was to convince the world he didn't exist"

Even back when I watched this film a long time ago I thought all this was made pretty clear there really was no ambiguity. I mean its fun to come up with new theories and of course anyone is welcome to view the film however they want but this is really not one of those films that leaves you really questioning much in the end or at least not the stuff that really matters. If there would have been more ambiguity perhaps I would have given it a higher rating but in this case it was all pretty clearly spelled out in the end. Still a top-notch film!

~What if this is as good as it gets?!~

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This is correct.

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jbaddock^

"...Gabriel Byrne thought that he was playing the part of Soze until he saw the completed film."

Yep.

And, apparently he wasn't too pleased when he found that out 





"There's a band playing on the radio ~ With a rhythm of rhyming guitars"

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As much as I respect Byrne and his work, I do think the actor is being a chump about it. There's no proof Keaton died on that boat. The only tie to Keaton being shot & burned is Verbal Kint's testimony, which everyone should understand is a fabrication. The movie may had demonstrated Keaton dying in multiple segments, but the movie is presenting visuals of an unreliable narrator. Keaton may have actually been Kaiser Soze, successfully executed his target, and never got shot, and Kint is just following through with his end of their contract.

And no, in the 1990's, they weren't going to get DNA evidence from a thoroughly barbequed corpse (but perhaps a convincing dental match).

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Really? I don't recall having any doubts at the time I saw it. Maybe it's time for me to re-watch.

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I think the movie made it pretty clear that Verbal was Keyser. The only other person who I'm even willing to accept culd be Keyser is "Kobayashi" (whatever his real name was), but it was most certainly not Keaton.

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I don't think it is Keaton. I do think there is room to argue it was Keaton though.

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...seriously though, there is room to argue he was Soze
- Hm. I think every picture tells a story, as the great Rod Stewart once sang. And to me there is no room ... watshisname wasn't from Turkey, or even Hungary? http://i.imgur.com/g18iedK.jpg ... no, Keaton was his cousin ;)

- DominicD

"Always make the audience suffer as much as possible." - A. Hitchcock

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The opening scene of the movie shows what really happened and wasn't from Verbal's POV. Soze killed Keaton who made clear he recognized him.

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The opening scene of the movie shows what really happened and wasn't from Verbal's POV. Soze killed Keaton who made clear he recognized him.
True. And of course, Verbal did weave a compelling account of what happened on the dock and ship, and that of his profound admiration for Keaton as though he were some sort of kin; of which was underscored by agent Kujan's utter dislike for him. Yet the killing of Keaton was important, as it secured a loose and final knot for Keyser Soze.


- DominicD

"O' what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive ..." - Marmion, Sir Walter Scott

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Not really since the director says Kint is Keyser.

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I heard the two people behind the film had different views on who was Soze.

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I heard the two people behind the film had different views on who was Soze
.

Who ate the two people you are referring to? Did you hear they said it or did you get the knowledge from the commentary or an interview?

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No, there is no room to argue that Keaton is Soze. Watch it again. We know beyond doubt who Soze is at the end.

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[deleted]

I just noticed that you titled your post "Diane...". Very cute.

If you're serious now and still think Dean Keaton is Soze then you need to watch the movie yet again because he isn't.

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For what it's worth, Singer told each of the principals that they were Söze

Gabriel Byrne was reportedly so incensed that he dragged Singer out into the lobby and chewed him out at the premiere

Point being, at each point we see Keaton on screen, we're looking a character whose actor believes he's Söze and is playing him accordingly

Sort of like how Harrison Ford played Deckard as a human, even though Ridley Scott has since claimed Deckard's a replicant

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