MovieChat Forums > Breakdown (1997) Discussion > Why kill the bad guy?

Why kill the bad guy?

posted 8 years ago by Jimothy3
9 replies | jump to latest

Why end his suffering by letting the truck fall on him? Surely it would have been fitting justice to let him live the rest of his life out locked up as a paraplegic? I mean once they saw that he was still alive they hit the jackpot in him getting his comeuppance, as it's very unlikely he'd be walking again after such a fall.

Also, about the first encounter with Walsh; would I be right in assuming that both Russell and his wife would have been safe and left alone had they simply stayed with their car?

[–] antoni109 8 years ago

I guess if they didn't take the ride the bad guys could have come back and simply abducted them both at gunpoint.

[–] Jimothy3 8 years ago

They could have done. I don't know if it was the sort of approach Walsh wanted based on what he says to Billy in the barn about using guns to kidnap them. From what he says it seems to suggest they carry out their kidnappings through playing nice at first. Then again, hard to know how often they get the chance to kidnap passers-by and what amount of planning goes into it. If it's quite often and something they can set up easily, what's missing out on one couple to them?

[–] antoni109 8 years ago

True... They seemed to want to scare them first with Earl, then Red plays the nice guy and helps them out.

[–] ipacac22 8 years ago

He was better off dead.

Utah! Get me two.

[–] creatorof2002 8 years ago

I posted the EXACT same thing on a different thread. If I hated someone that much I would want them to be in prison the rest of their life, death would be too good for them. Endings where the villain is getting gang raped in prison are far more satisfying for me.

Plus the guy was probably mortally injured and would have lived maybe a few more hours in excruciating pain. No way would I want to euthanize him.

[–] megaruda 8 years ago

Well you sound like a crazy person, I thought her reaction was humane.

[–] manofsteel4455 8 years ago

you presume too much.

[–] TakeTwoTheyreSmall 8 years ago

Closure, simply. They had been tortured relentlessly, and who know what they did to Amy during what may have seemed like an eternity to her. There may have been some satisfaction with them knowing he was conscious, seeing his 10-ton truck getting larger and larger in view until.... I don't know exactly how I'd feel, but then I wasn't tortured and who knows what. They did seem relieved afterward, so perhaps the victims did get their justice. And, dead men tell no tales, so no chance of him getting off on a technicality or a jury-nullifying story and witnesses. He was the only player who would have been left alive. I do know this.... Had that been my wife, there wouldn't have been enough rocks, sticks, bullets, toothpicks or whatever was on hand. A truck falling from 50' might do just as well. I dunno. Justice was served, and I think it only matters to the victims.

Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid.

[–] manofsteel4455 8 years ago

It's a morality tale. One way or another, the bad guys gotta go down.