MovieChat Forums > The Edge (1997) Discussion > The dying confession

The dying confession

posted 13 years ago by lamont-hard
12 replies | jump to latest

I can't see how so many missed the dying confession and what was meant by it. He wanted to tell the guy that it was all him. He seduced the wife and she was not in on the plot to kill him. The guy truly changed as he forgave him and I believe the wife also. She had to realize she was being used by him and felt bad for the affair. As now her husband is a wiser man. A major point at the end was his point that he understood the guys motives, he wanted what was not his from him the wife the money and all that went with it he would have eventually dumped the wife in the long run. He became a changed man afterwords. You don't go thru something like that without a total change It would not have been complete if he did not forgive her. He valued what he had in a different light not the arrogant way of before.

[–] akroagate 13 years ago

I think he forgave her and loved her still, but I don't think he planned on remaining with her.

Maybe I'm wrong, but the feeling I got from the ending was that he would move on and experience life differently on his own.

Time of your life, huh, kid?

[–] lamont-hard 13 years ago

So many interpretations....I wish this movie gave us something clear. This movie in my opinion could have ended with us knowing Just what he did with her, without spoiling the film. Just another writer ruining there work by trying to be to clever, This film would have been so much better if we saw to what extent Bob's confession had and how did it make Charles see he wife afterwords, instead of guessing what type of person he might become. A chance to top of a great film with a cherry on top. But what we got in the end was a mix of all ingredients thrown together in a bowl, both taste the same but one a more satisfying way to eat it.

[–] EmmaPopell 11 years ago

"Just another writer ruining there (sic) work by trying to be clever..."

You have to be kidding with that! David Mamet is the greatest writer!
The fact that he leaves the viewer open to interpreting the end result of Hopkins ordeal is brilliant. To have to explain the Future is pretty futile of an act, especially since the film ends at that moment.

I felt like Hopkins was a very changed man by the end of the film. I like to think he dumped his shallow but beautiful wife and became Happy inside, finally, even with all his $$$$$$.

Until Mr. Mamet writes a sequel, I suppose it's just our Imaginations finding the rest of the Story....

[–] lamont-hard 11 years ago

I don't think the film was indicating she was a shallow person, more of she was vulnerable to a guy like the lover. Something he could not have known nor she to a degree. He did love her and I guess we will differ on what he did as the script avoided that part.

Interesting how he gave praise to the guy in his death. He understood him and her, which means he understood what they did to him. It has all the trappings of forgiveness. Why forgive him and then not her...I think just as he turned over a new leaf with the lover he did the same thing with her and would see her in a different light now. I feel he forgave her just as he did the lover. Why forgive her and not accept her back, in that case he would not be forgiving her which he clearly does.

[–] nucas-1 10 years ago

because he understood her, but also understood himself the better. he no longer wanted the trophy wife.

[–] first-things-first 10 years ago

He can forgive her, but he may want someone different. Maybe the reasons he loved were not enough as the previous poster stated. Or some hurts live on. You may not wish them harm, but the people have no place in your life, because you have changed, not them. Forgiveness heals us, helps us move on, helps us retain our kindness and compassion. But forgiveness doesn't always maintain love or friendship (everyones lost). I believe we spend more time picking the perfect car than giving our love to someone. Hopefully, we will make better choices because if we don't we will end up alone, safe, but alone. I choose safe these days.

If we can save humanity, we become the caretakers of the world

[–] lamont-hard 10 years ago

Great post on forgiveness but in the context of the film she was a victim of the snakelike charm of the lover. The film made references several times that despite she being a trophy wife he loved her. And she also loved him. So all this stuff about she being with him for her looks is a bit off base. He got to know what she was up against and what his [the lover]intentions were with her. So he gave the lover a pass and I feel he gave her one as well.

[–] first-things-first 10 years ago

Thank-you for your counter-point. I couldn't explain her reaction at being revealed (tears). The scenes I remember in the cabin did show genuine feelings for her husband (in my opinion). And the lover's comment about the wife not knowing his intentions does suggest she was being taken for a ride too. To have so much (love, happiness, friendship) and still want more. That has been the cross to bear for mankind. I do believe he respected honesty, so yes, if she told him why, he forgave her.

If we can save humanity, we become the caretakers of the world

[–] lamont-hard 10 years ago

I should not have been so critical of him. But as far as Hopkins character growing in the film to survive a ruthless killer and forgiving him not just for trying to kill him but sleeping with his wife. He came to a point where it seemed as if he gained a great fiend in the lover. After witnessing all he went through I would have liked maybe 10 or 15 more minutes to show what he became. I also wanted to hear the story of how it played out with the wife.

The fist time I saw the film i thought he handed her the watch as in a you are caught here is my poof but upon a second viewing I changed my thoughts to he maybe have given it to he as a last momento from him as it was something dear from her to him. He was looking out for her not condemning as i fist thought.

[–] Splarne 10 years ago

she didn't go into the wilder-side of that wilderness with them, but she may die from shame there none-the-less. charles handed her the watch as if to give her a nod to say "yes, i know what you two have been up to".

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Thread ender.

[–] sylvia0270 9 years ago

I feel that if she loved him she would have ran to him, but just stand there. She stood there because she was caught and did not want to be shamed at being rejected. Plus she was in on the bear prank, Charles was an older guy and could have had a heart attack. I would never agree to a prank like that on my older husband.

[–] TexasJack (12515) 7 years ago

No way he forgave his whore soon-to-be-ex wife.