MovieChat Forums > Seul contre tous (1999) Discussion > Is he a good person?

Is he a good person?

posted 18 years ago by Polygraph
30 replies | jump to latest

Did anyone think about that the Butcher was actually a basically decent person who was just driven to extremes by his surroundings? I know his musings are racist, misogynistic etc. but he also mentions that he all he wants is to life a quiet life and be left alone. He told the truth to his mistress, that nothing happened between him and the nurse, but she just kept on bitching. And when he´s honest enough at the job interview to admit, that he has been in jail it results in him being sent away. In my opinion he isn´t really a mean-spirited, violent and malicious personality- didn´t anyone of you feel, not sympathy, but rather pity?

[–] Movie_Palms 18 years ago

I think one of the points of this movies is the post modern idea that morality is relative/subjective and has no real "truth". Therefore he can be seen as neither good nor bad, just different to what is considered acceptable by the majority.

Could be wrong tho lol

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] touchings 18 years ago

well i think he was just one of the people who go nuts after having such a dull life. lots of people just wither away, and dont let it bother them, this guy did let it bother him.

[–] applegrrls 18 years ago

There wasn't one shred of decency in him.. and just when it looked as though he might change the course of his life in a brief moment of clarity.. his taint destroyed the only pure sense of good in his entire life.. when he raped his daughter... it is impossible to pity him.. when so many others suffer the same, or greater traumatic events in their own lives.. and work hard to overcome their circumstances ... rather than wallow in the wine of their own stench of narcissistic self loathing pity until it turns to vinegar...

I think I liked this better the first time I saw it when it was called, "Of Mice and Men"... but thank God that half-wit wasn't raped in the end..

[–] jdym00 17 years ago

he punched his pregnant wife in the stomach repeatedly until (almost certaintly) the unborn baby is killed in her body.

he is not a good person

[–] 112524 17 years ago

he didn't rape his daughter.

[–] Kanelgifflen 16 years ago

He did actually, he says so himself in the beginning of the movie Irreversible.

And its very clear from his last "speech" in the movie that he is going to.

[–] PsychoCalipso 9 years ago

Very old post, but I have to agree with you.

Very good movie until the very end, I did feel some pity for him until that moment when he had the chance to be bigger than his *beep* up life. But he was nothing but a narcissistic psycho blaming everyone else for his miserable existence.

Didn't even have the balls to off himself.

[–] Nova_UB313 17 years ago

He couldn't cope, too sensitive of an individual--he drove himself mad. It happens.

Demetria :)

"There's nothing tastier than food for thought."

[–] haewatein 17 years ago

I'd say it is more important to understand that there are not good or bad people.

[–] sepsism 17 years ago

I'd say it is more important to understand that there are not good or bad people.

I agree, I think this is somewhat the point of the film.

Morality is an illusion, something made-up, non-existent. Hence every man has his own morality.

"I don't want to hurt you, I just want to kill you" - Experiment in homicide.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] dogout43 17 years ago

I like what the OP said about him being driven to violence by his surroundings. Did anybody read Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point?" He talks about this sort of thing in one of the chapters. He talks about how crime went way down in New York just because of the subway cleanup. Environment definitely affects behavior, regardless of what kind of person you are.

Do you know who I am? I am a huge fan of radio control!

[–] WileEphile2 17 years ago

Well, there was no coercion shown when he had sex with his daughter, and the act actually had a beneficial outcome in terms of his mental status. Also, his girlfriend/mistress had no business bringing a baby into that environment. She should have either had an abortion or went away to have the child and give it up for adoption. I personally have a bigger problem with the fact that he stabbed (killed?) someone he mistakenly thought had raped his daughter. That really destroys in my mind the idea that any sort of personal system of morality or justice can stand alone and be justified. Still, the movie does make a good case that morality is not so cut and dried.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] universe940-1 17 years ago

He's a lovvvely man . . . Or, an absolute piece of *beep* Depending on your point of view.

Casper Noy is a sad act. And this film is a miserable crock of *beep* that's come spewing from the ass of a idiot shockmerchant. That's my point of view.

[–] firepit 17 years ago

sorry but i have to disagree with most here

having a *beep* life is no excuse. if you are a murderer, have fantasies of raping your own daughter, and beat your own wife,
then you are NOT a good person. sorry, but there are no excuses for what he did.

he complains of the world being *beep* throughout the entire movie, yet he contributes to it all by being an evil *beep* he's a hypocrite