Stupid Selma! Bjork is annoying.

She was simple. She did not have a sophisticated level of thinking. She knew that if she told the truth, she would be breaking her promise to Bill not to tell his secret. You or I might not lie in that situation, but a person like Selma would.

She was one of the most stupid protagonists I have ever seen in any film. Her death couldn't arrive fast enough. I saw her death as a process of natural selection, too bad she already had one kid but at least there won't be any more.

Wasn't this obvious? She didn't tell the truth because, if she had told them she needed the money for her sons future operation, the police would have taken the money back off the doctor and seized it, as officially it was stolen. Thus, her son would still be blind when he grew up.

Yeah you were right. Also the direction is so poor i think.But i like the story line though.

I must admit that when I saw it first, during the courtroom scene I was like: C'mon woman! Fight for your freedom! But later I realized that Selma did her best:

First: even if she had told the truth about Bill (the cop) going broke and desperate about money, who would have believed her?
It's the word of a communist + immigrant + woman versus the memory of a white + American + man. I mean, she has absolutely no proof of the events that took place. She knows she has no credibility at all against the jury.

Second: if she had told the truth about the fact she saved the money in order to pay for her son's operation, again, nobody would have believed her. The optometrist declared that Selma was shortsighted, but by no means blind, although we saw how her sight deteriorated exponentially throughout the film. Plus, saying a word about the operation would have led the police and the widow to the clinic to "rightfully" claim "their" money back. Hence, her son would have no operation and her only goal in life would have been a mere illusion.

Third: after paying for Gene's operation, Selma is completely satisfied about her life and doesn't mind being tried and executed anymore. She has no eyesight, has no job, and except for Cathy, Jeff and Gene, nobody gives a damn about her. She knows her goal and dream has been fulfilled, and wants to be no burden to anybody: she is ready to die.

And Also the direction is so poor.