MovieChat Forums > Love the Hard Way (2003) Discussion > Help me out to understand... *Spoilers a...

Help me out to understand... *Spoilers all over the Place*



I just saw the Movie and I feel kindda Disturbed about what all I saw, I liked the Movie, but it left me with a lot of clues and Points i didnt get at all or it seems strange to me.. I thought I would find Advise in The Film´s Forum as I usually do with other ones, but surprisely, There is not much talk about that one, so I have to Submit this thread ;)

1. I think I understood the Part that Claire did believe in Him, to change him, or better said, lead him to the Right Track, thats why she had that understanding that only Love can give, and after each big dissapointmen, she still stayed to him. So I can understand, why she got into herself into the Guy´s Plan to show him, how wrong that can be, or at least I saw that Way.. but its beyond my Understanding, how she did keep doing this and become a Prostitute that Hard way.. I mean, It wasnt anymore to show him a Lesson (I am still in Doubt if it was Lesson in the First Place).. It was kind of Sick for me.. why,?? whyyyyy ? why she was runing her life like that, I didnt have anything more to do with love.. she was full into the Prostitute Job, or she was so badly done with the break up that she just let her fall into that?

2. After all she did and went thru, at the end why she was so cold to him after he was back? Why she wanted to kill herself at the first place? She though he liyed her again because he wasnt back from the Job? The ending was very unclear for me.. I think maybe, in that two years, she did realise what big mistakes she did? I dunno, I went quite Fast without to much explanations....

So I think this are the 2 big Points who annoys me, I would appreciate any other Thoughts and Answers... Thank You :)




Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around. Sofia, Vanilla Sky

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Looking at the Quotes, I realise that I didnt understand all The english.. could help me a little bit...

Jack: She looks at him again, then with a painful smile she switches off the light and leaves. The room is dark again. Claire is gone. The following day I asked her to wait for me, I never saw her again; I was arrested a few moments later. No doubt believing it was all another lie, she'd slit her wrists with a knife. As Charlie would say, the Gods are on my side; the police found her, saving her life just in time.

Jack: Did you read it?
Claire: Yeah, I did.
Jack: And?
Claire: I don't blame you you know, I never did.
Jack: [swallows]
Claire: And going to the dark side of the moon wasn't the worst thing.
Jack: What was?
Claire: Going alone.

So, She tryed to kill herself because she thought it was another Lie. Ok, got that. Then her "going alone", sounds like she wished that during her experiment? (still unclear about that) , she wished he were along her into that dark World..?

Anyway, Still the Questions why she did go so far "alone" into the Prostitute Thing.. and the End why after she reading the Notes, reacted kindda cold..

Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around. Sofia, Vanilla Sky

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Today, thinking about it, some new Moments of the Film did came up in my Mind...

At the End.. she tells her, the next thing would be write a new Book, as he asked her what´s next? So We could interprate that, as a new History, new Beginning? After she did read the Notes, she stills feels distanced from him.. hmmmm

About my Problem of she being a protitute, I remembered, when she was doing this Hotel Thing, the Other woman did complain that Clair let the other guy *beep* her.. so she wasnt there just to be part of it, kindda she wanted to exagerate it? go deeper? .. hmmmm



Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around. Sofia, Vanilla Sky

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1) I think she was madly in love with him, but at the same time there was something else that was very wrong with her. She was this girl that had lived forever in this perfect little box, perfect grades, perfect school, perfect boyfriend. I think Jack was a symptom of her real problem. She was rebelling against everything she was, he just happened to be the switch.
Also, I think her first moments of true happiness are with Jack. And, for any of you that know what it's like to first feel happiness, it's not a feeling you are ever willing to let go of.
There is a converstation that explains her "conversion to prostitution". After she and Jack break up she is walking with Jeff (Diehl) and he says that she is a "foreign body, and foreign bodies get rejected." So, what do you do if you're in a foreign land? You follow the old saying: when in Rome act like the Romans.

2) Cold? Jack was both the best and worst thing that ever happened to him. I think she simply doesn't trust herself with him and doesn't know how to react to hearing his voice again. It's easy to deal with him when he's unreachable, but suddenly here he was again, and she feels this flood of feelings - she goes into shock. It's not like she can jump up and hug him - their relationship was never like that. They need to start completely over. The end of the movie reminds me a lot of their first encounter. He trying to woo her and her replying with her quips. The relationship is fresh again they are "writing a new book."

I think the reason she tries to kill herself is she is completely hopeless. She is on the dark side and her last ditch effort was to be with Jack. When he doesn't come home she has gone to the dark side and she has gone alone. Which, as she says at the end of the movie, was the worst part.

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I accidentally saw the film yesterday and was so overwhelmed. There are lots of things to think about in this movie. I find myself still trying to figure out some points. Your comments just like back up what I think. Thank you!

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I was also shocked by Claire becoming a prostitute as well. First when that person approached her on the street and offered to pay $20.00 and she accepted. BTW, if you are going to give up your self at least do it for real money.

But the hotel thing was certainly a shock.

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[deleted]

First let me quote Jay-Z: Song Cry

"They say you can't turn a bad girl good
But once a good girl's goin bad, she's gone forever..
And more forever
Sht I gotta live with the fact I did you wrong forever"

Claire's pain build up through the whole movie from the moment Jack wasn't returning her calls. She gave her whole soul to this man. A man who's not from her world but she felt in her heart that he was more from his world, that he didn't belong in his world. Claire going into prostitution all the way was her way of trying to forget Jack and the pain she felt inside as the same time being vindictive and revengeful. In reality some woman run to sex (not so much prostitution) because they are trying to forget the man they love. Also, Claire entered prostitution even more when Jack's friends kept reminding her that they are from two separate worlds- see scene at the bridge and resturant with Charlie. Her committing suicide is the way the film shows you that she's weak and she can't handle Jack's world. Claire has a conscious and the movie was showing that she went through something tragic with her eyes being black and blue. While she was in front of Jack with her face beat up she pretended to be strong. She didn't want to show him that she was weak and that she wasn't part of his world. Jack not returning back that night he got arrested brought her to her boiling point. All that was boiling inside her had brought her to commit suicide.

A love like there's doesn't end, even after 2yrs. See its like another West Side story. Two different worlds coming together. He showed her his most intimate space. Remember he wouldn't let her in and after 2yrs he let her in because he recognized how much he cared for her and done her wrong. All she wanted to do is be with him and love him. The movie ends with a slight of hope that their love would continue. This type of passionate his hard to come in ones life. Only a few humans get to experience it and only a few of those experience last. This is why its hard to be with someone that you feel strong love and have great passionate with. This is why some humans settle because they don't want to go through the same roller-coaster again.

Check out the rest of Jay-Z's lyric for Song Cry
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jayz/songcry.html

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I didnt see it that way. I felt that was his plan all along . He wanted to charm his way to the bed room with her which wasnt a challenge and then he wasnt returning her phone calls which he didnt care in the beginning because he was doing his own thing(illegal) or maybe he figured she was a nice girl and he didnt want to involve him self. She was kind of a Know it all academic head on her shoulders type of girl who thought she couldnt be pulled by him when he stopped returning phone calls that played with her ego a little bit. when he came out of jail, he realized that he did love her

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she grew from that relationship and it was a painful growth!!! He put her through a lot Did you see the whole movie? and I guess she wanted to protect herself from him unless he just wanted to use her again . I understood completely . First off, she thought she was too smart to get involved with this guy in the first place. She was going to college and she thought she knew it all including what this guy wanted !! The guy picked up on this a decided to manipulate her cause he had street smarts !! She started getting manipulated by him and she felt her self getting drawn in. The next thing you know she is pulling off jobs with him. As far as him prostituting her she did that because he had drained her of any self worth she had and he was angry with her for doing it with that guy but she wanted to get back at him. Then she tried to commit suicide because she couldnt take his manipulations any more and on some level I think he did care for her. But when he went to jail,he learned to really love and appreciate her. So when he came out, she was older and wiser. and shes not gonna take anything from him anymore and he changed too

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Ok, I think Claire was cold to him because he had put her through a lot. She had grown up and Jack was really her first. I could really identify. You do get like that. In my situation, I was pregnant and this man was totally dogging me but I would have done or gone through any situation just for him to love me. The light bulb went off when he told me ' you think you're the only one? , you are one stupid bi.... and I mean he was cold and he laughed. When he went to work that night and it was snowing on the ground really hard, I changed the all locks on the door and I was still crying while I was doing it. I had enough of him when he got home that night he banged on the door but I would not open it... finally he told me he was sorry we can work it out and still I would not open the door.
That is how I see Claire... she still had those feelings for him but she wasn't willing to 'open that door' to get hurt anymore. He realized what he had in Claire but it was too late well maybe not but for them to be together it would have to take a lot of time and soul searching
As for me, he still doesn't 'remember' or recall saying that to me but I do. The people that hurt you have convenient memories too

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The best line to illustrate WHY Claire did what she did is when she said, "I'm dead" after finding him in bed with the the other girl. She was really hurting and was being self-destructive. I don't think she actually thought all of her behavior would impact him at all.

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