ALTERNATE ENDING????????????? ?????????
whats all this talk about an alternate ending?
shareI looked on the DVD, couldn't find one.
shareI don't know anything about an alternate ending but, I felt it would have made a beter ending if he died saving her son who was also named, Abner Eisley. Either way, he ironically completed step 5 of his 5 steps to redemption, I guess, but the fact that she saved his life means he's still in debt to her.
If he died saving her son's life (and stopping him from murder) that would have made them even. (and then he could have been accepted into Gods open arms or whatever that was he said in his statement)
I'd guess if there was an alt. ending it was that he died.
I like the twist that Morgan Freeman was the man the FBI was looking for. I wondered all along what the FBI scene had to do with the plot.
Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!
If she had let him die, or if the son had let him die, then they would have to continue the same struggle he did. This film is about absolution, not just revenge or justice. Adel is struggling in a life of anger and depression. Her only reason for living is to put forth something beautiful into the world. Manuel has made this possible. For him to die would be simple melodrama as well as a betrayal of the the characters' convictions. The complexity of being saved here lies in the fact that you will live on and NOT die with what you have done and 'become good,' as Freeman puts it. Death is a simple fix.
Jon Gowen never payed for his crimes as Manuel did, this is why he must always be on the run. Manuel has earned his peace on Earth, not his death.
B
I have seen this movie at least once from start to finish and I was just wondering. What does it really take for Manual Jordan to earn his redemption from his past crime he committed? If he knows he'll never be redeemed then how could he have been when he tried to stop Abner (Adele's son) from making a huge mistake he once made? If Manual is still in debt to Adele, then why did she even save him in the first place? did she feel sorry for him? How could they be even when in the end she said goodbye to him? Couldn't Adele at least have a little bit of forgiveness for this man who took a bullet for her son? and why was it so hard for Manual to enjoy his relationship with Adele let alone the fact he couldn't tell her face to face the truth about who he was and what he had done?
Out of all the relationships in the movie, the one I liked most was the one between Manual and Adele because it stood out and evolved into a story where two people dealing with personal demons share a certain connection with one another. In fact, what made her make love with him and why did he leave so soon while she was still asleep?
As the title suggests, this story is about change and the belief that a person can change (levity), but equally important is how long and arduous life can (and probably must) be in order to lift the unbearable weight (gravity) and accept that you are only human.
1. Admit you made a mistake.
2. Feel remorse for what you have done.
3. Right your wrong by replacing what you took.
4. Make amends with God.
5. Pass up the opportunity to do what you did wrong again.
There are five stages to redemption according to this character...well, actually 6. We will get to that one later. Obviously Manuel admits he made a mistake and feels remorse for what he has done. That is why he believes he is not redeemable. In the beginning, he also immediately passes by his opportunity to commit his crime again. (So, 1, 2, and 5 are all taken care of. We know this, he doesn't because he is so despondent). This is compounded by the fact that it has been 23 years and he believes his life to be over basically and that time will conchordantly not allow him to be in the same place at the same time in order to right his wrong. He makes ammends with God in the letter to Adele when he accepts that he cannot bare the burden of the world (literally gravity, but figuratively, his crimes). In doing so, he accepts (passively perhaps) God...literally or figuratively, it doesn't matter. This is how he makes peace with God (and shares, or defers the weight to, 'God'). This is also why having sex with Adele was wrong. He wanted to help her, but he was too weak (as Gowen tells him), and ended up taking something from her (love) instead. In doing so, however, he does seal a sort of vow with her and make amends with her as well (especially following with the letter...another symbol of weakness, as he cannot even tell her in person). She has also righted her wrong in life of being so angry and frustrated. She know Manuel is mature and a good person now. And she also knows that she doesn't have to judge him or sentence him to his death. He had already done that to himself for 23 years. And in the letter and his eyes, she can see that the world wouldn't be as beauitful without him. She had plenty of pity and forgiveness for Manuel. Perhaps you misinterpereted lust or love for forgiveness. She has absolutely forgiven him. But they each must move on. You could say Manuel and she have been 'living' tormented together (mentally and within their souls) for 23 years and they have both earned the right to live separate peaceful lives. A continued romantic relationship would not only be improper for the story, but also contrived and tacky.
So, now all that is left is #3, replacing what was taken. This is why he must lose his life and save the son. In doing so he makes the ultimate sacrifice and saves a life that, without his presence, would have ended. Finally, after a lifetime (and at the cost of his life), time has put him in the same place to right his injustice.
Now, #6 is human justice. Though Gowen has probably followed all five of these steps over and over, he never paid for his crimes in an Earthly way. This is why he must flee. He is truly a good man (we can assume, though his character is very debatable), but he never paid for his crimes.
Levity has now been established.
Hope this helps!
B