MovieChat Forums > The Clearing (2004) Discussion > Why didn't he kill...? (SPOILER)

Why didn't he kill...? (SPOILER)

posted 19 years ago by Goran Frehse
11 replies | jump to latest

I still don't get why Wayne didn't kill Arnold after their fight.
He clearly seemed in the position to do so, yet he gets up and waits for Arnold to regain his senses.

Was he so stricken with guilt for betraying his wife? Did it have something to do with his father?

I mostly enjoyed it very much, but then was terribly disappointed by the ending. Not by the events themselves, but how the storytelling gets up a hype and then lets the viewer down. To me it definitely seemed like a twist was about to come around. Is it just me?

[–] LtDunbar 19 years ago

I think that he thought Arnold WAS dead. IMHO, the worst part of an otherwise good movie was when Redford turns his back to Dafoe lying on the ground. It was so obvious that Dafoe was going to get up again.

[–] Goran Frehse 19 years ago

I'm pretty sure this was intentional from Wayne. First of all, I failed to detect any suprise on Wayne's part when Arnold gets back up. That whole scene has a strange mood of inevitability to it (or predictability, as you say). When Arnold says "I can't let you go." after he picks up the gun, it sounds like an apology for something Wayne is already aware of. In that situation, I'd clearly expect a higher level of emotions from both of them, even granted their exhaustion.
Secondly, and most importantly, I can't imagine that anybody kidnapped would not make absolutely sure the kidnapper would not get up ever again (Wayne absolutely had that capability). Unless, of course, he wanted him to.

[–] Project-Pimpin 19 years ago

I think Arnold overall was a good guy that just went nuts inside with his daily routine, I mean cmon he gets laid off, He has to live with his wife's father that sleeps with the loud ass TV on driving him nuts(that would drive me nuts too) plus he now makes 6.50 or some *beep* an hour at some *beep* ass job giving information and hes like 46 and lil punk ass kids *beep* with em all the time. Plus he doesn't talk to one of his kids who is dating a mute. LOL this guy has a *beep* ass life. Meanwhile, Wayne is a rich sucessful prick who cheats on his wife and barely talks to his own kids. Arnold doesn't talk to his kids because I think maybe it had something to do with losing his job. Not to mention Wayne doesn't even show up for *beep* his wife asks him too.
Anyway

I think Wayne didn't kill Arnold because he did feel guilty, maybe about his wife and kids and maybe he also had some guilt for Arnold and what happened to him.

I do hate the ending your right it really sucks cause they could have had a better ending where maybe Arnold realizes what he's doing wrong and decides to let him go and then maybe Wayne could get him a job or give him some money.

I also think that they should have had a cabin scene where there actually was other people behind it maybe someone he knew in his past, It just makes me feel for Arnold tho cause his character is a good guy at heart but the *beep* that happens to this poor guy just sucks.

Anyway thats my take on this movie overall I thought it was pretty good. despite the ending.
" Yo, hey Yo Miss Lady Bitch "

[–] emisn0 19 years ago

I thought the reason wayne let arnold live was because he had no idea where he was, as he was in the trunk of the car when they pulled up, and felt that his best chance was just to risk letting Arnold live and that his wife would pay the ransom, that combined with not wanting to kill another life. I agree teh ending could have been different, at least the final scene (SPOILER): I mean all Arnold says is, You know there really is no cabin, then he says it again, then shoots him, i don't know it just left me waiting for more, though i had a feeling he would be dead, since there was no proof of life, and the FBI guys foreshadowed that you would need a proof of life. That, it was too slow paced till the end, and though the acting was great, Arnold's character was annoying, Wayne was a cheating prick, so it had that gritty reality sense, that most movies lack, a good redeeming quality.

[–] mboozer 19 years ago

I don't think it was clear he cheated on his wife anymore. I don't think they properly showed that he was still sleeping with the woman. Rather it seemed he felt like he had to help her after firing her. He honored his wife by firing her and the wife admits not dealing with it again. Thus, he did the quasi-honorable thing and kept the friendship intact and tried to help her. I mean he bought her books?!! That's not something that makes you think their some kind of lovers. However, it could be true he was still sleeping with her, but I am just saying at that point in the movie I thought that they were trying to make him seem not so bad after villifying him (a typical thing to do in a film).

[–] djsnafu23 18 years ago

That was my favourite part of the movie- its so rare that you see heroes avoid a gung-ho, militant vengeful attitude. The film won me over at that point. I htink he showed remorse thinking he'd killed Arnold- that was the look on his face as I saw it. If it were me, I'd maybe try to find the gun and shoot his leg so he cant be a danger, but I don't think killing him would be right.

It was terrific writing, and very original also. I also dont think Redford dying was predicatble: when did you last see a hero die in that kind of movie? The confession and ridiculously cheesy ending scene were the only bad moments in the film in my opinion

[–] rs-61 17 years ago

But why didn't Wayne jump Arnold much earlier when they were eating sandwiches -Arnold's gun was not in his hands and he seemed very off guard.

[–] Dinobot2 16 years ago

He's an idiot. Had he finished the job he'd still be alive. Instead he just goes over to the tree with his back turned. Smart move. Redford's character isn't some brutal ass kicker but when your in a situation like this you have to act. Life and death situations. If you think he's dead then hit him in the head with a rock a few times for good measure. Of course this is a moooovie.

[–] DeepFriedJello 14 years ago

Yea, I thought he could have attacked the guy several times early on. Kick the gun out of his hands or in the crotch. After Wayne choked the guy you could see the guys eyes move like he was alive. Wayne should at least have looked for the gun, if he planned to let him live. I would have stomped his head into the mud. If I knew Wayne would die in the end I probably wouldn't have watched.

[–] fabriceappy 15 years ago

In this situation, anybody would have kill the guy, and make sure he is 100% dead. That's why the movie doesn't work.

A clever guy like the character of Wayne Hayes (Robert Redford) would never have done such a mistake.

[–] Ironman54 14 years ago

I think the lamest part really was that he turned his back on him - that didn't 'work' for me. As far as for him not killing the guy, I can even buy this 'cause in real life, unlike the movies, strange, unexpected things can and do happen including the 'good guy' (relatively speaking) dying in the end rather than a 'feel good' ending. Turning his back on the corpse doesn't even make sense and no one would do this sober. Also, he jumped him after he got away when he could have escaped without having to risk loosing the fight with an armed man. In the woods. once you are out of sight of the person perusing, the odds are a thousand to one that he will find you -as long as you remain still. I watched that Cruise/Fox movie last night (Cruise is a hit man/Fox a cab driver) and the same thing happened. Fox and the attorney lost Cruise in an office bldg.Cruise had a better chance winning the lottery in that situation.Oh yeah, wrong place here to get into that movie but, along the same lines, there was another scene too.
Cruise cuts off the power (irreversible damage to the elec.system) on the floor of the office bldg the attorney was hiding in. Dumb move Tom. And I doubt anyone would really be this stupid. Even kids know not to play 'hide and go seek' in the dark ! People do screw up and make bad decisions in crisis situations but Redford, with that dark suit on would never have been found by Defoe unless he stood up and said 'here I am' - whcih he pretty much did,really.And pro hitman Cruise smashing the elec. panel so the entire floor was pitch dark when the exact opposite is called for ? No matter where you hide in an office, once the offices lights are switched on, you're pretty much 'toast'.Now if she did this it would make sense as in the dark, the playing field is leveled.OK, he may have got her by shooting around wildly and getting lucky.
What they could have done with the scene is instead of Redford hugging a tree, had some deer or other wildlife make some noise off in the distance and had Redford play the scene as if he was afraid the noise came from Defoes 'accomplices'. I know, there weren't any but Redford, in real life, may have been so unsure as to what was really going on eg., 1st theres a cabin, then theres no cabin and Defoe is hired just to grab Redford yet he knew way more about Redford and family then made sense to Redford. So he could have froze in place, back to Defoe, terrified accomplices were coming up on him and who would find their partner dead (I know, but Redford thought he was). Almost any alternative to turning his back on Defoe would have made better sense. OK - done exercising my fingers/joints for the day ! *Spell check has just notified me that 'hitman' is two words... freakin' Spellcheck, who the hell does he think he is ? I'll put two behind his freakin' ear if he corrects me again...
Really done now....