MovieChat Forums > Unknown (2006) Discussion > why did Barry Pepper's character cut the...

why did Barry Pepper's character cut the telephone cord?


Why?

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He was scared that it could be him (so they can't call police or anyone else).

Throughout whole movie he seems like leader and main normal guy.
But later we find out, Jim Caviezels character points out, that he is actually scared and cares only about self.
At the end you can see him running away, and then gets his balls together and comes back to save Caviezel. He actually thought of running away and leaving him.
But changed mind at last second.

And that's why.

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Because he'd found the dead body, that he thought was a police officer, and with no memory, he wasn't sure whether he was responsible for the death or not.

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It's one of the many things that make no sense in this movie, and one of the many reasons that no one has ever heard of this movie.

He could have simply yelled "stop" if he were really worried. And it makes no sense that he would be worried. Five people imprisoned in the desert, one guy shot and basically crucified, another with a broken face, absolutely no way to get out, everyone thinking they are about to be murdered... and someone destroys the phone out of fear of getting in trouble? Seriously???

Also, THERE WAS ANOTHER PHONE, which nobody felt the desire to use, or the need to destroy. Despite the fact the bad guys actually called them on it and told them they had two hours to live. Incredible.

And sure, kidnapping rings never have cell phones or carry wallets or have any tattoos or dress/speak in any way that would differentiate them from zillionaire bankers. Just the way a zillionaire banker would be indistinguishable from a kidnapper if you changed his clothes. Uh huh.

Also there was just no intelligence to the storytelling. Characters would suddenly remember things, and then act differently. No foreshadowing, no nothing. Just BAM now everything is different! No, wait.... BAM! I was thinking they would all suddenly remember they were just chemical plant employees and had hallucinated the dead body. Now THAT would have been good.

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a zillionaire banker would be indistinguishable from a kidnapper if you changed his clothes


The only person inside the film who ever claimed Coles was a down-home good ol' boy was his unfaithful possibly-felonious wife talking to the random cop on their smoke break. It was never independently shown that Coles's business was decent/upstanding. Perhaps his line of work was more akin to the sleazy Bernie Madoff world and not so "distinguishable" from a petty hood's after all

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