MovieChat Forums > Chacun sa nuit (2006) Discussion > What was the purpose of Paul's character...

What was the purpose of Paul's character? (possible spoilers)

posted 16 years ago by allent-5
5 replies | jump to latest

I found this to be an interesting movie, and rewatching parts of it helped clarify the timeline, and helped me keep the identities of the various male bandmembers straight, but one role I didn't get was the role of Paul, the "peeping Tom". How was he connected to the group? When the sister is investigating the disappearance/murder of her brother, she chases down Paul (who seems somewhat intellectually challenged) to find out what he knows. Is it possible he witnessed the murder? At one point, she asks him to "use his gift" or something to that effect, did the townspeople think he was psychic? Any clarification would be appreciated, I found his role to be somewhat confusing and wonder if I missed something earlier in the movie.

[–] bd15203 16 years ago

I also was confused by that character. I think he was supposed to be a slightly mentally-challenged young man, and yes I think he witnessed the murder.

[–] ducdebrabant 16 years ago

He reveals late in the movie that he witnessed the murder (he's discovered telling Lucie that Pierre didn't fight back). I think he's in the story because he was in the real story. The movie is based on fact, after all. I don't know if he's mentally challenged in the usual sense -- he seems to have some kind of emotional handicap more than a mental one.

[–] jrskbmus 12 years ago

I think the implication from the movie was that Paul did have some sort of psychic gift. I don't think he personally witnessed the murder. Remember the final scene, he came running after Lucie thinking she'd committed suicide in the field. How would he have known unless he had some sort of vision about her? I'm not saying the guy really did have some sort of psychic ability or anything like that, but I do think the people who told the story and the filmmaker believed that he did, or at least wanted to portray it that way.

[–] skay_baltimore 11 years ago

I thought the allusions to Paul having certain special psychic gifts were made pretty clear in the movie. At least that's how I interpreted Lucie's discussions with him.

"Love isn't what you say or how you feel, it's what you DO". (The Last Kiss)

[–] Rockstardollbaby 11 years ago

There were allusions made to Paul having "a gift" and to his "fragile nature" which is why he "kept his distance." Lucie clearly introduces him as the sort of 6th member in the opening scene. Later, after telling him to use his gift, she says they've never minded his watching; that Pierre said something like, "Our images calm him mind and his innocence protects us." It's immediately clear he knows something. But then Lucie had every reason to think he might've seen something: Paul always
tailing them. Always watching! That was his thing. That's what he did. It's simply not true that, outside of psychic powers, there's no other way he'd witness the
crime or spy Lucie in the field. He was the one of the group whose very role was to bear witness.