MovieChat Forums > The Place Beyond the Pines (2013) Discussion > Why did Robin cut up Luke's bike?

Why did Robin cut up Luke's bike?

posted 10 years ago by mrliteral
8 replies | jump to latest

I realize the movie needs to force a conflict between them at this point and also cause Luke to get a new bike which craps out during his escape, but all that garbage aside: why, in terms of character motivation, would Robin do this?

There doesn't appear to be anything he would personally gain by this action, and he must have known Luke would be none too pleased about it…it just doesn't make sense, unless I'm missing something. Looks like bad writing to me. Anyone have another, intelligent opinion?

http://moviesonthemind.blogspot.com/

[–] Reverend_Powell 10 years ago

He cut his bike up to keep him from doing more jobs. Luke wanted to do two in one day and Robin said they were done because there was too much heat on them after Luke's arrest. He knew Luke wasn't going to listen to him, so he cut up his bike to make sure he didn't go out and rob another bank and bring them both down in the process. He was also drunk when he did it. In his state of mind, it seemed like the only way to stop Luke from robbing more banks.

[–] mrliteral 10 years ago

Yeah, but what did he expect Luke to do after finding his bike in pieces? Say "Oh well" and watch cartoons? No, Luke's gonna be pissed, and he's gonna go straight to Robin for some form of recompense. So Robin destroying the bike not only wouldn't prevent Luke from robbing banks, because he was clearly intent on doing so, but also put Robin himself in danger. That just doesn't make sense, and being drunk is no explanation for what's clearly a stupid idea.

http://moviesonthemind.blogspot.com/

[–] Reverend_Powell 10 years ago

and being drunk is no explanation for what's clearly a stupid idea.

Lol, of course it is, and it is the explanation. Plus, we're talking about criminals here who rob banks. Clearly, they don't make the best decisions...

[–] amaklp 10 years ago

Plus, we're talking about criminals here who rob banks. Clearly, they don't make the best decisions...

I really LOLed at this one

[–] tenantennae 10 years ago

He had to know it wasn't going to go over well, but I think he was more worried about the cops than Luke. In addition to keeping him from robbing more banks, someone might put two and two together and figure out the new violent offender in town rides a black dual sport just the new bank robber's.

From a practical standpoint, getting rid of the bike made sense.

But it was pretty insensitive of him to leave it for Luke to find laying there in a heap like a dismembered sex crime victim

[–] mrliteral 10 years ago

He could have removed the carburetor or fuel pump or something, just to render it inoperable…getting a new bike isn't really more or less inconvenient than fixing the old one, but there was certainly no reason to chop it up and leave it lying there in pieces. That's just mean and stupid.

http://moviesonthemind.blogspot.com/

[–] gregorik 9 years ago

That's just mean and stupid.

Well, Robin was mean and stupid. He was a drunken recluse who used to rob banks and made a criminal out of Luke.

---
"Don't just DO something, STAND there!"
Pastor Charlie Bing

[–] glock78 9 years ago

Robin's motivation was not to stop Luke from robbing banks but to prevent Luke from involving HIM into more robberies.
So, it's a win-win.

Either Luke sees the bike in pieces and comes to his senses OR worst case scenario, he wants "some form of recompense" and nothing more to do with Robin.

He did misjudge how well he knew Luke, but not by much.
He didn't go to jail for their robbery. Or for his own robberies from before.