let me start off by saying this movie is a great thriller with good acting and direction, complete with many twists.
SPOILERS, ONLY READ IF YOU'VE SEEN IT
however, it seems they took it one twist too far.
the last five minutes of the ending seem to make the entire movie pointless. if david gale was in on the entire plot, and dusty was actually a good guy, that raises a lot of questions about what this movie stands for.
first of all, if dusty was intending to release the video containing what "actually" happened, does bitsy even matter? her last interview, and all her efforts to save david, or at least find a way to prove his innocence, are all meaningless, if in the end, he would be vindicated anyway. what is she doing in the movie then? she doesn't matter.
but the main thing i have a problem with is how this suprise ending takes away from the political stance this movie appears to be making. i thought this movie about an innocent man being killed unjustly by the dealth penalty. i thought this movie was serving as proof that an innocent man could be convicted and executed, and therefore, the policy shouldn't exist.
but, it turns out that david gale is not completely innocent. sure, there was no actual murder. but the whole thing was a just a set up, that he apparantly masterminded. so what is this movie trying to tell us? i know it's supposed to be happy that david chose this fate for himself. so we don't have to feel so bad about it. but it annoys me that the point of the movie is: david wanted to be the martyr, and became one.
i thought this movie was supposed to be about seeking the truth. but in the end, the truth is withheld from the public--that david and constance really killed themselves for a cause, as a means to take political action.
i want to sympathize with david, believe me i do. i want to sympathize with his cause--i'm very against the death penalty. but the execution of a man who willingly, even forcefully, took measures to bring it upon himself--that makes it seem like a waste of a movie.
if a man doesn't want to be saved, and isn't, am i supposed to feel bad about that? is that supposed to change peoples minds about the death penalty?
SPOILERS, ONLY READ IF YOU'VE SEEN IT
however, it seems they took it one twist too far.
the last five minutes of the ending seem to make the entire movie pointless. if david gale was in on the entire plot, and dusty was actually a good guy, that raises a lot of questions about what this movie stands for.
first of all, if dusty was intending to release the video containing what "actually" happened, does bitsy even matter? her last interview, and all her efforts to save david, or at least find a way to prove his innocence, are all meaningless, if in the end, he would be vindicated anyway. what is she doing in the movie then? she doesn't matter.
but the main thing i have a problem with is how this suprise ending takes away from the political stance this movie appears to be making. i thought this movie about an innocent man being killed unjustly by the dealth penalty. i thought this movie was serving as proof that an innocent man could be convicted and executed, and therefore, the policy shouldn't exist.
but, it turns out that david gale is not completely innocent. sure, there was no actual murder. but the whole thing was a just a set up, that he apparantly masterminded. so what is this movie trying to tell us? i know it's supposed to be happy that david chose this fate for himself. so we don't have to feel so bad about it. but it annoys me that the point of the movie is: david wanted to be the martyr, and became one.
i thought this movie was supposed to be about seeking the truth. but in the end, the truth is withheld from the public--that david and constance really killed themselves for a cause, as a means to take political action.
i want to sympathize with david, believe me i do. i want to sympathize with his cause--i'm very against the death penalty. but the execution of a man who willingly, even forcefully, took measures to bring it upon himself--that makes it seem like a waste of a movie.
if a man doesn't want to be saved, and isn't, am i supposed to feel bad about that? is that supposed to change peoples minds about the death penalty?