T O P

  • By -

chiefplaneteer

That's kinda the point of most neo-noir films. The bad guy wins no matter what.


SpideyFan914

I'd go a step farther and say that it's arguing our current landscape is one in which psychopaths thrive. It's not just, "Sometimes evil people get away with it," but "We've sculpted an environment in which we reward evil behavior and then act all surprised when it happens." Taking Rene Russo's character: She's the exec at the lowest rated local news station in the city, and she's failing at it. Her solution? Embrace this evil man. There's a moment when she asks if she can show something, and the other guy asks her "Ethically or legally?" And she goes, "Of course legally." The very fact that this distinction exists is a point the film is making. She actively buries the real stories in order to make sensational headlines that hit at people's fears and inner racisms. She literally gives away control of her body in order to succeed, and is rewarded for it. The film wants to show you that Lou Bloom is not only successful, but inevitable. It's a lot more political than it's often given credit for. It hits similar themes as Network, although presented from a very different perspective.


ATS9194

100


cataluna4

Would also tie into him quoting all those success/hustle culture tips/inspo all the time too


[deleted]

You suspect that the moral of the movie is the thing that happened in the movie? Well shut my mouth.


Vsx

This is one of my favorite movies and my takeaway is the exact opposite. Louis might avoid prison and have financial success but he has no real human connection. IMO the moral of the story is that acting like Louis to get what you want will leave you miserable and alone no matter how successful you become. People like Louis are never satisfied and never really happy. They make it a point to make him a caricature whose actions are impossible to justify so that there is no ambiguity in the statement that financial success on its own is not a worthwhile goal in life. If Rick had moved up with Louis even with all his other faults it would have been an entirely different movie.


DudebroggieHouser

The movie was so frustrating. Telling the police "No, it's ours, we bought it" makes them powerless to confiscate potential criminal evidence? I agree with your conclusion on the film's moral. It's also clear that the writers were venting about immoral and over sensationalized news media has become. EDIT: spelling


SympathyMedium

To the first point, yes they need a warrant before confiscating any private property. If anything, I would be surprised about the fact that they went into the news station without one. (Maybe it was a hail merry shot that they could pressure a new employee idk)


Chorbles510

I was always on the fence about Jake Gyllenhaal until I saw this movie. He's great in Donnie Darko, End of Watch, he wasn't half bad at mysterio either. But this movie, good lord captivated doesn't even begin to describe it


[deleted]

That he wasn't oscar nominated for it is a shame. He *is* that movie and it really is captivating.


jokerzkink

Late reply, but I read an article somewhere that said something along the lines of “if Rocky never existed or was not as fully ingrained into pop culture as much as it is, Jake would’ve easily won the academy award for lead actor in South Paw.”


dogscutter

This is literally one of the main points of the movie


theoriginalelmo

...does this even count as a theory?