This is probably obvious to most of you so please don't respond with "duh", but did Kingsfield know about Hart and his daughter? Did he only feign forgetting who Hart was every time he saw him? Did he give Hart the weekend research assignment to manipulate his daughter's social life? If he did know, did he catch him with her or did he just know?
He didn't get out of the cock-a-doody car!!!
I always thought those instances were in the movie for the sole purpose of keeping the audience guessing: DOES KINGSFIELD KNOW ALL?
I lean to the side that says he did not know about Hart and his daughter. As for the extra assignment ... I think it would have gone just that way no matter what.
Every third person who complains will be shot. Two people have complained already!
Just saw this movie again on the Movies channel, and was wondering the same things. I would suspect that Kingsfield did not know -- the point being that Hart and all the other students were simply too low to even merit his notice or attention.
shareI agree with you xdayton: Kingsfield could give a shit. He is playing a role as "law professor", but that is all it is. I wouldn't imagine he is anything like that outside of Harvard Law School.
shareI think it's actually a very good question and part of the reason the film is enjoyable-it keeps you thinking...much better then if it was spelled out.
"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it." Norman Maclean
Thank you for your contributions. It sounds as though I thought the way the author and director intended.
He didn't get out of the cock-a-doody car!!!
In my opinion he knew nothing. I think that because that's what I think the movie was about.
The whole time Hart is obsessing over Kingsfield, like an unrequited lover. He imagines conversations, thinks he's in Kingsfield's head, thinks Kingsfield is interested in Hart's life.
In reality, Kingsfield honestly has no idea who Hart is. To Kingsfield, Hart is just, as Kingsfield's daughter said, a face on a seating chart. The 'relationship' between Kingsfield and Hart was all in Hart's head. Which he finally accepts in the elevator w/ Kingsfield right before the test.
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Death is the road to awe.
I always thought that he knew.
share