MovieChat Forums > They Live (1988) Discussion > Maybe the fight scene isn't so gratuitou...

Maybe the fight scene isn't so gratuitous/pointless/random afterall

posted 9 years ago by CharlesVariations
9 replies | jump to latest

My brother and I was watching this movie not too long ago and when we got to the fight scene at first we were laughing as it was going on, it's just so ridiculous how long it lasts. However, once it ended with Roddy Piper putting the glasses on Keith David, we thought that maybe that fight symbolizes how hard it is to get people to believe, or "see the truth" because they get so uncomfortable when you try to confront them with reality. Think about it, He nearly had to beat Keith David to death just to get the glasses on him.

I've talked to my friends and others about how there's a "ruling elite" that controls our elections, busy our politicians, and how cops are simply the "blue line" between us, the "Wage slaves" and the ruling class. That sort of talk makes folks uncomfortable, I see it in their eyes and body language. This is what that scene represents, the struggle to make people "see".

Only people with money say that money doesn't matter.

[–] Coconut_Kaasa 9 years ago

This is common knowledge around here.

They call me the Mayor, 'Cause I spend all my days here

[–] lorenzb-2 8 years ago

I understand that since Piper was a wrestler Carpenter wanted to do the extended fight sequence. But I think it went on way too long, plus it's hard to watch two human allies brutalizing each other when the real enemy was "out there". It would have been a lot better if they were both more reasonable.

[–] TotheWatersandtheWild 8 years ago

It didn't seem that brutal, and it's one of the best fight scenes on film.

~
“Hawdd yw hi, i fod yn ddewr o tu nôl i mur.”
🐉

[–] rudolphgur 8 years ago

Um.. it was a long fight because of Piper's wrestling history. That's it.

BTW... you dropped your tinfoil hat.

[–] CharlesVariations 8 years ago

Um.. it was a long fight because of Piper's wrestling history. That's it.

BTW... you dropped your tinfoil hat.

No, that's only part of it. Overall it was symbolic to the idea of trying to get people to see the truth especially as they face the issue of cognitive dissonance. That's exactly what this is. That tin foil hat ain't mine, buddy. Take it and shove it!

[–] lorenzb-2 8 years ago

It wasn't that brutal? I'd sure hate to have someone beating on me like that. I would have approached Frank more diplomatically, put the glasses down and then backed away. Maybe he would have taken a look then. But that wouldn't have been as dramatic, and it is a sci-fi/action movie.

[–] TotheWatersandtheWild 8 years ago

Not that brutal by today's standards. There's something that feels so brutally honest about it, yet there's no gore or graphic in-your-face shots. Just seems tame and down to earth compared to the mind-numbing violence today.
I think it's a good fight. It's an amusing scene with two extremely stubborn men who are in great health and shape going at it. It's rewarding in that sense. I just never felt that either of them would be seriously hurt. Even though they should both be dead halfway through it. The disbelief is already suspended to let the alien infiltration idea in, so there's an aspect of unreality about the fight too.
I guess he could have gone about it differently, put the glasses down, approached it more carefully, but it wouldn't have been that fun/unexpected to watch.

~
“Hawdd yw hi, i fod yn ddewr o tu nôl i mur.”
🐉

[–] lorenzb-2 8 years ago

Isn't that what I said?

[–] TotheWatersandtheWild 8 years ago

Sigh. Never mind.

And for future reference, you're replying to the wrong poster.

~
“Hawdd yw hi, i fod yn ddewr o tu nôl i mur.”
🐉