MovieChat Forums > Leaving Las Vegas (1996) Discussion > The statement at the mall food court.

The statement at the mall food court.

posted 12 years ago by LnineB
6 replies | jump to latest

Wy would he saying something like that. She is accepting all of his horrible traits why can't he? Or was it because he was semi sober during that time? I just didn't understand why he would be so cruel.

[–] L_Allyn83 12 years ago

It's when he sobers up. Whenever he is starting to get sober, he gets sexual and violent. It happens at her apt, it happens when they go to the casino, it happens in the food court. When he's drunk, he's carrying and kind.

It's one of the ironies of the movie. Sera notices, after the food court actually, that the Ben she likes is the drunk Ben. So she goes along with Ben's drinking and as the movie progresses, assists him in his drinking because it's the only way she can be with the man she's fallen in love with.

Pretty deep, right? :P

[–] thesweetestpea_777 11 years ago

What did he say? I tried listening to it a couple of times on high volume and it just all blurred together. Obviously he said something that hurt her, but that's all I got out of it.

[–] Nova_UB313 11 years ago

He said:

You'll be able to feel it sharp and hot under your ear as one of the brothers is putting your head face-down into one of the penthouse pillows.

Watching this again, I realize that Ben is momentarily taken aback when Sera announces that she's going back to work. He is jealous, which most likely stems from the fact that he's fallen in love with her. I think this is when he realizes that neither of them will change for the other--and that both will continue on their path to destruction. This is also apparent in the scene where Sera tells Ben to "be careful" before she heads out to hook--and where Ben in turn tell her the same. They are both in danger, and they both know it. But neither are willing to change, even in light of their growing love for one another.

I do wonder if the story could have panned out differently if Sera didn't go back to hooking. If she would have had a tiny bit more leverage in regard to getting Ben to seek help for his alcoholism. But I suppose as he saw it--he had already laid down the law that he would never quit drinking, which was then justified by Sera's determination to keep hooking. Sad overall.

[–] donald-vanvliet 11 years ago

He loves her.
He buys her earrings as a present to show his love.
She casually says she will wear them 'tonight'.
It was established earlier that she'd be walking the streets that night.
Realising she will be wearing his present while she's working, his feelings are hurt.
He responds by hurting her.
His initial statement that he didn't care about her being a hooker came into conflict with his feelings of love for her and probably his pride.
same thing happens to Sera: her initial promise that she'd never ask him to stop drinking came into conflict with her feelings of love when she asked him to go see a doctor.
Love is not always rational.

[–] sth78 11 years ago

Because he is sobering up, and he doesn't want to. He wants to die, not get emotionally attached (which could prevent him from dying).

They named Sera her name, because she is supposed to be an angel (a seraphim), who assists him crossing over to the afterlife. Not to make him want to stay.

[–] wfp52 9 years ago

While Ben is looking at the wood cut on the wall of Sera's home he says "This is the home of an Angel".
There are hidden messages throughout the film. For instance, while talking into the voice recorder while at the bank, everything he says comes true while he and Sera are at the Motel in the desert.