MovieChat Forums > Primal Fear (1996) Discussion > Questions about ending-spoilers

Questions about ending-spoilers

posted 12 years ago by blondepittbull
14 replies | jump to latest

I just saw this for the 2nd or third time-loved it. Always have. Some of the best performances I've ever seen. I had a few questions:

First off, what are peoples' opinions about what Gear's character does at the end? Knowing that Roy is a psychopath and will probebly kill many more, if released, would he violate Lawyer confidentiality and warn the hospital or keep silent? At the end, it ends with him stopping like he's made a decision. I'd be curious to know what others thought.

Also, if Aeron was always Roy(personality wise) did that mean he always had that plan in mind? How could he know ahead of time Gear would try to bring Roy out, on the stand? And why would he tell Gear at the end, since he doesn't know what Gear will do with the information?

Lastly, what about the other boy..Alex? He did not seem to know about Roy but how come Roy didn't get violent with him as he did with Linda and the Priest?

Would welcome peoples' thoughts.

[–] NicknameNumber 12 years ago

For your first question, you can't just assume he would kill many more people as there was clear motive behind his killing and it wasn't just a random act of violence. It doesn't matter that Vail would say at that point because the trial is over and he could come out and tell the world that Roy killed the Arch Bishop and nothing could happen via Double Jeopardy. He's stopping at the end because he sees the media crowd outside knowing what exactly just happened.

Roy is very intelligent and can read people and yes, he always had a plan in mind. He knew Vail was going to try and bring Roy out because of all the provoking he was doing while on the stand. I.E. when Vail covered the microphone and taunted Roy. Also, as said before, it doesn't matter what Vail does because it would be Double Jeopardy and you can't be tried for the same crime twice.

Roy didn't get violent with Alex because he had no reason to. While Roy clearly has issues, from what is given to us in the film, I assume that Roy always has a plan and doesn't just attack anybody.

[–] Rey_Kahuka 12 years ago

The judge declared a mistrial, he could be tried again. They explain this away in the dialogue in the last scene with Janet, Martin and the judge. Janet says nobody will touch the case because they just want it to go away.

As far as the OP's other questions...Roy obviously had a plan from the beginning, but without legal expertise I'm sure he was just playing it by ear and lucked out when Martin stepped into his life. His insanity bid never would have worked without Martin's unwitting help.

As far as getting violent with Alex, we'll never know. Maybe he didn't have the chance to kill him. Maybe he liked him. It's a detail the script doesn't seem to think was relevant to the overall plot.

It's a good question about Martin's next move. One of the aspects of the film that nobody talks about is how Martin is the opposite of Roy/Aaron. Roy is a murderer pretending to be a shy, affable kid; Martin pretends to be the heartless douchebag defense lawyer while secretly believing in the goodness of people.

The line between Roy and Aaron seemingly does not exist, and it's just as difficult to know how much Martin does because he thinks it's right, and how much is his ego and love of the spotlight. I think sometimes Martin doesn't even know anymore. That's why the tagline of the film, Sooner or later a man who wears two faces forgets which one is real, applies to both men.

Therein lies the dilemma: do the right thing-- come clean about Aaron-- get disbarred, and perhaps worse, admit that you were wrong; or say nothing, continue your career and let a murderer walk. Martin was devastated at the end of the film because he lost on all fronts. Not only was he outwitted, which he didn't think was possible, he also had his basic belief that people are good explode in his face.

I think the ending to the film is left open intentionally. Martin is a shattered man, he has no more idea of what to do than the audience.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] Rey_Kahuka 12 years ago

totally wrong - the judge did a BENCH trial [ie MADE a decision herself without jury] to put him in "care"

in other words she TOO was totally fooled by Roy

Maybe I misinterpreted that part. I was under the assumption he could be tried again, but perhaps the dialog is reversed in my head. I thought Janet said nobody would touch the case after the judge declared a bench trial.

wrong again, it was Roy that totally befuddles Vail re getting off murder ["I thought we were dancing Marty"] - Vail is STILL totally dumb when he goes to see Aaron "on his way out", and after he does he takes the back door as he can't face the media

What am I wrong about? Aaron says he thought Martin figured it out during the last part of the trial, hence his surprised expression when Martin chastises him on the stand and his remark about dancing afterward. IIRC he even says something to the effect of thinking Martin figured it out "toward the end." Of course Martin hadn't, that's why he was so devastated when he realized what had happened.

I know Martin can't do anything about Linda, that's made pretty clear.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] Rey_Kahuka 12 years ago

I'm not sure why you're explaining things I already know. Roy was playing Martin the entire time, but he still needed Martin's unwitting help to pull it off. He tricked the best defense lawyer in the city into helping him get away with murder, there's no way he could have done it alone.

I think Martin asking if there was never a Roy was weak writing, they had to make the characters spell it out for anyone in the audience who didn't get it.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] Rey_Kahuka 12 years ago

Agreed, but it kind of went without saying at that point. It's still a great scene, though. Norton was robbed.

[–] t_oskay 12 years ago

I'll say something about your second question.

I think Aeron has a plan in mind but he didn't know that Vail would try to help him. He would pretend to have psychiatric problems, with or without Vail.
Vail's support just made his plan work easier.

[–] WavesBeneath 12 years ago

I'll tackle your first question.

I thought it was a great ending; I admit I did not see the twist coming. Marty (Gere's character) saw the press and immediately went out through the backdoor. Why? I think the questions and media attention would overwhelm what he learned at the end of the case. Recall back to his conversation with the journalist; he always held the belief that people are innocent until proven guilty and he also believed that good people do bad things.

When he was essentially toyed with at the end of the film, I think it's all in his facial expression. Gere showed a combination of doubt, utter disbelief, horror, and shame. After all the hard work he put into this case and the amount of care he showed for his defendant, his "winning" the case at the end really resonated to me as him "losing" his optimism or semblance of hope. His cynicism definitely increased as a result of this case and the last shot of him standing there alone just goes to show that maybe he should question things a bit more.

[–] runice 11 years ago

What other movies are like this (would like to watch more)? I know this had the same director as Fracture (also a good movie).

[–] movie80 11 years ago

The Lincoln Lawyer

[–] colmachrome 11 years ago

Matchstick Men, tho theres no murder or courtroom!

[–] Soodinum 9 years ago

Why can't you spell?