MovieChat Forums > Primal Fear (1996) Discussion > I can't understand this - someone explai...

I can't understand this - someone explain? [there be spoiler in here]

posted 11 years ago by kakkuaa
8 replies | jump to latest

I just watched it and enjoyed the movie quite a bit. But there's one thing that I can't make sense of, and that is why Roy - who is obviously highly intelligent - got caught in the first place. When Martin tells Roy that "you're really good" at the end he responds be expressing regret that he got caught: "Yeah, I got caught though, didn't I?". Clearly, it was a mistake. But where did it go wrong? Is that ever hinted at in the film?
And it seems a little odd to me that this brilliant person would get himself caught being completely covered in blood and having stepped in blood and trampled all over the apartment as well.
Did I miss something?

[–] cmfalf 11 years ago

He didn't really get caught. Roy got free on insanity and they can't try him again on the murder (s) charge. He just used the Aaron persona to make us all feel bad. In the ending, he just couldn't help telling Vail how stupid everyone is and how smart he is. He made no mistakes. Great movie btw....

[–] MultiSanity 10 years ago

Yeah, his mistake wasn't getting caught by the police, it was at the very end when he apologizes for throwing the woman in a headlock. That's what got him caught by Gere's character and revealed the con that he has been performing.

If anything getting caught and prosecuted for the murder was the best thing to happen to him because it means it can beat the charge (as he did) and go free as opposed to having the case remain open and always dealing with the possibility of getting caught later on down the line.

[–] gimmedacash 10 years ago

No. He wanted Richard Gere's character to know, he intentionally said what he said to make Gere realize that he was faking it. He didn't intend to get caught, I think his plan didn't involve a mailman calling it in.

[–] the_la_baker 10 years ago

And it seems a little odd to me that this brilliant person would get himself caught being completely covered in blood and having stepped in blood and trampled all over the apartment as well.
Did I miss something?

No, you didn't miss anything. That's a good point. Unless we are supposed to assume getting arrested and pretending to be insane was his plan all along. In which case, I'd have to rate this film 4-5 stars instead of 7-8.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] the_la_baker 10 years ago

Better rate it 4-5 then, because that's what he did. Read the book the film's based on. Vail-Stampler are part of a series of books by William Diehl. Stamper is a sociopath serial killer. He gets off on being cunning and he's good at it.

The book is not the movie, but if what you say is true, I will. What a ridiculous plan. Hes a lucky idiot, not a genius.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] fluffchop 10 years ago

The post murder plan wasn't well thought out seems to be what you're saying. It's likely that the postman calling the cops interrupted proceedings and he had to flee before the cops arrived. That's why he got caught.

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