The Aryan, the Jew, and the Cowboy *** SPOILER ***

Right, how Morse knows that Harlan's a jew? Sixth sense, you'd say? Bull.

I think it's important to remember that Wade is a Corrections Officer in the film (I assumed he's a prison guard). He says he 'knows [Harlan's] type', and I imagine he would -- he's dealt with criminals pretending to be things they're not, with a slick story to tell, EVERY DAY. I accepted this, assuming that someone with Wade's background would have a sort of 'radar' for picking up bulls--t, and that from the very first time Harlan opened his mouth, Wade's 'radar' went off. He's used to people lying to him all day, and he spotted Harlan immediately for what he was

First of all, you had better read up on what an Aryan is because you are as offbase as a certain mustache-wearing historical figure. He didn't understand either.

Maybe it was Edward Norton's horrific acting portrayal of a mean, nasty, conniving, murderous drifter who was rather like Eddie Haskell gone really, really bad that had me so distracted. I didn't get the Jewish connection at all. Perhaps the film had me nearly braindead by that stage due to its seemingly endless length and very poor storytelling. There were so many gaps in the plot and so many unbelievable actions by the characters that I missed the link between the temple and Harlan. Generally, I catch details, so I know that I was profoundly bored and/or irritated by that time.

I shall say that this theory is one of the most bizarre interpretations of a movie I have ever read or heard, and I've read some very offbeat ones.
I don't buy the "Aryan/Jewish" theory.

I think Wade sized up Harlan the way anyone would have if they were fairly level-headed. Someone pointed out what Wade does for a living. Heck! I didn't trust Harlan's act at the service station~an older man who would take off with a carful of teenagers because a girl looked at him, throwing away a job. What a weirdo, people! I've encountered smarmy guys like that, even when I was October's age, and I have been relatively sheltered throughout my life. If I could size them up, why couldn't she? Maybe it was the pot and liquor.

Think about it: What in the heck was such an old guy doing with a girl so young?! Even if he never knew about the sex part, it's rather personal that a guy she just met buys her a dress. Right about there, major warning bells and sirens should have gone off for Wade! To me, October should have been put away for her own and everyone else's good. She was self-destructive, neglected her little brother when she was supposed to be taking care of him, and never showed one solid reason why she treated her stepfather the way she did. They showed no reason, so she seemed nearly as crazy as Harlan! I didn't believe the flipflop the script has her doing, going from frenzied and foul-mouthed to "Oh! I don't want to leave home!" Get real! If anyone looked as if she'd take off at a moment's notice, "Tobe" did. I didn't like her, and I didn't like Harlan, not one teensy bit.

Again, that's one very weird theory. You sort of remind me of Woody Allen films in which he looks for anti-Semitism all of the time~~thank goodness not in all of his movies. I wonder how you would interpret other films?