MovieChat Forums > No Country for Old Men (2007) Discussion > In the novel Llewellyn has Chigurh dead ...

In the novel Llewellyn has Chigurh dead to rights…

posted 3 days ago by DancingintheDark (1678)
8 replies | jump to latest

And lets him go.
In the hotel scene, when he discovers the transponder, he doesn’t hop out the window after blasting at the door, instead he hides in the corner, and allows Chigurh to walk in the room.
He has Chigurh dead to rights, with gun drawn and his back turned, orders Chigurh to drop his shotgun, which he does, and Llewelyn walks out the room and hauls ass down the stairs, out the door, and is then shot like in the film.
In another life maybe Chigurh gives Llewelyn a pass as he does spare his life more or less.

[–] acelesson (799) 3 days ago

Anton didn’t kill Llewelyn tho

[–] DancingintheDark (1678) 3 days ago

This is correct, the Mexicans do.

[–] BKB (10114) 3 days ago

If true, then Llewellyn deserved to get shot because he could've finished off Chigurh and lived happily ever after with 3 Million dollars

[–] DancingintheDark (1678) 3 days ago

Well it is true, and it’s also something that I always find to be peculiar about the novel, and feel that it was appropriate for the Coen brothers to leave out.

[–] Seperatrix (1241) 3 days ago

For those of us who speculate about fictional characters and their motivations . . . .

I could understand Llewellyn having a momentary thought enter his mind at the moment of truth (i.e., do I shoot him or not?). That might be that if he does kill him, he would need to escape and avoid law enforcement catching up. I don't know if there was a record of his renting the room, other eye witnesses that may have seen him, etc., but in a fraction of a second he may have feared that if he murdered Chigurh it could eventually be traced to him, then there goes the money.

Not to mention, it's not always easy to make the decision to kill someone, even for a war vet. He may have thought a simple escape would allow for a recalibration of his strategy and that was good enough.

[–] DancingintheDark (1678) 3 days ago

That’s a good point.
I think it may also be to show that Moss, while a highly competent and trained killer, he is a twice deployed Vietnam Infantryman, is not a cold blooded killer or at the very least, is not going to kill someone until his back is up against a wall and he has no choice but to do so.

[–] jcdugger (379) 3 days ago

I haven't read the book but heard that there was more to Chigurh's leg gunshot injury than in the movie as well. Like he had to stay in the hotel room for a week or so resting up. Is that the case? Can you expand at all on that portion? Thanks!

[–] DancingintheDark (1678) 3 days ago

Hmmm, it’s possible and if so, it’s barely touched on, making no big thing of it. I want to say that there is no indication on how long he rests for.
Maybe something like, “…..after treating his injuries he lies down on the bed and closes his eyes…” and that’s it.
The scene in which he operates on himself is nearly identical in both novel and film, as is the acquiring of the medical supplies.