MovieChat Forums > Looper (2012) Discussion > Question about old Joe's motivation

Question about old Joe's motivation

posted 9 years ago by LuxuryJesper
2 replies | jump to latest

I've got a question concerning old Joe's motivation, for killing the Rainmaker.

Was his motivation either:

1. Killing the Rainmaker, to potentially change the outcome of the future, so he - when he shot the Rainmaker, would suddenly return to China in the future again (just as he disappeared when young Joe shot himself) with his wife, who - because of his act then would be alive, because he indirectly had taken care of the henchmen, who in the future was sent by the Rainmaker?

Or...

2. Did he do it, so young Joe would live the exact same life he did, but wouldn't suffer the loss of his then future wife?

The reason why I'm asking, is because the movie/script sort of gives 2 different answers to this. When they're sitting together in the cafeteria, old Joe is telling young Joe he doesn't know *beep*:

"Shut your *beep* child mouth.
She's going to clean you up and
you're going to take her love like
a sponge and you're both going to
pretend that she's saved you,
you're so self absorbed and stupid."

- which gives the impression, that he's actually doing it for young Joe's sake, so he's still gonna meet her etc. etc., but isn't gonna suffer the loss of her being murdered by the Rainmakers henchmen.

But later on in the movie, when young Joe is explaining the situation to Sara, he's saying:

"I think... he thinks, the instant
the rainmaker dies, he'll never
have been sent back, so he'll just
vanish, and be back with his wife."

- which gives the impression, that he's only doing it for his own sake/of selfish reasons.

What is your opinion/view?

All these voices in my head, and not a single one I understand.

[–] heraclius-695-743304 9 years ago

My Op:
Old Joe did it purely for himself. Consider the following.

They are the same person, but neither OJ nor YJ see themselves as such; OJ sees YJ as hopelessly naive and selfish, and YJ sees OJ as ossified and controlling. The thing is, though, they are both equally selfish. YJ is willing to go to great lengths to kill OJ to get the (limited) future that he feel he deserves (and will p*ss away), and OJ will do the same, even though it ruins his younger version's chance of even getting to where he was.

There's a key moment in the diner scene that tells you all you need to know about OJ; it's when YJ asks to see his wife's picture, so he can make sure he never gets involved with her. When I first saw this scene, I thought it was YJ just being characteristically cruel, but later I realized that it was a perfectly sensible solution: it would save his wife, and ensure an unencumbered future for his younger self. But, OJ refuses; he hides the picture, because like YJ he wants what's his no matter what, proving that he hasn't changed a bit.

[–] Ithilfaen 9 years ago

He doesn't care about Joe. Or his wife really. Or he'd take Joe's promise never to meet her.

He just wants his life back.

Think about it: if all he wanted was to save his wife, he'd just kill Joe in the field when he's sent back right after he bludgeons him. If Young Joe dies, then his wife should be safe from the rainmaker.

Ironically he tells Joe that his wife changed him from a self-absorbed *beep* into a good man but he's only deluding himself. His reasons are nothing but selfish.

Young Joe is the one who truly understand sacrifice at the end.

For every lie I unlearn I learn something new - Ani Difranco