I've watched this movie twice now. And I still don't understand how Barry (the gay man) fits into this whole situation. He is the one that introduces Elizabeth and John. But I don't follow how John and Barry are friends since John hates homosexuals. I'm confused.
shareMe too. Me too. I'm glad someone else asked this. Unless John was just tolerating him and wasn't really friends. Then again, he could just have disagreed with his lifestyle, knowing he wasn't a pedophile.... but then why kill him. Weird.
I have no plans today. So I'm watching this again. I am determined to figure it out!!! Haha.
shareI thought Barry was a transvestite, not a homosexual. There's a big difference as not all transvestites are gay.
-Pecs like melons and knees of fringe
You know what, I think you are right. I hadn't thought of that. I agree with you panjin79.
But that theory of "just" being a transvestite does not really hold up. Most people who hate gay people, especially that would murder them, would not tolerate similar alternative lifestyles such as gay, transgender, bi-sexual, etc.
You could perhaps try to look up the actual historical events and see what Barry's story was.
Perhaps John did have hatred for Barry from the beginning, but used him to orchestrate future murders and killed him when it was possible.
I really don't know.
--
He was definitely a homosexual too. He had that young boy, remember. What he says, I'm paraphrasing, 'Everybody needs someone." when someone asks the question of who he is.
shareIf you read the books, you find out Barry IS a paedophile - he had Robert Wagner in his clutches from about the age of 11 or 12. I also found it hard to understand John's tolerance, unless he just saw Barry as a link to all the potential victims he could take out with his sadistic murderlust. And Barry did cop it in the end anyway.
shareYes imdb says there was a side plot of a sexual relationship with Barry and Robert that's removed from the film but included in DVD extras. I would have liked to know more.
Barry also makes a weird comment when they're all meeting in the kitchen in first 30 min or so talking with neighbors about the pedophile problem....Saying how some of the kids know what they want.
He was eventually killed from what someone else posted, although I missed it. I didn't know what his name was so if they referred to him being killed later I would have missed it. I'm doing research and planning to watch it again.
I think John would have put up with him for awhile to get what he wanted out of him. Most cross dressers are straight, but I don't know if that guy was or not. Just being a cross dresser would have been enough to put him on John's list.
Barry gives John the names/addresses of suspected paedophiles early on - once John loses any sense of the reasons he's killing for then Barry outlives his usefulness and becomes an easy target.
I'd say John tolerates him more than anything early on. It's not mentioned in the movie but in the actual events Robert and Barry were lovers for a time before Robert fell deeply into John's web.
The Australian Blu Ray (and probably other region release as well) have deleted scenes.
On the of these scenes includes Robert attacking and no doubt killing Barry at John's egging on but most of the actual attack happens off-screen.
It was a bit confusing about which ‘Barry’ was in the barrel when John shows Jamie Gavin’s dead body in the shed (John says to Jamie “Come and say hello to Barry.”). I assume we’re to infer it’s the transvestite Barry we see throughout the film, especially with the inclusion of the deleted scene of Robert attacking Barry.
However, at about 33:55 of the film during the scene where Barry is informing John of names and addresses of deviants in the area, he mentions another Barry - Barry Stone at 203 Bourke Road. “Chucks kids parties for all the methadone mothers. He’s got one pocketful of jubes. The other pocket’s cut out, and he’s playing snakes. They don’t know where their kids are. They don’t know where he is.”
I had to read a book on the murders to understand the plot. The film version was not very clear.
Apparently Barry and the guy across the street were pedophiles and most pedos in that area knew each other. The guy across the street got to Eliz's kids first. Barry was the one who warned Liz about her kids being molested. Then Bunting warned Liz about Barry.
Bunting was a friend with Robert Wagner and met both while Wagner and Barry were living as lovers. Barry starting having sex with Wagner when Barry was 31 and Wagner was 14.
Many of the murder "victims" killed during the movie were indeed pedophiles of some sort. Many of the killers were rape victims as children.
This movie is made for people who already know most of the basic facts of the story.
I'm pretty sure at the meeting in the kitchen where Barry was giving the names of all the paedophiles, John refers to Barry as either gay or a p***ter. I think he was just using him for the information then killed him when he didn't need him any more. It is a very bleak and disturbing film, all the more so the fact it is based on a true story.
I think the likes of this and Underbelly remind people that Australia isn't all sun, sand and the land of no worries, like anywhere there is another side to it.
Bunting appeared to be using the Trans person as a source of intel.
He tolerated him up to a point.
Bunting was allegedly abused by a family member so he had serious stuff going on himself.
He smirks when Barry asks if he can get in on one of the blokes like he's thinking this pervert thinks he's one of us little does he know he's getting it.
And as soon as he finishes giving up the names Bunting immediately takes away his plate signalling his services have been terminated