MovieChat Forums > Don't Breathe (2016) Discussion > Would the old man be the hero without th...

Would the old man be the hero without the woman in the basement?

posted 8 years ago by redban02
29 replies | jump to latest

If he didn't have the woman trapped in the basement, would the old man be the protagonist in this movie?

Whenever I see anyone posit that the old man is the hero, I then see others rebut by noting the way he kidnapped and forcefully impregnated the woman in the basement. Does she serve as his only claim to villainy?

Without this detail, the old man is simply defending himself from people who broke into his home, stole his money, drugged his dog, and attempted to gas him while he laid in bed at 2:00 AM. They provoked him, in other words.

[–] twizzlerfreakk 8 years ago

*2 Chainz voice* true

[–] teoff 8 years ago

There is no real hero in this movie, which is why it's refreshing. The three teens are thieves. The old guy is a kidnapper and rapist (yes, forcefully inserting your semen in another person is rape). They all exist in shades of gray, tho imo he deserved what he got but so did they.

[–] dini0519 8 years ago

Good insight. True, there were no heroes, but I couldn't help but but be somewhat sympathetic of the blind man who was burglarized as well as Alex, who seemed to have at least somewhat of a conscience.
Dini

[–] ceasarsean (10) 8 years ago

I was thinking something like this. there were no good people in this but there was sympathy for all. lets start with alex, he seems like a pretty good kid but he still robs houses. then there 's rocky who we learn is trying to get she and her sister out of a bad life, but she still robs houses. then there is money who had no redeeming qualities of all of them but when he had a gun to him, he was gueninely afraid for his life. the, theres the old man who lost his daughter, but what he did to that girl is no excuse. and then there is the kidnapped girl who hit and killed his daughter and ran and got off, but she didn't derserevd to be help captive. no one was good but no one was totally bad, save for money. sorry, long rant over. night lol

[–] atd8vii (593) 7 years ago

Agree, when I first watched this flick I thought to myself "everyone in this movie was scum", but when I had another think about it I realised that people in real life are complicit and self serving a-holes (including myself to a certain extent) and there isn't a clear cut good/bad line that you can distinguish between. So it's a testament to the film that it bought on a bit of critical thought later on.

[–] MyOpinions 8 years ago

IMO, he would not be a hero. He locked the thieves up in the house so they couldn't get away from him and so he could kill them, at least the males.

[–] LukeLovesFilm28 8 years ago

Are you blind? Do you value your life? Do you have self-preservation instincts?

Besides, if we got rid of the misandrist, outrageous rapist subplot, for all we know he wouldn't have locked them in his house. He might have done all he could to defend himself, killing the lead a$$hole and then called the cops.

Get off your soapbox while I play you a tune on the tiniest violin.

[–] UnvoicedApollo1 8 years ago

You call the police, you don't go hunting.

If we get rid f the rapist dubplot, we get someone seeking to murder intruders rather than trap them to call the police.

[–] fede_4488 8 years ago

if we got rid of the misandrist, outrageous rapist subplot

Wow, really? Insecure macho bro.

[–] mcbare 8 years ago

I thought the same thing. At first I was squarely on the old man's side, but when he prevented the kids from getting out of the house, his role turned from victim to predator. That was then confirmed when they discovered Cindy downstairs.

[–] kiasmama223 8 years ago

I don't think he was locking them in. I don't think he knew they were in the house at the time of lockup. He was simply putting his house back together so more would not come in. I might have to watch it again, but I thought he didn't hear the "creek" until after his door was locked and the window boarded up. It's something anyone would do, imo. secure the house after a break in.

[–] Taravilyaion 8 years ago

"but I thought he didn't hear the "creek" until after his door was locked and the window boarded up"

Actually.. he smelled the shoes after he locked up the sidedoor..
Once he found one of Money's shoes he kept searching for the other but instead found Rocky's shoes.
Alex had already been outside but returned inside after the 2nd gunshot so he had his shoes back on.

"Gar nicht so übel, du kleine Schlampe. Man sieht sich immer zweimal, Kleine."

[–] ashersam 8 years ago

He's a hero with the woman dying from complications related to childbirth. Anybody who kills a blind man's daughter with impunity deserves at least 9 months to reconsider their life...and how did he manage to abduct that woman?

Father wrote about this in his book Ch1Pg1Par1 What is the answer to 99 out of 100 questions? Money.

[–] SarahJConnor 8 years ago

i dunno if i'd go so far as hero but he'd certainly be more sympathetic.

imo

[–] mrmoovee 8 years ago

The Rott was a hero he did what he was suppose to do, defend his owner and property. Props to the faithful man's best friend.

[–] mrhappy89 8 years ago

the whole reason he locked the kids in his house was because of the girl in the basement. he noticed that the basement door was broken open and he couldnt let them leave with the chance of them seeing her and telling the police, so he felt the need to dispose of the witnesses.

[–] Misanthwopical_Bweed 8 years ago

I didnt know any thing about this movie when I started watching it and I turned to my wife and said the same thing " you could easily make this movie with the blind guy as the protagonist" that was until we saw the rape dungeon

"Abortion is green!"
Doug Stanhope

[–] isaiahsmith-47728 8 years ago

Why not call the police ? he purposely locked the doors and boarded windows just so they could not get out so he could murder them in his house. People go to prison for lesser evils if someone breaks into your house and their trying to escape and you shoot them in the back you go to jail for murder. You are protecting yourself which he was not doing he turned from victim to the criminal just cause someone breaks into your house does not give you free will of killing them just cause you have to be in fear for your life which he was not many people have self defense misinterpreted and those people end up in prison.