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Ronnoco (16)
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It was a downbeat ending, but it showed how Fr. Laforgue gradually lost most of his his well-intentioned but grandiose cultural illusions about converting the Amerindians and civilizing them. He ended up just doing the best he could to try to help them and do what he thought best. He was probably questioning his own faith at the end.
Yes, the little boy that the Iroquois killed was Chomina's son. In actuality, though, in most cases like that, the Iroquois adopted young children, whose parents they'd killed, into their own tribe. Rarely did they put captured children to death. They'd also likely have adopted the older sister too, rather than intending to kill her. They mainly put to death captured adults, who were too old to be adopted into the tribe.
I thought the Amerindians in the film were portrayed realisticaly and respectfully. They were shown as individuals, each with their own feelings, beliefs, and prejudices, rather than as stereotypes. Also, many Amerindian tribes felt that individuals with physical abnormalities (such as the dwarf shaman) were in close touch with the spirit-world, and were deserving of respect, as that shaman (Mestigoit) was. And it's understandable that Mestigoit felt threatened and angry at the presence of the christian Black Robe , who was there to convert the Amerindians to christianity, and was thereby undermining Mestigoit's position. Mestigoit, with his annoying chanting and yelling, was hoping to intimidate the Black Robe, embarrass him in public, and drive him away.
Actually, though, self-flagellation was a common private penitential practice of priests and monks for hundreds of years. It was practiced in certain monasteries (especially Carthusian ones) up until fairly recently.
Yes, the Jorge of Burgos in the movie was more fanatical than the one in the series. And Bernardo Gui in the movie was fiery and wicked while in the series he was sinister and malign. But I think they were equally effective. They were variations on a theme.
The series was able to delve deeper into the political and religious issues of the time. But it did this by introducing several different story lines that I don't think were present in the book, or in the movie. I have mixed feelings about this. The series gives the viewer more insight into the historical perspective of what was happening. But the movie better represented the atmosphere of mystery and foreboding within the monastery.
If Lee had been able to open up and talk about his kids' death, at least a little bit, that would have been the beginning of his coming to terms with what had happened, and then he probably would have been able to beat it, and go on with his life. That was what Randi wanted him to do, when she asked if they could have lunch together. But Lee couldn't do that, it would have been too painful for him, he couldn't face it. He had too much pain, grief, and guilt. It's too bad, but that's the way he was. There are people like that, who just cannot bring themselves to open up about things. It's tragic, and it ruins their lives. I think I can sympathize with him anyway, though.
I think that earlier in the film. Elsie (the household maid) mentions to Mary (the Scottish maid) that the Ladies' Sylvia, Louisa, and Lavinia's father (now deceased) was the Earl of "Cartham". He must have been the brother of Countess Trentham.
It must have been pure torture for Henry to be out there in the witness-protection program in the Midwest suburbs, eating generic egg noodles, after having grown up with genuine New York Italian cooking. That alone was his punishment for ratting out his pals .
Jimmy knew that Maury was a talker, and wouldn't be good at keeping secrets. And he also knew that Maury told his wife everything. If Maury had been a little more discreet, and not had such a tendency to talk to everyone, he wouldn't have gotten whacked. Maury was a nice guy, but he wasn't all that smart.
I think you're right. The shoe wasn't actually contacting Costigan's hand. That was pretty noticeable. I guess DiCaprio (the little prima donna) didn't want to take a chance of getting his hand hurt.
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